Pendant Making Weekend

Mom looking for patterns

This weekend mom and I did work on sawing out pendants. We first had to find pendants from our stash of patterns. We ended up choosing the following patterns: turtles, hummingbirds and hearts.

Mom drawing interior designs on the turtles

Mom had to draw out designs for the turtles - for some reason we never scanned the other patterns mom made in the past - so mom drew up four different designs and this time we did scan them into our patterns folder on the computer so we have them for the future.

So - while mom was drawing I worked on gluing down the patterns on the copper. What we do is print off our patterns, cut out the patters, put glue on the copper and patterns, then glue the pattern on the copper. Mom may be able to free form saw her designs, but I really need a pattern to saw out the pendants. Mom is just that good!

So - these are the pendants that I got glued down and are ready to be sawed out. I still have several more patterns to glue down but I thought this was enough for us to start on.

And this is the start of the sawing process. Mom and I use a jewelers saw to saw out the pendants. The saw blade is a 2/0 for the perimeters and then the interiors are usually a 4/0 and sometimes a 6/0, though I don't like to use the 6/0 because all I have to do is look at the blade and it breaks.

This is what happens when you are almost done sawing out the whole pendant and it breaks on the last two inches. Never fails for me.

Since it is so cold outside mom and I have moved the sawing operations into the computer room. Mom ended up buying a movable table for us to set up the bench pins for sawing. 

At one point both of us were sawing in rhythm - it was really cool and soothing. It was great getting back into the sawing.

This is mom drilling pilot holes into the pendants so we can saw out the interiors of the pendants (this was done in the garage, and mom said the flex shaft was freezing - so the gloves). 

Mom does this part better than me - I like hammering a small dimple for the drill bit to start in - but she doesn't like what it does to the copper. So, she now drills the pilot holes because I break the bits after the first hole if I don't have that start. It also might be because I am pretty heavy handed.

I actually sketched an idea

Yesterday I actually sketched out an idea I had. As you all know I hate drawing, but this just came to me and I didn't want to forget the idea - so had to draw it out. If you can't tell that is bird with flowers. I wanted to put the pieces on wire or tubing - I was thinking of an asymmetrical necklace but mom doesn't think it would be strong or stable enough - so now thinking of putting the design in a shadow box.

Now just have to go through our patterns to see if we have any patterns already made for my idea or start looking for birds I want to use as a pattern. Something fun to look forward to.

Well, I will share more pictures when I have them so you can see the rest of the process of our pendant making marathon.