Some Ratchet Bling

I got to make this cool ring the other day.

Plays with two of my favourite things:

cool fonts and weird shapes.

His birthday party theme was "Ratchet"

No idea what that really means.

Got wood?

So being a bit bored during my holiday, by which I mean, I don't want to do design work for university; I started thinking about how to exhibit my collection of rosaries. I came up with frames in which to hang them.

So here I have the wood. I went to get skirting board which is used in bathrooms, when put together they make a beautiful frame.

So I started off by cutting the wood into lengths and then cutting the ends at 45 degree angels, to join them at 90 degrees.

Here are the unfinished frames, joined and having a back box without backing put on. I filled it with wood filler where needed to hide joins and screws. And then spray painted it black and added the centre rod for the rosaries to hang on.

So here are the finished, painted frames with my rosary collection, hanging on my wall... Came out beautifully don't you think?

How to make a six claw wire setting [Student support]

This is my latest project, an ongoing student support system for the early years of making jewellery. Research material is sometimes very difficult to find, so this is for those student who like to do their homework... enjoy

Cut 7 pieces of .9 mm wire (15 mm in length)
Bind them together and push the middle wire out.

Drop a silver ball into the middle and solder it.

Put this in your pendant motor and cut a groove into the wires (1.5mm deep) with your saw frame.

Completely pull out the middle wire and push open your claws (the groove helps you with this)

Solder the cuts closed, to stabilise your setting.

Measure your stone and jump ring. The stone must just be bigger than the inside of your jump ring.

Measure where the stone sits in your setting and file grooves into your jump ring. Your jump ring must sit just under where your stone sits, allowing your stone to rest on the jump ring.

Solder your jump ring in.

Now file and clean-up your setting as to how you need it. Remember to leave length at the bottom if you still need to file it for your shank.