35. ALERT BOTTLE CAP BADGE
Begin by rolling an annealed piece of 0.8 mm sterling silver sheet through the mill, against an etched brass
plate to transfer the pattern. Anneal and flatten the silver. Trim to 45 mm x50 mm. File and sand the edges.
From 5 mm sterling tubing, cut two pieces for the bezels. File the tops and bottoms flat, leaving 1.5 mm
sections. Form fine silver bezel wire around the bottle cap. Cut and join the ends with silver hard solder.
Cut the pencil and ruler to fit. Cut four 3 mm triangles form 0.3 mm gold sheet.
Place the bezels, triangles, pencils and ruler in position on the back plate. Mark locations for the bolts, and drill
four 1 mm holes through the back plate, pencil, and ruler. (See diagram A)
Solder three bezels and four triangles in position on the plate with silver medium solder. Pickle and rinse. Drill
a 1 mm starter hole inside the bezels. (See Diagram B)
Prepare a 5 mm section of 4 mm sterling silver tubing for the tube catch. Solder to the back of the pin with
silver easy solder. With a saw, slit the tubing lengthwise, below the center, to accept the pin stem. Solder a
2.6 mm sterling silver round wire post, 5 mm tall onto the back with silver easy solder. Drill a 0.8, hole
through the post for the pin stem. (See Diagram C)
Oxidize the back plate with liver of sulfur and rub the highlights with an abrasive pad. Polish the triangles with
a felt wheel mounted in a flex shaft.
Set the stones with a hammer and punch. Set the bottle cap with a burnisher.
Bolt the pencil into place and use a drop of five minute epoxy to lock the nuts.
Insert the end of the 0.8 mm stainless steel wire into the hole in the post. Wrap the wire around a few times
to secure, then cut. File a taper and line it up with the tube catch. Adjust so that the tension holds the
sharpened end of the pin stem in the catch. Sign the piece on the back.
39. Calendar
The Calendar is designed to show your
daily/weekly progress.
Consider breaking down your processes into
phases with deadlines. You can do pacing by
determining how many class periods there are
until your piece is due.
Consider writing list of what to be accomplished
during each work period.
40. Include:
Design time (make retroactive if necessary)
Define each process phase and planned deadline.
Provide when each phase was actually
completed. This will help you improve defining
phases and estimated times in the future.
Use the R&D phase to experiment with materials
and ideas. It is best to make the R&D phase
about 10% of total work time. Provide your
estimated and actual times.
41. Recipe:
Assumption – cleaning between steps.
Include:
Type of metals and the gauge for each type.
Definition of textures and/or finishes used.
Solder temperatures and torch tip sizes
Solder jigs
Personal concerns or weaknesses. Are there things you feel
hesitate to do or may forget to do?
Magical events. What steps do you not know how to do
and require help?
Tools needed
Include patterns
Include variables
All logical steps
Is venting required?
Leave blank lines so you can add comments and/or steps
later.
42. Tips:
Remember to work from largest solders to smallest.
Always work from coarse to fine.
Position seams so that they are inconspicuous.
Ask yourself if something can be cold connected rather
than soldered.
Remember that patinas, sandblasting, and riveting are
generally processes that happen towards the end.
Venting – if you don’t want to make decorative vents, you
can file a small notch in the edge of the interior ring that
can be hidden in the seam.
Save major cleaning, finishing, polishing until after all
solders are done.
Read your notes.
43. Tips specific to hollow ring:
To make a tapered band, taper the blank to be thicker at
the ends, narrower in the middle.
Don’t forget to give the blank for the exterior ring 3x the
metal thickness as well as the inside ring.
Side 1
◦ Interior ring and exterior ring can probably be soldered down at
the same time using the same temperature solder.
◦ If there is piercing on either band it is best to solder the two rings
in separate steps to protect delicate areas.
◦ Put solder outside the interior ring and inside the exterior ring.
Especially if either are textured.
◦ If a specific distance is needed between the interior and exterior
rings consider making shims (small copper or brass pieces) to
separate them and maintain accurate spacing.
◦ Cut down excess on side walls to reduce the amount of metal that
needs to be heated during soldering.
Side 2
◦ Use 2 step sweat solder process on edges of interior and exterior
rings (easy).
Read your notes.
44.
45.
46.
47. Everything should be made as simple as
possible, but not one bit simpler.
◦ Albert Einstein (1879 - 1955) (attributed)