Another Free Project: a Watchband/Bracelet (and Earrings)
Before getting to the project, I’d like to show a stunning necklace, made by Komala Rohde, who will soon be an accredited teacher for Hadar’s Clay. Komala used a technique based on my latest blog posting, with her own twist and style.
The watchband from my last blog posting consisted of bulls eye cane slices. The links in this watchband have a mokume-gane pattern. How did that happen? This is an “enhanced” version of the “multiple canes” technique described extensively in my book Patterns of Color in Metal Clay, pp. 39-49.
The twist is that instead of the die with a circle hole, I used the tube adapter disc as a die.
1. Make a stack of alternating circles, slightly smaller than 2″ in diameter: 3 copper circles, 6 cards thick; 3 bronze (Quick-fire or Brilliant Bronze) circles, 3 cards thick; and 3 steel (any type), 1 card thick.
2. Unlike in the previous watchband, load the stack in the ClayMill Extruder with the copper circle on top (close to the die). Insert the tube adapter die in the cap.
3. Extrude the stack. There should be no leftovers in the extruder.
4. Bundle the multiple canes.
5. Roll the canes with your palms into a single cane.
6. Twist the new consolidated cane.
7. Re-roll the twisted cane into an even cylinder shape.
8. Wrap the cane with a 2-card layer of copper clay.
9. Place the cane on a warming plate and roll it back and forth until it is half dry. Then place it in a miter box (if you have one). Cut off a slice of each end of the cane.
10. Stick an eyelet at the top of each slice cut from the end of the cane to make a pair of earrings. Dry the earrings.
11. Cut the rest of the cane into slices, leaving enough room for side holes.
12. stick a needle through the side of each slice to mark the place of the side holes.
13. Dry the slices. some of them may have small cracks in them.
14. Fill the cracks and dry again. Sand both sides of the slices smmoth.
15. Enlarge the side holes with a drill bit or a round file.
16. Fire the slices and the earrings at mid-fire schedule.
17. Finish the pieces following the instructions in the document entitled “Finishing Fired Metal Clay” on this blog.
Will the ClayMill Extruder allow us to move beyond jewelry?
July 21st, 2013 at 12:29 am
I love your work and enthusiasm! Many greetings from Germany. Martina
July 21st, 2013 at 3:43 am
The jewelry projects are beautiful! I love the coasters too. The coasters would be a wonderful wedding or anniversary gift.
Janice
JMW Silver
Rochester, NY
July 21st, 2013 at 6:08 am
Love the coasters! Thanks Hadar.
July 21st, 2013 at 7:41 am
Thank you so much for a free project. These are all beautiful! Komala’s is too! Where do you get that type of watch?
I love my ring I made with you last year!
July 21st, 2013 at 10:23 am
Hadar,
Always exciting to find these new projects on your blog. So many projects, with the books and the new projects and clay, there is a year of fun stuff to do. Oh, when is the Movements book due out?
July 21st, 2013 at 4:59 pm
Hadar,
Thanks for taking the time to send this to me. I apprecaite it very much!!
July 21st, 2013 at 7:38 pm
It’s going through proofreading now. Couple of months or so.