I was creating large copper embossed pictures way too many years ago. I found that I could use the copper as a mold in which I would pour about ¾ inch of plaster. I would then finish the plaster to look like the copper. I was selling this pictures in local gift shops.

This picture is around 18 by 36 inches.

I was looking for a more permanent medium to create theses pictures when I discussed the problem with my buddy, Dee Morris. He suggested I look into lost was casting. Needless to say I asked what the heck is lost wax casting.
After an explanation of the process Dee gave me a hunk of wax. I carved a buckle or bola and he cast it for me.
WOW!!! I had a way to create jewelry. I never created another copper picture.



ORIGINAL BUCKLE/BOLA


That led to a casting class with the Phoenix adult class. I found I could pour molten wax into the copper molds. I created a cowboy portrait buckle. I had it in a shop. A Doctor from New Jersey bought it and wanted to see all my work. By then I has seven designs. He ordered 10 each.



That was it. I was off and running and never looked back. I taught myself to solder, cut stones and make southwest jewelry. Eventually I added the pottery line.
By the way the original piece has been a bola and a buckle several times. I still have it and it is currently a buckle.

BELT LOOP

I create buckles that can mount on a two inch belt. Some customers mount them on narrower belts. This can create a problem. The belt will slide up to the top edge of the belt loop. When this happens the buckle is no longer centered on the belt.




I solder a 10 gage wire around the belt loop at its center.

The customer punches a hole in the fold of the belt at its center. The hole in the belt is mounted over the tab on the belt loop. This way the slot cut in the belt locks onto the tab on the belt loop. The buckle will always be centered on the belt regardless of the width of the belt.

CREATING LARGE JUMP RINGS

CREATING LARGE JUMP RINGS

I use large jump rings for connecting conchos to make a belt.
The jump rings are wrapped around a ½ inch wood dowel.

Larger jump rings can be spun on a wood dowel mounted in a drill. If the dowel is larger in diameter than the drill chuck can handle the end of the dowel can be shaved. Shaving the ends of much larger dowels will not work. The wood will break before any coil can be wrapped.
To solve this problem I tightened 4 nuts on a number 8 screw so that all the flat edges of the nuts matched. Coated the nuts with crazy glue. Drill a hole slightly smaller in diameter than the screw in one end of the larger dowel. Make sure the hole is centered on the center of the dowel. Place some epoxy or gorilla glue in the hole. Place a flat washer on the screw and screw it into the hole until the washer bottoms on the dowel. I wrapped soft wire around the end of the dowel to insure the screw would not break out during the wire turning process.
Let cure.
Cut a slot the width of the wire diameter in the end of the dowel . Cut it about twice the wire diameters into the end of the dowel.
Bend a 90 degree tab in the wire that will be used for the jump rings. The tab should be shorter than the diameter of the dowel. A wire sticking out of the dowel on the side opposite the wire bend will tear a finger during the turning process.
Place the screw into the chuck of a variable speed drill. Slip the wire tab into the slot in the dowel. Put a glove on the hand that will be used to control the wire on the dowel. Place your gloved hand on the wire and hold the wire tight against the dowel. Turn the drill on a very slow speed. The gloved hand will guide the wire onto the dowel as it forms a coil. Caution: Do not wrap the wire to the very end of the wire. The last part of the wire will not bend down onto the dowel and will remain a sharp vertical tab that can cut the gloved hand.
I slide the coil onto another dowel. I use a jewelers saw to cut the jump rings while they are on the dowel. The jump rings are cut by the saw which is held at an angle to the dowel so that the top of one ring is cut at a time. The remaining portion of the coil can be slid into the saw as rings are cut off.

TRICKS OF THE TRADE

Ever have the gear of the chuck of a cable driven hand piece cause a friction burn you hand when using it? Wrap some plastic sheet around the hand piece and hold it with a rubber band. You can slide the plastic down to allow the chuck key to work then slide it forward to cover the hand piece gear.

Wrap a long piece of plastic sheet part way around the hand piece and hold it in place with a rubber band. The sheet should be open on the bottom side so that the burr can be placed on the work. Slide the sheet forward so that it is between the burr and your face, this way slivers of the metal that are removed will hit the plastic and fall down instead of all over place.

For those of you who do not have a collection tray on your work bench use a cookie tin under you work to collect metal when grinding projects. Place a large burr with a flat head in a hand piece and clamp it into a foredom drill press. You can mill carving wax to the desired thickness.

There are times when one needs a sharp edge on an abrasive wheel. Shape rubber abrasive wheels on a tool similar to Rio’s diamond coated wheel shaping block. When you are working many rings and/or pendants store them in ice cube trays while working on them.

Use Altoid boxes for storing all sorts of items. Use a labeler to label the contents. Lee Epperson

SOLDERING LINKS

SOLDERING LINKS

I slip the ring through the loop soldered on the back on the conchos. Close the ring so that there is no gap. Set the conchos on a fire brick so that the link hangs in free air over the edge of the brick with the joint away from the conchos.

I then cover the conchos with a solder pad. I do not want to heat the pre-polished conchos so I cover them with the solder pad.


I place a drop of liquid flux on the joint and heat it to evaporate the liquid. I then place a small solder chip on the joint.

I use a large tip on my acetylene torch. I heat the link joint from below. I use a solder pick to get the solder to flow across the joint.

I polish the link with my Foredom.

Thimbells

My venture in casting bells started with a lady wanting me to create thimbles. I created several thimbles for her. I made rubber molds of the originals with the intent of selling additional thimbles.

The reproductions thimbles sat in my display case for quite a while. One day, at a show, a lady wearing a Harley Davidson Jacket saw the thimbles and asked if I could make them into bells. It seems bikers like to put a bell on the cycle to ward off bad spirits. Why not I said.

So now I make Southwest Thimbells which sell very well.

The clapper of the Thimbell is a small bear. Three of the bales are Humpback Flute players and the round bale is a sun symbol surrounded with feathers.

leessilver@aol.com

leessilver@cox.net