Materials
» Copper ( 20 gauge sheet and
16 gauge wire)
» Circle template
» Sharpie marker
» Metal shears
» Jeweler’s saw, size 2/0 saw blades
» Beeswax or candle wax
» Flex shaft or Dremel tool with
79mm drill bit
» Hammer and metal block or
hard surface for hammering
» Abrasives (Scotch-Brite pads and
220-grit sandpaper)
» Chopstick with round shaft
» Cotton cord for necklace
» Soldering block
» Torch
» Easy solder and flux
» Small-toothed file
» Flat-nosed pliers
» Tweezers
» Third hand (flexible soldering clamp)
» Silver black patina solution
» Paintbrush
» Baking soda
texturized effect (Figure A, next page). You’ll want
to practice by creating texture on sample pieces of
metal sheet. If you have the option, anneal the sheet
often, because as you continue to strike, it will temper (harden) the metal.
2. Cut out the pendant.
The pendants shown here are round (although
you can make them any shape you like). If you
don't have a circle template, you can use the lids of
vitamin or baby food containers, or even the bottom
of a teacup.
Once you’ve chosen a form for a template, use
the Sharpie marker to trace the shape onto the
texturized copper sheet, then cut it out with metal
shears or a jeweler’s saw (Figure B). This takes a
steady hand and patience.
Be aware that if this is a first attempt with the
jeweler’s saw, you will want to have extra blades on
hand. Using your flex shaft or Dremel tool, drill a
hole along the inside perimeter of the design. Place
a saw blade in the top clamp of your jeweler’s saw,
threading the blade through the hole in the sheet
(design side up). Secure the blade in the bottom
clamp of the saw.
Brace the metal sheet against your bench pin by
clamping your fingers against the top of the sheet
and your thumb under the pin. If you do not have a
bench pin, try using a brick on a tabletop.
Make sure to wax your blade, as it eases the movement through the metal — you can use beeswax or
candle wax. Following the design you’ve traced onto
the metal, take your time, and try to keep your saw
vertical (side-to-side motion will break the blade).
3. Make and attach
the jump ring.
Jump rings can be costly to purchase but are easy to
make. First, find a chopstick that has a round shaft.
Unroll 10" of the 16-gauge copper wire and anneal it
to a glowing red. This will realign the molecules of the
wire and make it more malleable. Take the copper
wire and wrap it in a tight coil along the length of the
chopstick. When the length is coiled, slide it off and
begin sawing through one jump ring at a time
(Figure C). Using your flat-nosed pliers, select a
jump ring and close the ends tightly together. Next,
using your file, create a flat surface where the two
ends of the jump ring meet. The pendant will also
need to be filed where the jump ring will be attached.
