Oh....I'm so glad I asked, because I NEVER would have guessed that it was a large 3M radial bristle brush - Thanks for this and all your videos, Melissa. keep up the great work.
Hi Melissa love your videos I just started to take metalsmith classes in Miami Florida. You make things look so easy. I do appreciate you sharing your knowledge in all you videos. Thank you.
LOVE your videos! Especially appreciate your sparing us the sound of the hammering, and speeding up the repetitious parts. The only downside is I get a terrible case of tool envy every time I watch you!
while it might seem like an obvious use, i am happy to see your use of a bench block in a vise to create a narrow and relatively tall striking surface. i found this video via your post on the "Fold forming" facebook page. thank you!
Thanks Steve Anderson. A lot of times I forget that I can use things like my bench block in a vise to help me out. And then other times I go throughout the studio looking for any odd shaped item that can be used to get into a tight area. LOL.
Hi Melissa, Thanks so much for your demo. I have done some fold forming but have always been told to use a nylon hammer to hammer the fold line so as not to mar the metal. What kind of hammer are you using? I feel like you are embracing any marring as part of the art piece. Love the bench block in the vice-never even thought of that.
Canadian Mommy Thank you. Yes, in this piece I have embraced the texture that comes from the hammers. This is a much more organic bracelet than my usual polished pieces. I used a square faced riveting hammer (available in my web store if you are interested... www.kcjewelbox.com), a raw hide mallet and Fretz texturing hammer.
Melissa, Great demonstration. I will try soon to make one. From previous comments, I read you used 24 gauge . What is the dimensions of the copper blank, 6 x 2? Your videos have been very inspirational to me. Thank you.
Hi Melissa, Absolutely love your copper cuffs and excellent tutorials, can’t wait to get hammering. Is there a final surface finish that I can use to help prevent the copper making my skin dirty please?
There are a number of products out there you can use. Renaissance wax is one that a lot of people use. There is also protectaclear and even a clear krylon. All of them will need to be reapplied from time to time due to normal wear. But it is what I have to use to keep my skin from turning blue and green.
love this tutorial!! at about 1.23 where you are putting the other 2 folds in ... how could I slow down this video to see how you actually get the other folds started ... and how you get the ridges so even! ;) I hope you have time to answer or give some direction. Thanks.
I believe I just folded the metal in half for the first fold and then I eyeballed it from there for the remaining folds. As far as getting the ridges even, I think that just comes from practice and getting used to how the metal moves.
Great piece and super helpful video, +Melissa Muir! It's obviously a somewhat time-consuming process, but it actually looks a lot easier to do than the final form would make one think.
It really is quite time-consuming. But I will tell you, when you get done making one of these, you feel so great as you have just beaten all of your frustrations away. LOL.
Melissa Muir LOL, I can imagine! I just wish I had somewhere I could do hammery things; I live in an apartment at the moment so I have to stick to much quieter techniques until I can maybe find some studio space somewhere. Or a house.
@@MelissaMuir yo lo hago en la llama de la cocina, con un martillo, un alicate común de mi marido, arriba de un 🪵 tronco ,lo lijo con un pliego a mano y hago cosas hermosas, con cobre 0. 3 😮 para practicar 😂
Had hard time really seeing what you were doing but great cuff. I have always had hard time figuring out how to work harden after soldering or annealing cuff. Any suggestions
Oh wow, I love!!! I hope one day soon we will get control on my Lupus so I can use my hands, I was visioning a large or several Turquoise stones. How do you finish it so it won't turn your skin green. When I get a ring that I know will just after a few wears have the copper peaking through, I take clear fingernail polish on it. It helps
Oh Mardee Hill I hope you are able to get it under control. I turn green with the slightest bit of moisture when I wear copper. I use nail polish on rings, but on bracelets, I use a clear Krylon spray and that helps. It still has to be reapplied from time to time, but like I said, it helps.
Thank you, we Lupies live every day as best as we can. to the fullest if we're given enough energy for the day. I am so glad you said to use the clear Krylon, is that satin or gloss. I have a copper bracelet that a friend brought me back from Africa. The men that work the mines are able to pick up rocks that have fallen off of the trucks and they go back home and do what it takes to bring the copper out and they make wire that the women make into the bracelets and then the money goes to the whole tribe for things they need. She asked for $10 and my friend said no, it’s worth more than that and gave her $30. The lady was so appreciative and hugged Audrey to death she said. The lady also said copper has healing properties but to stay for a moment, she came back with a woman that she thought could be at 100 years old. She said some stuff that was in their language and then the bracelet maker gave it back to Aud saying it has been blessed by the medicine doctor to have stronger powers. I thought the bracelet looked beautiful and thought it was even better when she told the story. It’s made like a knot that I used to make in macramae when I was a teen in the 70’s. I know copper is easier to form but would have never thought it could be “woven” like it is. So now I can wear it. Again thank you so much for answering.
I use both Satin and Gloss. It just depends on the piece. In the case of this bracelet, I would probably use the Satin. That is a great story. Enjoy that bracelet.
+Lindsey G 18 gauge would be just fine. It will be much harder to do a cuff like the one in the video, just make certain you anneal it really well. You will probably have to anneal it a couple of times while opening it to get it really done. Good luck.
That was so cool. ..do you seal your cuffs with anything Miss Melissa? And what was that gadget used to bend the bracelet? It's nice having unlimited wifi now to watch all the vidoes ...:)
Metalmamas13 I don't seal mine, although I do like to spray a clear Krylon on the inside when I have made a copper cuff. I am one of those people that turn green if you look at it wrong. LOL. The gadget was a Deluxe Bracelet Bender from Kevin Potter at Potter USA. It is kind of a handy little tool. All of my bracelet mandrels are tapered, so it is nice to have the control to be able to manipulate it with my hands.
Good question. Really for all the work that went into this one I should price it around $125. But it might take a while to find the right audience for this piece as it is copper. Had it been done in silver, I wouldn't sell it for anything less than $250-275. But perhaps I am still a bit low.
barbbear35 you know, it is actually a steel block that I turned on it side and placed into the vise. It is about 1/2" thick, 6" long by 4" wide. I can get them if you are every interested.
Susan DeBay I have the EZ torch and did not have a good experience with it. I know others have had great experiences with it however. As long as you take the proper precautions, you should be fine to have it in the house. I have a hand held MAPP gas torch that I use for annealing. In addition to my multiple butane torches, I also have an Acetylene/air torch that I use. My studio is in my home. I do regular hose and valve checks on the torch as well. If you decide to do a propane torch, I would consider using the smaller propane canisters, such as those for camping, rather than a large unit for the grill.
Melissa Muir @MelissaMuir, sooo, what was your bad experience with your EZ torch? I have one and am just not comfortable using it because sometimes it acts up unpredictably. ??? So I want to hear what happened with you, please? 👩🏼🎨🌵🔨
Carol Minnich It is a large 3M Radial disc. It is similar to the small ones that people use not their flexshaft. I use three of them stacked at a time. It gives a really nice brushed finish. They come in different grits as well.
Melissa Muir Hi again Melissa. Where do you get them? The ones I see seem to come 3 ply or 6 ply already. Are yours 3" or 6" diam? It looks like 3" but I can't tell.
Carol Minnich They are 3". You can actually get them through me. I have just ordered a couple of sets of each grit (I believe there are about 6 or 7 different wheels.) However, they are currently out of stock. In the meantime, I am sure you could check with the big jewelry suppliers. They may have them in stock.
Carol, They look to be about $16.50 plus shipping. You would also need the disc hub that holds them and that runs about $10 for a pack of two of them. My supplier tells me they should have them in in about 2 weeks. Melissa
just picked up potters bracelet bender..picked up some good pointers especially the last step to form that last curl for making it oval as like the bracelet former syn/anticlastic video you performed...can get the students to use 2 stations to work at and get the same relative outcome..jeez..thanks
Susan DeBay this film was made in my home studio. I have several torches in my studio. The torch you see in this video is a MAPP gas torch from the hardware store. I use this for annealing my larger pieces of metal. When soldering, I have an Acetylene/air torch (meaning I don't mix it with oxygen.) Then I have two butane torches I routinely use. The first is a blazer, but this is only for small pieces. The second is a Jumbo Max Butane Torch: www.kcjewelbox.com/Jumbo-Max-Butane-Torch-Esol31000.htm If you have more questions, just let me know.
Enjoyed the video, you are clearly skilled. Perhaps in the future you could provided either a narrative or better lighting. Much of interest simply slipped away.
Thank you for your feedback. This video was not meant to have any narrative. And when you are working with a torch, it changes the lighting dynamics of a camera. Sorry you lost interest. Thankfully most other people really enjoyed it still.