A NEW TEXTURE!

It's always exciting to find a new texture to use with the rolling mill. I recently ordered some filigree cupcake wrappers from Amazon after seeing a post somewhere. I'll definitely be adding a few more patterns with my next order.

I don't quite understand how they are used with a real cupcake. You usually bake cupcakes in cupcake papers, right? ... so do you just wrap this wrapper around the cooled cupcake as an attractive way to present it? The paper is quite heavy so it would be reusable ... unless it got covered with frosting!! And it could probably be rolled through the rolling mill a second time too.

NEW EARRINGS WITH ROLLING MILL TEXTURES

I just finished a few pairs of copper earrings that were textured using the rolling mill. The process is so much fun. It was back in May that I posted photos of rolled pieces using my new brass texture plates ... and I had ordered a package of skeleton leaves from an Etsy supplier. Here is the pair of earrings using the skeleton leaf texture. Can you picture them using sterling silver? WOW. I'm going to treat myself and order some sterling silver sheet, as apparently the price is its lowest in five years.

Here are the others rolled with a floral pattern.

COPPER WASHERS

This is a post about copper washers, but .... first things first! I almost didn't notice this small cactus blooming. We can only water twice a week now in Southern California and I was so lucky to get a shot of this beautiful bloom on one of the watering days. Maybe a prickly pear cactus? It was gone the next morning.

Okay, off to the washers. My daughter brought this box of washers from Harbor Freight for me on Mother's Day, and it's taken me this long to open the box and use them with the rolling mill.

The box has several sizes. A friend bought copper washers at a local hardware store and paid over a dollar each!

These may not be the best quality, but there are 80 copper washers for about $4.00!!! Someone on one of my Facebook groups said they don't enamel well, but I haven't tried that yet. But I like what I have made so far.

I made four sets of different sizes and ran them through the rolling mill several times, tightening the rollers each time, until I got the thickness I wanted.

Then I annealed them to soften the metal and ran them through the rolling mill again with a brass texture plate.

Next they were domed and now I'll have to decide how to use them. Liver of sulphur or other patina? Ear wires ... attachments .... maybe small turquoise pieces or white pearls dangling in the center? Or below the ear wires? I'll be sure to post pictures later ...

FAILURE AND SUCCESSES

It's been an exciting morning. I couldn't wait to try the three dies. I cut a 3" square piece of copper sheet (26 gauge) and ran it through the rolling mill with one of the brass texture plates I have. Next, the piece was annealed and flattened. It had to be trimmed a bit since the rolling mill stretched it.

Here are the three dies and metal ready to go. Will try the heart die first.

OH NO!!! Too many pulls of the hydraulic press lever, and the metal got pushed to the bottom! It even has an impression of the little hole in the bottom of the form box.

I didn't notice until I turned it over that the metal had actually ripped!

We're not done yet. Another piece of copper was textured, annealed and pressed. This time I pulled the lever three times instead of six. A perfect heart! How exciting!

I cut and textured two more pieces for the other dies.

Three pulls of the lever seems to be good. Should I try four? I love these pieces and want to make them into pendants. Will cut them, leaving an edge that will be riveted to a back piece. A successful morning! I'll try 24 gauge copper next.

A New Bangle Pattern Roller for My Rolling Mill!

I have to give my thanks to Deborah Read for posting this bangle pattern roller on her blog! I quickly ordered one from Otto Frei and got it a few days ago. It's a beauty with seven different patterns. Here's a photo:

I tried different gauges of copper wire and even tubing I had on hand and love the results! I'm not sure I tried all the patterns yet. The photo below shows what I've made so far. The wire on the right is 12 gauge ... I think I'll use it for earrings.

TWISTED WIRE BANGLES

One of my friends and I get together often and work on new projects. Yesterday's project is sure to inspire many of you ... Twisted Wire Bangles. Here is a YouTube video by Soham Harrison showing the procedure very clearly: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C1w-uFLzR5c&app=desktop

I tried this a few days ago with 12 gauge wire, but yesterday we tried a thicker 8 gauge. And later in the day we drove to Lowe's and got another thickness from their electrical section.

Here are two 8 inch pieces cut from the 6 gauge wire we bought yesterday. First, the pieces were annealed, then marked ... one where I'll twist only in the middle, and the other where I'll twist three times.

The wire is in the rolling mill with the middle mark centered between the rollers. You simply rock the handle back and forth, tighten, rock back and forth, tighten, and so on. You can check your progress by pulling out the wire.

The wire was rolled until the marked part was half the thicken, shown in this photo. Of course, if you do not have a rolling mill, anneal the wire and get out your hammers!

Then the wire was annealed only in the rolled part. One end was secured in the vise, the other end held with locking pliers. All you have to do then is twist in one direction until you like the result. In case of wire you rolled in three places, if the end being held in the vise is not twisting the same as the end closest to you, reverse the ends in the vise and pliers and twist it more. Be careful .... as you can over-twist!!

A blurry photo, but you can see the twist.

Here is the wire with one twist and the other with three. They started out as 8 inch pieces. See how they have grown? Interesting!

Here are all my experiments so far. From the right, the first two wires are the 6 gauge, then the 8 gauge, and the thinnest 12 gauge. The thinnest wire isn't thick enough for bangles, but wouldn't it be perfect for hoop earrings? I'll work on these and show my finished projects in a future post. So are you inspired to try this?!! I'd love to hear from you!

Fold Forming Projects

A few days ago I mentioned a friend and I were working with copper and trying our hand at fold forming. It's been so much fun, and no smashed fingers yet! This pendant is not finished, but it is looking good. There are scratches that need to be sanded and then patina to be applied. This photo taken with my phone looks pretty large here; the pendant measures 1-1/2" x 2-1/4".

I visited the local jewelry supply store last week because my liver of sulfur was no longer working.  I'm referring to the small chunks in a can and you use only a small piece in warm water.  Well, they told me they no longer carry the can with the chunks ... there is a new product for us to try, liver of sulfur in a liquid form that is supposed to last a long time. We experimented a little yesterday, but my piece doesn't want to be dipped yet.

I worked on this heart wall hanging yesterday and finished it today.  The center heart is raised about 1/4" with cut tube pieces and is attached to the bottom piece with rivets.  Then the little bird's nest with turquoise beads added a nice touch. The coiled hanger is done with "The Coiling Gizmo". This simple gadget is amazing and so easy to use!   Do you have one?

All the coloring on this piece was done with the torch.