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22 - 24 May 2023
The countdown is on, we only have 5 more weeks to go! Our last project (a halo ring) is a complex piece that the teachers have set aside 3 weeks for. I don’t know whether we will finish in time, but my fingers are all crossed.
After soldering the base plate for the L brackets, the height of the bezel was too high. I cut a sliver off the bezel and filed it down to match the height of the labradorite stone. Next was the bail, it’s a fixed bail so comparatively easier to execute than the articulated one on the oval pendant. All that’s left for this is a good polish and to glue down the stone.
Luke was away on Tuesday so the class was a little lost. We had Emma and Felix’s help but each teacher interprets the brief slightly differently so there were a lot of self learning this week.
As Tuesday was mostly an exploration day, I asked for Felix’s permission to skip his drawing class on Wednesday to clock in a couple more workshop hours. Thankfully he was ok with it (he made me finish all the remaining drawings for the next 4 weeks) so I had some time to start filing down the collet for the earring.
This week’s wrap up:
• Filed and soldered the bail to the square pendant
• Used a 17 degree round collet forming punch and plate
• Filed the top and bottom of the collet to make them parallel
• Soldered a brass stick for an easier grip using easy solder
• Saw then filed grooves on collet