Metalsmthing Class, Part IX: Works In Progress

Big news! At my metalsmithing class last night, I managed to solder by myself with no assistance. Woo hoo! I finally got around to attaching my bezel (the border wire that surrounds a stone and holds it into place) to my copper pendant. It was NOT easy, let me tell you. Because of the way my pendant is styled -- it's a copper disc with a carved out radial triangle pattern, sort of like a sand dollar -- the bezel had to be centered exactly. I figured this wouldn't be so hard because there was so much space to work with. I was wrong. For one thing, my bezel ring is pretty big, so I needed a lot of solder for it. I put pieces of solder in each corner, but my teacher said to use more. That's when things started to go wrong. Every time, I added a piece of solder and tried to push it up against the wall of the bezel, the bezel would move out of place. Then when I tried to move the bezel back into the center, the solder would move out of place. It seemed like a no-win situation. I finally solved the problem by adding more flux paste. The solder pieces stuck, but now I had a huge blob of flux in the middle of the piece. This wasn't that big of a deal because it could eventually be removed, but I knew it would take more time to clean the pendant later on. Soldering this piece was odd because you had to fire it from below, but it was really cool to watch. The bezel needed so much heat, the flame turned turquoise and the copper began to cracke, bubble and turned black. It felt a little as if I were rosting a marshmallow. The teacher assured me that the black would wash away, though, and it did when I put it in the pickle solution (though I had to keep it in for about a half hour). After all of this, though, she suggested that I add more solder because the bezel wasn't secure enough. This was my cue to take what I'd learned and do it myself. And I did! I think I added a little too much solder because there are big solder blobs on the pendant, but the bezel is centered and attached, and the stone fits into it like a glove. Now all I have to do is sand away the excess solder and polish the copper to even out the color. By next week, it *should* be finished, so I'll post a photo. I had a lot of time leftover in this class, especially when the pendant was sitting in the pickle, so I started a new pair of copper earrings. I have so much leftover hammered copper that I figured I might as well use it, right? I was pleased to see how much easier sawing them was for me. All of that practice paid off! I'm almost finished with one earring and will work on the other at home. Then I can solder the jumprings at the studio. I don't usually solder my ear wires, but I want to get the practice and this is a good skill to have. I can't believe that there are only two more Jewelry I classes left! Then it's on to my next three. There were times when this class really frustrated me. I'm such a klutz and having to work with small, very precise things isn't the easiest task for me. But I'm doing it. I made a nice ring, am pleased with the way the pendant is turning out and think these earrings will be really cool. I also learned how to saw, drill, file, texture, roll and solder metal. Pretty sweet! I may be clumsy, but I'm getting more and more confident each time I do these things. While I'm proud of my work, I'm more proud that I stuck with this class, despite having some doubts at first. I was really out of comfort zone, but forced myself to learn some new things. I don't think that my teacher had a lot of faith in my abilities, but she now sees how handworking I am, even if I'm not the best or the most skilled. The class has dwindled; we only had TWO students there last night. I think it's because this isn't really a "fun" class. Every project you make requires a ton of work and patience. I think it's worth the time, though, because I'm leaving a better designer -- and a more enriched person.

To purchase my jewelry, head to Naomi's Designs. And to check out my travel blog, head to Naomi The Traveler.

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