Soldered Pendants, Act Three

 I still have it in my mind that I'm going to learn to solder.    Instead of starting all over with designs, last week I pulled apart the previous sets I'd made, and put them back together with new glass and tape.   Spent a couple hours over yesterday and today practicing my soldering technique.

I like to run on the 5 point scale (poor, fair, good, very good, excellent) and with the redo on this set, I'm rating them a solid 2 1/2; somewhere between fair and good.   I still don't consider them sell quality, but will keep, at least, a couple of them, for comparison quality.   You know .... after I've made alot of them, look back and see how far I've come.   I've also saved the first one.

For future sets, I plan on creating collage type images using my Photoshop software.    Over the last couple years I've collected several old books with Vogue and Harper Posters dated between 1880 and 1920.   (I collect anything that falls outside of copyright).  I've been scanning these into my computer and have started altering them into, what I hope will be, unique pieces.       Such as ....

Soldering Pendants Takes Alot of Practice

I spent time both Saturday and Sunday working on my soldered pendants.    Actually, I'm working on the same dozen or so, adding another layer, smoothing out, cleaning, over and over again.  I just can't seem to get satisfied with the results.    And, I've learned that after you add enough layers that the tape underneath starts to deteriorate.    I was thinking that I'd start working up another assortment of 1 X 3" collage pieces and start another set, when, I decided, heck, I'm might as well just start over with these.    So, next time I decide to solder, I'll just remove the solder and tape from these, clean the glass and put them all back together again (and possible again and again). 

I've looked at a variety of soldered pendants online in the Etsy and Artfire shops.   And, truth be told, the only ones I see putting out good looking soldered pendants are those that have a history of stained glass.   So, obviously enough, the answer is the level of practice.    Not that I'm necessarily have plan to make a career creating these, I'd just like to be able to do it.   

Soldering .... Still Practicing, after all these years

Okay, so it hasn't been years, more along the lines of a month or two.  So, having started at a skill level of zero, I've now moved up the skill ruler to perhaps a three ... Perhaps.  

A few days back I'd wrapped up some big chunky glass pieces and this morning I finished soldering them.  I also wrapped up three more glass pieces, using some of my handpainted grafitti paper in the middle.   Altogether I put 3 layers of solder on them.  On the last layer, I then held it too tight with the pliers and cracked the glass.  (I did pull it open and rescued the paper, which I'll rewrap tomorrow).   I also another layer on a a couple of the others.    

Tomorrow I'll decide if these need more solder, or if I'm going to get out the dremel and finish them off.

Of course, the biggest question bothering me at the moment is what to do with them.   They certainly are not give away or sell quality, but I sure hate to just throw out,    Decisions, decisions, decisions.

Marble Bead Experiment Continued ......

Back in June I did a little experiment of using E6000 to glue bellcaps to standards and it was, A COMPLETE FAILURE.    After completition, it didn't take but a couple hours for the marbles to start seperating from the bellcaps.   The sad bracelet has been sitting on my side board ever since; awaiting  ....

Round Two .... 
I picked 8 generic marbles (I must have literally thousands in inventory).   As it's an experiment; it doesn't really matter what they look like.
Cleaned the marbles.
Cut and attached a thin piece of foiling tape around each marble, overlapping about 1/2".
Soldered a jump ring.  The jump ring sits at the top of the overlap.
Soldered the rest of the way around each marble.
Washed and dried
Sanded out rough or unattractive points with the Dremel.

Two pieces fell apart almost immediately.  One the tape just came off, intact and the other the tape appears to have failed at the seam.   I'm guessing, on these two, that I didn't get the tape attached well enough.

Attached the remaining 6 to a marble to a silver chain bracelet, which I've put on and am going to wear for the next few days; kind of like a stress test.

Handmade Louisiana Entry

I brought out the dremel and sanded this piece up abit this morning.   I wouldn't consider it 'sell' quality, however, as I created this specific collage for the Handmade Louisiana Craft-Along, I'm going to go ahead and submit.   Today is the deadline.

As I like the actual collage work, I'll probably apply another layer of solder in a couple days.

Lilly has come to visit (her mama is busy having baby brother) and I'm giving her most all my attention.  

Small Heart Pendants (Cutouts)

Some time back I picked up a few packages of thin wood cutouts at a yardsale.    I took these with me to Gator Fest last Saturday, along with  book of my painted pages, in case I needed something to occupy myself.  As it turned out, I'm sure glad that I did.    So, on Saturday, I traced a couple of the (mostly heart) shapes onto the back of a couple different painted pages and then cutout just abit inside the lines.     When I unpacked on Sunday, I'd tossed these onto my workbench. 

I'm feeling better today (the cold is improving), and decided to play in my studio awhile.   These seemed as good as anything.   Very simply, but time consuming.

• painted front & back of each cutout (paper isn't going to line up perfectly)
• Glued the matching piece of paper to front and backs of each piece
• Applied two coats of polyacrylic to each side.  

Tomorrow I'll finish by drilling a small hole in the top.   I'm not really in the mood to make bracelets at the moment, so will probably just put them in inventory.
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After dinner I continued my solder practice.  My skill level has moved slilghtly above remedial.     I typically do not practice longer than an hour; that seems to be the amount of time for fustration to peak.   So, I simply stop.      I'm planning on putting the one with the girl in the swing reading a book in the Louisiana Handmade Guild Call, so will need to finish it tomorrow morning. 

Necklace Pendants from Blank Slides

I went to add a little more solder to yesterdays' Party pendant and I, somehow, managed to crack one of the glass sides.  So, I threw it out and started over with another.     I selected two more of my grafitti painted pages and cut out 1"x3"  pieces, to go along with the Party paper.       I also put together a small collage.   Each of these are two sided. 

I then practiced the foil wrap and solder.    I didn't get the tape  properly secured on the collage piece and the solder was coming loose.  I was picking at it, to figure out how to fix, and it came loose to the point I just pulled it off.  Well, count that up to a learning experience.   If the solder/tape has a loose point, it can all be pulled off, the glass cleaned and the whole piece started over ... versus throwing out the little collage.  Cool.

Solder Practice Continues

I still wouldn't call my solder skills 'good', however, they are improving.     I set aside an hour or so after dinner to practice and completed 7 of the little Mancala marbles and made one 1"x3" Pendant.   For the pendant, I used a piece of my grafitti painted paper.      The solder feels slightly rough, where it edges the glass.   I'm going to run another bead on it tomorrow and see if that solves the issue ... perhaps these require two beads.

I'm finding the round pieces the most difficult ... I haven't yet found the right combination of tools to hold the marbles while working on them.    Tonight I added the jump rings first and then soldered the rest, that is working best so far.   Went online and browsed a variety of site looking for tool suggests, but .... nada.    So, I'll just keep trying different ways until I arrive at an answer.

A Play Day & A Variety of Pendants

Although it's a holiday, Beau still went to the Nature Center and I decided that I was going to spend the day just playing with my stuff ... versus housework or any of the other stuff that in need of doing.

Using 5 different sheets of my painted pages, and some more of the number wood tiles (just below 3/4" sqare), created a whole bunch of little pendants. I made a couple deviations from the set I created last week.

• Cut the paper down to appropriate size and glued to top using Elmers Glue.
• Painted on 2 coats of polyacrylic instead of the clear spray paint.
  

I like the Polyacrylic better. It gives a much better shine and acts as a secondary sealer to the paper.

I continue, each day, practicing soldering the glass pendants. And, if I don't say so myself, they are getting better. Today I branched out and cut some pieces of clear glass, put some of my papers between them and soldered. They are a bit thicker than I think I like ... I'll look for some picture frames at yard sale this weekend; they will have a thinner glass. Tomorrow I'm going to get out the dremel and a sanding barrell and smooth them up ... then re-evaluate.

It was a nice day. We ordered some Pizza for dinner and drank White Russian Daquiris in the hot tub ....

With Solder Gun in Hand

I've been wanting to learn to solder for some time. I want to try my hand at making little glass collage pendants for my charm bracelets and, since I have tons of found objects, would like to create some jewelry pieces with them. My friend Rue gave me a short lesson and some tips on equipment last week, and yesterday, my supplies order arrived from Delphi. ( Had to fight off temptation to play with it last night, but Lilly was here and she's always more important ).

Set it all up this afternoon and gave it a shot. Had some initial problems figuring out just to to get the solder to melt and flow ... trail and error, and then, managed to complete these 4 pieces. Now, I realize they are nothing special ... BUT, I did manage to get the solder in place and have jump rings on two of them. I call that progress.

I plan on practicing a bit each day and I'm looking forward to seeing where this goes.