Lesson 4: Working with Castings
The Tools
When working on the flexshaft: Always wear eye protection!! Don’t over tighten bits in the flexshaft. Make sure to return chuck key to drawer! Leave flexshaft handpiece hanging, not on the desk or in the drawer.
Types of flexshaft bits:
Heatless Grinding (mizzy) wheels: White
Highly aggressive removal of material. Used for grinding down a lot of excess metal, or sprues from castings. Use mask and grinding box.
Hard Abrasive points: Usually green or brown.
These are shaped bits used to aggressively remove material. Can get places a file can’t. They usually leave a rough texture.
Rubberized Abrasive wheels: Various colors for different grits.
For the ones we use… White= coarse Black= medium Blue= fine (pre-polish)
Knife-edge wheels are good for joints, textures, crevices. Regular wheels are better for flat surfaces. Start with white, and then move to black, then blue. For the best results, keep wheels moving and use light pressure. Use mask and grinding box.
Steel burs-
We have a variety of different sizes and shapes. Use all of these with bur-life. All aggressively remove metal.
Ball Bur: all purpose for concave areas. Cup Bur: good for rounding ends of prongs,
ear wires or shaping balled ends of wires
Bud Bur: good for crevices and tight spaces Hart Bur: good for setting, cutting grooves
Setting Bur: good for settings
Sandpaper rolls: Great for inside ring bands and bracelets, concave curves. Use mask.
Sandpaper discs: Great for flat or convex surfaces. Can sand in areas files don’t reach. Removes metal much quicker than regular sandpapering because of the rotation. Go from coarse to fine. Use mask.
3M Bristle Discs: yellow= 80grit red=220grit blue=400grit
Good for finishing tight areas and Matte finishing. Gets into everywhere. They do wear out quickly. You must use 2+ discs at a time. Use mask.
Polishing wheels: We have hard felt in both point and wheel shape as well as soft muslin in wheel
shape. Felt is good for flat surfaces or if you want to polish high points of texture. Points are good for inside rings, or concave shapes. Muslin is better for getting a bumpy or uneven surface. You must use polishing compound with these. Use mask and grinding box.
Bristle wheels: We have natural bristle wheels that can be used with polishing compound to polish in small hard to reach areas. Gets into filigree and fine details better than muslin buffs do.
Also have brass and steel bristle wheels that burnish the surface of the metal. Not as even as a polished surface, but a high shine.
Bits: general term for flexshaft thingies.
Buffs: specific to polishing bits, especially wheels (they buff a piece)
Burs: any steel bits
Soldering, Cleaning, Finishing
Working with castings is much the same as working with any other metal piece. There are some important differences to remember.
• Castings are solid, and tend to be heavier than fabrications. Make sure that when soldering you concentrate your flame on heating the casting. Most findings are small and light to begin with. Use a third hand to hold the findings and act as a heat sink when possible.
• Castings have a tendency to be a bit “soft” when you get them back. When sheet and wire are made, they are put under pressure to form them into sheet or wire. Castings are poured metal, and haven’t been under any pressure. Before soldering, it helps to either burnish or file the areas you are gong to be soldering to remove some of that “softness”. You can also tumble the pieces prior to soldering. This makes the soldering go much more smoothly.
To clean your castings (this is where that flexshaft comes in…):
• Saw off the sprue with a large size saw blade (1– not 1/0, 3, or 4)
• Cut as close to the piece as you can with out cutting the piece!
• Use the bur life on your saw blade and be patient
• Use the mizzy wheels to grind down the remainder of the sprue stump to the surface of the piece. Grind down any big lumps or bumps in the piece.
• If possible, use your files now to even out the ground areas.
• GO to the sandpaper discs or the rubber abrasive wheels and begin to finish any areas.
• You can use the tumbler to achieve either a matte, satin or polished look for your pieces.
o Green ceramic media: matte finish
o White ceramic media: satin finish
o Steel shot: polished finish
• Remember that the shot doesn’t remove metal so it will not take away any scratches in your piece, it will just polish the scratches.
• For the green and white media, you can stop finishing with the flexshaft about halfway- black wheels or red bristle discs, or 400 grit sandpaper
• For the shot, you need to go up to pre-polish- blue wheels, pink bristle discs, or 1000 grit sandpaper.
To tumble:
• Put appropriate shot into tumbler, enough to cover your piece(s).
• Put your piece in.
• Fill with water to cover both media and piece.
• Add about ½ capful of soap solution.
• Screw on top.
• Put tumbler on base with top facing out.
• Turn on.
• Check for any leakage.
• Let tumble: 45min-1hr for matter or satin finish; 2-4 hours for hardening.
• After done, take sieve and place in sink.
• Open tumbler and pour contents into sieve. This will retain your pieces and the media while getting rid of the dirty water.
• Pluck your pieces out and dry.
• Rinse the shot and air dry.
• For a gunmetal finish, you can tumble with steel shot after using liver of sulfur. If you do this, make sure that you wash out the inside of the tumbler with soap and water, and wash the shot thoroughly before air drying.
Wednesday, March 5, 2014
Lesson: Earring Findings
Lesson 3: Earring Findings
Making ear wires is so easy that I recommend that you make your own.
Creating your own findings adds value to your jewelry by setting it apart. It can distinguish your piece from your competitor’s. Make the shape of your ear wire go with the overall design of your piece- customize!
Ear wires: Usually 20ga. wire. Some people prefer 22ga.
• Cut 2 lengths of wire.
• Some common ways to attach ear wires are:
o Soldered directly to the earring
o End balled, attached through a jump ring
o End forming a ring, attached through a hole or jump ring
o End balled or T, wire run through hole in piece for ball/socket joint
• Use the bezel mandrel or round/flat pliers to for shape.
• To test balance and to make sure the earrings hang at the same level, hang them over the handle of your needle files, or a pencil. If the earring tips forward you need a longer wire in the back. The earring tipping forward means that the wire is not counterbalancing the weight of the earring, and makes it likely that it will work its way out of the ear.
• Using the round/flat pliers, give the end of the wire a slight bend, which also helps make it harder to slip out of the ear.
• Make sure the wires are the same length.
• Use your cup/concave bur on the ends so that they are not sharp.
• If tumbling, tumble the earrings to harden the wires.
• If you aren’t tumbling, use the flat side of the goldsmith’s hammer on the curve of the wire to give tension.
• Consider soldering a piece of wire on to create a hook for the wire to latch into. Added security!
Ear posts: Ear posts and their backs are one finding I recommend that you buy. There are several different types of ear posts available. Most posts have notches cut into them, so that they snap into the backs at that point. Ear posts are available in different thicknesses (.028-.036”) - .030” is a good standard thickness.
Posts are also available as a straight post or with pads or cups on the ends.
Posts with pads are very useful. They are available in a variety of different size pads, and the pad helps you to position the ear post perpendicular to the earring.
If you are going to be soldering posts onto a very narrow area, you will be better off with a straight post.
Ear posts with cups are good for curved surfaces. Some of the posts with cups have a small post in the center of the cup. These are for gluing a pearl onto to create the classic pearl ear stud.
Posts are also sometimes available with a ball on the end and a small jump ring soldered to the ball. These are best suited for beadwork.
There are also threaded ear posts available where the ear nut is screwed onto the post as opposed to being held on by tension. These are great for expensive earrings and good as a special order option.
Ear nuts: Most ear nuts are tension based. The two most common designs are the bullet style and the friction style.
The bullet back has rubber inside of it, which puts pressure on the entire length of the post. These are often more comfortable that the friction style for people with thinner ears, and they cover more of the post. The bullet backs are not available in a wide a variety of sizes.
The friction style is the most common. It is available in many sizes and weights. The light-weight backs are pretty flimsy- I would suggest medium or heavy weight. It is better to get a larger size than to increase the weight of the metal. The largest size of friction backs is popular with older women who have one hole that has stretched as it holds most styles of studs upright and centered on the hole.
Omega Backs: Omega backs are a versatile earring back since they can be used either as a clip or in combination with a post. Many women like them with a post since this eliminates the need to keep track of an earring back.
Most Omega backs come unassembled. There are 3 parts to the back- the joint, the rivet, and the clip.
To use an Omega Back:
• To determine the placement of the joint, fit the clip into the joint.
• Lay assembly against the back of your earring.
• Mark where the joint should be soldered, and remove the clip from the joint.
• Solder the joint onto your piece after sanding your piece, but before pre-polishing.
• Solder before stone setting, enamelling or epoxy, patination.
• Pickle and finish cleaning and polishing your piece.
• Do any tumbling.
• Fit the clip into the joint. The holes in the clip and the holes in the joint should line up.
• Fit the rivet wire into the hole and pull through until it stops.
• The rivet wire comes with one end flattened, so it will not pull all the way through.
• If you have trouble getting the rivet in, make sure that the holes are the correct size, and open up with a drill if needed.
• Place with flattened end against a steel block and rivet.
• Use the black and blue wheels to clean up the rivet and polish.
• Test the clip.
• You can bend the joint to adjust the distance between clip and earring back.
• If you are using with a post, solder the post on first, then figure out joint placement.
Screw backs: Screw backs are another style of clip earring back. They come preassembled. The front of the finding has a pad on it, which you solder to the back of your piece. A nice feature about the screw back is that it is adjustable for different ear thicknesses. When soldering, coat the screw with yellow ochre to prevent it from seizing.
Lever backs: Lever backs are a style of hook ear wire that has a back part that flips up. The wire goes through your ear, and then a channeled back flips up to cover the end of the wire and protect the earring from falling out. Many people prefer the lever back because of the security it offers. Lever backs usually come preassembled, and the earring is simply soldered onto the finding. Use a third hand (or chill gel) as a heat sink to keep the tension in the back from loosening.
Making ear wires is so easy that I recommend that you make your own.
Creating your own findings adds value to your jewelry by setting it apart. It can distinguish your piece from your competitor’s. Make the shape of your ear wire go with the overall design of your piece- customize!
Ear wires: Usually 20ga. wire. Some people prefer 22ga.
• Cut 2 lengths of wire.
• Some common ways to attach ear wires are:
o Soldered directly to the earring
o End balled, attached through a jump ring
o End forming a ring, attached through a hole or jump ring
o End balled or T, wire run through hole in piece for ball/socket joint
• Use the bezel mandrel or round/flat pliers to for shape.
• To test balance and to make sure the earrings hang at the same level, hang them over the handle of your needle files, or a pencil. If the earring tips forward you need a longer wire in the back. The earring tipping forward means that the wire is not counterbalancing the weight of the earring, and makes it likely that it will work its way out of the ear.
• Using the round/flat pliers, give the end of the wire a slight bend, which also helps make it harder to slip out of the ear.
• Make sure the wires are the same length.
• Use your cup/concave bur on the ends so that they are not sharp.
• If tumbling, tumble the earrings to harden the wires.
• If you aren’t tumbling, use the flat side of the goldsmith’s hammer on the curve of the wire to give tension.
• Consider soldering a piece of wire on to create a hook for the wire to latch into. Added security!
Ear posts: Ear posts and their backs are one finding I recommend that you buy. There are several different types of ear posts available. Most posts have notches cut into them, so that they snap into the backs at that point. Ear posts are available in different thicknesses (.028-.036”) - .030” is a good standard thickness.
Posts are also available as a straight post or with pads or cups on the ends.
Posts with pads are very useful. They are available in a variety of different size pads, and the pad helps you to position the ear post perpendicular to the earring.
If you are going to be soldering posts onto a very narrow area, you will be better off with a straight post.
Ear posts with cups are good for curved surfaces. Some of the posts with cups have a small post in the center of the cup. These are for gluing a pearl onto to create the classic pearl ear stud.
Posts are also sometimes available with a ball on the end and a small jump ring soldered to the ball. These are best suited for beadwork.
There are also threaded ear posts available where the ear nut is screwed onto the post as opposed to being held on by tension. These are great for expensive earrings and good as a special order option.
Ear nuts: Most ear nuts are tension based. The two most common designs are the bullet style and the friction style.
The bullet back has rubber inside of it, which puts pressure on the entire length of the post. These are often more comfortable that the friction style for people with thinner ears, and they cover more of the post. The bullet backs are not available in a wide a variety of sizes.
The friction style is the most common. It is available in many sizes and weights. The light-weight backs are pretty flimsy- I would suggest medium or heavy weight. It is better to get a larger size than to increase the weight of the metal. The largest size of friction backs is popular with older women who have one hole that has stretched as it holds most styles of studs upright and centered on the hole.
Omega Backs: Omega backs are a versatile earring back since they can be used either as a clip or in combination with a post. Many women like them with a post since this eliminates the need to keep track of an earring back.
Most Omega backs come unassembled. There are 3 parts to the back- the joint, the rivet, and the clip.
To use an Omega Back:
• To determine the placement of the joint, fit the clip into the joint.
• Lay assembly against the back of your earring.
• Mark where the joint should be soldered, and remove the clip from the joint.
• Solder the joint onto your piece after sanding your piece, but before pre-polishing.
• Solder before stone setting, enamelling or epoxy, patination.
• Pickle and finish cleaning and polishing your piece.
• Do any tumbling.
• Fit the clip into the joint. The holes in the clip and the holes in the joint should line up.
• Fit the rivet wire into the hole and pull through until it stops.
• The rivet wire comes with one end flattened, so it will not pull all the way through.
• If you have trouble getting the rivet in, make sure that the holes are the correct size, and open up with a drill if needed.
• Place with flattened end against a steel block and rivet.
• Use the black and blue wheels to clean up the rivet and polish.
• Test the clip.
• You can bend the joint to adjust the distance between clip and earring back.
• If you are using with a post, solder the post on first, then figure out joint placement.
Screw backs: Screw backs are another style of clip earring back. They come preassembled. The front of the finding has a pad on it, which you solder to the back of your piece. A nice feature about the screw back is that it is adjustable for different ear thicknesses. When soldering, coat the screw with yellow ochre to prevent it from seizing.
Lever backs: Lever backs are a style of hook ear wire that has a back part that flips up. The wire goes through your ear, and then a channeled back flips up to cover the end of the wire and protect the earring from falling out. Many people prefer the lever back because of the security it offers. Lever backs usually come preassembled, and the earring is simply soldered onto the finding. Use a third hand (or chill gel) as a heat sink to keep the tension in the back from loosening.
Tuesday, February 25, 2014
Business: Pricing
Business 1: Pricing!
The most realistic and accurate pricing is a dual approach.
First, the Formula:
The two most important things when figuring out a price for your jewelry are time spent and materials. As you are working on pieces, keep track of the time you spend on each piece. There are a variety of formulas out there, and formulas change for custom work versus production work. This is for production work.
A common price formula:
Labor= hours x rate
(Labor + materials) x 2 = wholesale price
Wholesale price x 1.5 or 2 = retail price.
Example:
A piece takes me 3 hours. I pay myself $35/hr.
Labor= 3 x 35 = $115
Materials = $4 in silver + $6 in pearls + $15 gemstone + $4 ear post/backs = $29
Wholesale price= (115 + 29) x 2 = $288
Retail price= $432 – 576
You can see the importance of your time in this equation. If the same piece took 2 hours to make, we’d be looking at a retail price of $297-396. That's a pretty big difference!
This formula is by no means set in stone. You can adjust your price so that you fit into the market. This does give you a good starting point for figuring out how much you need to make on a piece to make money.
Beginning jewelers working in stores usually make $10-15/hour.
Second, the research:
Look at comparable pieces in galleries, at shows, online. See what the market will bear for similar work. This gives you a good benchmark to measure your formula against and see if changes need to be made. When researching- look at what is handmade and what isn’t. What methods are they using/ What materials? Gold plate or vermeil versus gold is a big price difference.
Also, Another good question to ask is “How much would someone have to pay me for me to make this again?” This is where the “PITA” (pain in the ass) tax can factor. If you realize that a certain design is a royal pain to make, charge more! If it’s easier than you thought, you might be willing to take a little less.
After looking at both sets of numbers you should havea good idea of what to charge. Pricing is not an exact science, and it is likely you will make changes as you go. The important thing is to set the starting price as accurately as possible, and don’t sell your work too low.
While marking a piece up double and more may seem like a lot, it isn’t. The money from that markup covers business expenses such as materials, travel, bills, displays, office supplies, show fees, etc. After doing business for 6 months to a year, look at your expenses and what you are making off of each piece. You may see that the markup isn’t covering all of your costs and then you need to add more into the markup to cover what is called “overhead”. Overhead typically consists of rent, utilities, and monthly business expenses that occur.
One important thing to remember is that with the internet, information is available to all. I know some artists who in the past have raised prices for higher income areas (NYC, Miami) and lowered them for less affluent ones. With information easily accessible, this is harder to do nowadays as customers may find out they were charged a different amount based on where they live. This is a practice I don’t agree with, but it is another pricing tactic.
If you are being represented by galleries, it is important to make sure that the galleries know how much you sell your work for, so that they aren’t being undercut by you. I tell all my galleries that I do a straight “keystone” markup of the wholesale price. A keystone markup is when the retail price is double the wholesale price. This is the industry standard for retail prices. If the gallery chooses to mark it up higher, that’s fine, but this way they know what I retail it for as well.
Keep your prospective market in mind while figuring out preliminary costs. If your prices seem too high or low, figure out why. If they seem to low, raise them. If they seem too high: Can you reduce the amount of time spent? Can you reduce your materials cost? - find a new supplier that has better prices, buy findings in bulk, or lessen the amount of metal in the piece. If none of these will work, you may need to put that idea on the shelf until something changes.
Figuring out your time
Figuring out exactly how much time you spend on a piece is critical to pricing it. It is also one of the most difficult things to do because we multi task so much. If you are extremely organized, look at the clock every time you switch tasks or pieces and jot down the time spent on that piece. However, most of us will forget to do that. The method I have found that works pretty well is the following, and your homework assignment for all of your pieces throughout the semester.
Homework:
Every time you sit down to work, note your starting time, your ending time and what you worked on during that period. If you take a break, make a note of that too. Also note what you did during the period also.
Example:
10am-11:15am Filed, soldered, and sanded 5 pairs of leaf earrings. Made 8 waxes of leaf necklace and cleaned waxes up.
This way you can see over time how long pieces are taking you, and have an accurate accounting of your time for pricing purposes. Over time you will get faster as you get more comfortable and adept with the tools.
You will be responsible for keeping a log of your time throughout the semester. When you are working on a prototype, notate that also.
The most realistic and accurate pricing is a dual approach.
First, the Formula:
The two most important things when figuring out a price for your jewelry are time spent and materials. As you are working on pieces, keep track of the time you spend on each piece. There are a variety of formulas out there, and formulas change for custom work versus production work. This is for production work.
A common price formula:
Labor= hours x rate
(Labor + materials) x 2 = wholesale price
Wholesale price x 1.5 or 2 = retail price.
Example:
A piece takes me 3 hours. I pay myself $35/hr.
Labor= 3 x 35 = $115
Materials = $4 in silver + $6 in pearls + $15 gemstone + $4 ear post/backs = $29
Wholesale price= (115 + 29) x 2 = $288
Retail price= $432 – 576
You can see the importance of your time in this equation. If the same piece took 2 hours to make, we’d be looking at a retail price of $297-396. That's a pretty big difference!
This formula is by no means set in stone. You can adjust your price so that you fit into the market. This does give you a good starting point for figuring out how much you need to make on a piece to make money.
Beginning jewelers working in stores usually make $10-15/hour.
Second, the research:
Look at comparable pieces in galleries, at shows, online. See what the market will bear for similar work. This gives you a good benchmark to measure your formula against and see if changes need to be made. When researching- look at what is handmade and what isn’t. What methods are they using/ What materials? Gold plate or vermeil versus gold is a big price difference.
Also, Another good question to ask is “How much would someone have to pay me for me to make this again?” This is where the “PITA” (pain in the ass) tax can factor. If you realize that a certain design is a royal pain to make, charge more! If it’s easier than you thought, you might be willing to take a little less.
After looking at both sets of numbers you should havea good idea of what to charge. Pricing is not an exact science, and it is likely you will make changes as you go. The important thing is to set the starting price as accurately as possible, and don’t sell your work too low.
While marking a piece up double and more may seem like a lot, it isn’t. The money from that markup covers business expenses such as materials, travel, bills, displays, office supplies, show fees, etc. After doing business for 6 months to a year, look at your expenses and what you are making off of each piece. You may see that the markup isn’t covering all of your costs and then you need to add more into the markup to cover what is called “overhead”. Overhead typically consists of rent, utilities, and monthly business expenses that occur.
One important thing to remember is that with the internet, information is available to all. I know some artists who in the past have raised prices for higher income areas (NYC, Miami) and lowered them for less affluent ones. With information easily accessible, this is harder to do nowadays as customers may find out they were charged a different amount based on where they live. This is a practice I don’t agree with, but it is another pricing tactic.
If you are being represented by galleries, it is important to make sure that the galleries know how much you sell your work for, so that they aren’t being undercut by you. I tell all my galleries that I do a straight “keystone” markup of the wholesale price. A keystone markup is when the retail price is double the wholesale price. This is the industry standard for retail prices. If the gallery chooses to mark it up higher, that’s fine, but this way they know what I retail it for as well.
Keep your prospective market in mind while figuring out preliminary costs. If your prices seem too high or low, figure out why. If they seem to low, raise them. If they seem too high: Can you reduce the amount of time spent? Can you reduce your materials cost? - find a new supplier that has better prices, buy findings in bulk, or lessen the amount of metal in the piece. If none of these will work, you may need to put that idea on the shelf until something changes.
Figuring out your time
Figuring out exactly how much time you spend on a piece is critical to pricing it. It is also one of the most difficult things to do because we multi task so much. If you are extremely organized, look at the clock every time you switch tasks or pieces and jot down the time spent on that piece. However, most of us will forget to do that. The method I have found that works pretty well is the following, and your homework assignment for all of your pieces throughout the semester.
Homework:
Every time you sit down to work, note your starting time, your ending time and what you worked on during that period. If you take a break, make a note of that too. Also note what you did during the period also.
Example:
10am-11:15am Filed, soldered, and sanded 5 pairs of leaf earrings. Made 8 waxes of leaf necklace and cleaned waxes up.
This way you can see over time how long pieces are taking you, and have an accurate accounting of your time for pricing purposes. Over time you will get faster as you get more comfortable and adept with the tools.
You will be responsible for keeping a log of your time throughout the semester. When you are working on a prototype, notate that also.
Lesson: Altering a Wax
Lesson 6: Altering a Wax
One way to add variety to your production pieces is to alter them in the wax form. When they are wax, you can resize rings, add texture to pieces, and connect parts together easier than in the metal.
Ways to alter the wax:
• Put in a texture!
• Carve grooves, add bumps!
• Drill pilot holes for stone settings
• Meld 2 pieces together to create a different piece.
To add texture: Use the burs, files, tools etc.
To connect elements together: Use a thin knife-style tip, slip between the parts you want to connect. Add additional wax to seal the seam. Remove any additional wax.
To size a ring larger:
• Cut with an Xacto knife along the back of the ring or at a good breaking point in the pattern.
• Slide the wax onto a steel ring mandrel to the correct size. Melt extra wax into the gap.
• File and sand the wax to match rest of ring.
• If necessary, redo any patterns.
• If the gap is wide enough, or the ring has an all around pattern, it may be easiest to cut a piece out of a second wax that is the correct size to fit the gap and melt the edges together with hot wax tool.
To size a ring smaller:
• Cut with an Xacto knife along the back of the ring or at a good breaking point in the pattern.
• Slide the wax onto a steel ring mandrel to the correct size.
• Hold the wax tight around the mandrel. The ends of the wax should be overlapping.
• Use the Xacto to cut away the overlapping area.
• Melt the ends of the wax together.
• If necessary, add in extra wax.
• File and sand to match the rest of the ring.
• Redo any patterns that got melted.
One way to add variety to your production pieces is to alter them in the wax form. When they are wax, you can resize rings, add texture to pieces, and connect parts together easier than in the metal.
Ways to alter the wax:
• Put in a texture!
• Carve grooves, add bumps!
• Drill pilot holes for stone settings
• Meld 2 pieces together to create a different piece.
To add texture: Use the burs, files, tools etc.
To connect elements together: Use a thin knife-style tip, slip between the parts you want to connect. Add additional wax to seal the seam. Remove any additional wax.
To size a ring larger:
• Cut with an Xacto knife along the back of the ring or at a good breaking point in the pattern.
• Slide the wax onto a steel ring mandrel to the correct size. Melt extra wax into the gap.
• File and sand the wax to match rest of ring.
• If necessary, redo any patterns.
• If the gap is wide enough, or the ring has an all around pattern, it may be easiest to cut a piece out of a second wax that is the correct size to fit the gap and melt the edges together with hot wax tool.
To size a ring smaller:
• Cut with an Xacto knife along the back of the ring or at a good breaking point in the pattern.
• Slide the wax onto a steel ring mandrel to the correct size.
• Hold the wax tight around the mandrel. The ends of the wax should be overlapping.
• Use the Xacto to cut away the overlapping area.
• Melt the ends of the wax together.
• If necessary, add in extra wax.
• File and sand to match the rest of the ring.
• Redo any patterns that got melted.
Lesson: Injecting a Mold
Lesson: Injecting a Mold
• Turn on wax injector, let it heat up.
• Make sure that the temperature dial is pointing to the black band.
• Check that air hose is connected.
• To connect air hose:
• Pull down on brass collet.
• Push end of hose up against fitting on injector.
• Release the collet.
• If the hose is on properly, releasing the collet will lock it in place.
• If it is not on properly, it will detach immediately. Repeat above steps and push harder when fitting onto injector.
• Once indicator light is not constantly on, the wax should be molten. Adjust the pressure to be between 5-10psi.
• Adjust the pressure by twisting knob to the right for more pressure.
• If the pressure is too high, twist knob to the left, then pull up on brass ring on the top of the injector. The ring releases and resets the pressure inside the injector.
• Make sure dish/non-stick foil is under wax injector spout.
• Place aluminum plates on top and bottom of mold.
• Have mold opening just at or slightly beyond edge of plates.
• Hold plates and mold tightly.
• Press against injector nozzle.
• Pull away.
• This injector works very quickly. You do not need to hold the mold against the nozzle- it takes less than a second to inject.
• The wax is hot! It is molten at approx. 165 degrees. Please be careful!
• Let mold cool approx. 30sec-1min. The mold should be cool to the touch, and the button of wax at the end of the mold should be opaque.
• Open up and gently pull out wax.
• Repeat.
• If you are the last one here- make sure to turn injector off!!!
Opening and Closing the Wax Injector:
• Disconnect the air hose, and release the pressure in the injector.
• Using the welding gloves, loosen the 2 top screws.
• Push the lid back.
• Close be returning lid to original position.
• Tighten screws.
• Reconnect the air hose. The pressure will automatically reset once the hose is connected.
Troubleshooting:
• My mold isn’t filling completely: Hold mold against injector a bit longer. Make sure you are holding the mold straight, not tilted up or down.
• My wax is sticking to the mold: Brush a light coat of talc on both sides of mold, making sure to get into all crevices. Or spray Mold Release on both sides of mold. Do not aim mold release up or at another person. Do not use near flame or hot objects. Use your face mask with mold release spray as it is an aerosol.
• The wax is going everywhere: Hold mold tighter between plates. Press against nozzle for less time.
• The injector is making a spluttering noise when I inject a wax: Open the top lid and check the wax. If the level seems low (less than ½ full) add more wax. If you see a solid chunk of wax upon opening the lid, wait a bit longer- the wax is still heating up.
• Turn on wax injector, let it heat up.
• Make sure that the temperature dial is pointing to the black band.
• Check that air hose is connected.
• To connect air hose:
• Pull down on brass collet.
• Push end of hose up against fitting on injector.
• Release the collet.
• If the hose is on properly, releasing the collet will lock it in place.
• If it is not on properly, it will detach immediately. Repeat above steps and push harder when fitting onto injector.
• Once indicator light is not constantly on, the wax should be molten. Adjust the pressure to be between 5-10psi.
• Adjust the pressure by twisting knob to the right for more pressure.
• If the pressure is too high, twist knob to the left, then pull up on brass ring on the top of the injector. The ring releases and resets the pressure inside the injector.
• Make sure dish/non-stick foil is under wax injector spout.
• Place aluminum plates on top and bottom of mold.
• Have mold opening just at or slightly beyond edge of plates.
• Hold plates and mold tightly.
• Press against injector nozzle.
• Pull away.
• This injector works very quickly. You do not need to hold the mold against the nozzle- it takes less than a second to inject.
• The wax is hot! It is molten at approx. 165 degrees. Please be careful!
• Let mold cool approx. 30sec-1min. The mold should be cool to the touch, and the button of wax at the end of the mold should be opaque.
• Open up and gently pull out wax.
• Repeat.
• If you are the last one here- make sure to turn injector off!!!
Opening and Closing the Wax Injector:
• Disconnect the air hose, and release the pressure in the injector.
• Using the welding gloves, loosen the 2 top screws.
• Push the lid back.
• Close be returning lid to original position.
• Tighten screws.
• Reconnect the air hose. The pressure will automatically reset once the hose is connected.
Troubleshooting:
• My mold isn’t filling completely: Hold mold against injector a bit longer. Make sure you are holding the mold straight, not tilted up or down.
• My wax is sticking to the mold: Brush a light coat of talc on both sides of mold, making sure to get into all crevices. Or spray Mold Release on both sides of mold. Do not aim mold release up or at another person. Do not use near flame or hot objects. Use your face mask with mold release spray as it is an aerosol.
• The wax is going everywhere: Hold mold tighter between plates. Press against nozzle for less time.
• The injector is making a spluttering noise when I inject a wax: Open the top lid and check the wax. If the level seems low (less than ½ full) add more wax. If you see a solid chunk of wax upon opening the lid, wait a bit longer- the wax is still heating up.
Wednesday, February 19, 2014
Lesson: Mold Making
Lesson 2: Mold Making
Mold Overview
Molds can be used to create multiple casting of one original piece. There are several types of molds. Most industry made jewelry molds are vulcanized rubber molds. Rubber is put under both heat and pressure until it hardens, yet retains its flexibility. This process helps increase the life of the mold. Vulcanized rubber molds last a long time. However, these molds are unsuitable for molding anything that cannot take heat or pressure.
For molding items that are heat or pressure sensitive, RTV (room temperature vulcanizing) molds are the best option. RTV molds can be either silicone or polyurethane plastic. Depending on the mold material, these also have a long life, and require less equipment to produce. Alginate and brushable latex can also be used to create molds.
Standard molds are comprised of 2 halves. The halves fit into each other snugly with out movement. Brass “buttons” can be used to register the halves, or tabs cut into the mold. These are called “closed” or 2-part molds.
Depending on the original, you can also make an “open” or 1 part mold. These molds are easier to produce since they don’t require cutting or separating the mold, but can only be used on pieces that doesn’t have a lot of undercutting.
In order to create multiples of a piece, the mold is injected with molten wax, creating a wax version of the piece. Multiple waxes are created, and then each wax is cast.
A wax injector is used to shoot the wax into the mold. Simply pouring the wax into the mold will not get a full impression of the piece. The wax cools too quickly for that. By using compressed air to get force behind the wax as it comes out of the injector, you can be assured of complete waxes.
Open molds can be filled by pouring wax into them.
Both molds can be used for casting other materials than wax.
RTV Molds:
• Read the instructions for the compounds. RTV Molds are usually comprised of a Part A and a Part B (activator or catalyst). You need to check to see whether the molds need to be vacuumed during mixing and what the mixing ratio is.
• Make sure that your mold frame is clean, and spray with mold release.
• If making an injector mold, attach sprue and funnel to original.
• Spray original with mold release.
• Arrange original in the mold frame. Check that orginal is placed so that it is only touching the frame at the designated opening.
• Mix mold compound. Wear gloves. Measure very carefully and stir completely and thoroughly.
• Pour compound smoothly, slowly, and evenly into frame.
• Let mold cure.
• Once cured, remove mold from frame. Thin flexible spatulas can assist in this.
• If a 2 part mold, separate and cut apart.
• Trim any excess from the mold.
• Your RTV mold is ready to use!
Mold Overview
Molds can be used to create multiple casting of one original piece. There are several types of molds. Most industry made jewelry molds are vulcanized rubber molds. Rubber is put under both heat and pressure until it hardens, yet retains its flexibility. This process helps increase the life of the mold. Vulcanized rubber molds last a long time. However, these molds are unsuitable for molding anything that cannot take heat or pressure.
For molding items that are heat or pressure sensitive, RTV (room temperature vulcanizing) molds are the best option. RTV molds can be either silicone or polyurethane plastic. Depending on the mold material, these also have a long life, and require less equipment to produce. Alginate and brushable latex can also be used to create molds.
Standard molds are comprised of 2 halves. The halves fit into each other snugly with out movement. Brass “buttons” can be used to register the halves, or tabs cut into the mold. These are called “closed” or 2-part molds.
Depending on the original, you can also make an “open” or 1 part mold. These molds are easier to produce since they don’t require cutting or separating the mold, but can only be used on pieces that doesn’t have a lot of undercutting.
In order to create multiples of a piece, the mold is injected with molten wax, creating a wax version of the piece. Multiple waxes are created, and then each wax is cast.
A wax injector is used to shoot the wax into the mold. Simply pouring the wax into the mold will not get a full impression of the piece. The wax cools too quickly for that. By using compressed air to get force behind the wax as it comes out of the injector, you can be assured of complete waxes.
Open molds can be filled by pouring wax into them.
Both molds can be used for casting other materials than wax.
RTV Molds:
• Read the instructions for the compounds. RTV Molds are usually comprised of a Part A and a Part B (activator or catalyst). You need to check to see whether the molds need to be vacuumed during mixing and what the mixing ratio is.
• Make sure that your mold frame is clean, and spray with mold release.
• If making an injector mold, attach sprue and funnel to original.
• Spray original with mold release.
• Arrange original in the mold frame. Check that orginal is placed so that it is only touching the frame at the designated opening.
• Mix mold compound. Wear gloves. Measure very carefully and stir completely and thoroughly.
• Pour compound smoothly, slowly, and evenly into frame.
• Let mold cure.
• Once cured, remove mold from frame. Thin flexible spatulas can assist in this.
• If a 2 part mold, separate and cut apart.
• Trim any excess from the mold.
• Your RTV mold is ready to use!
Wednesday, February 12, 2014
Business: Efficiency- Less time, more money
Business 2: Efficiency-More Money, Less Work
In production, you are looking to streamline your making process. The goal is to eliminate as much down time as possible and to make the most out of each hour in the studio. Since time is money, thinking ahead and save you time, and increase your profits.
Tips:
Are there elements like jump rings, holes for stone settings, bails, or tubes for settings or hinges that you can include on your prototype and have molded, do so. Think in terms of time- it may take 2 minutes to solder a jump ring on, but 10 seconds to clip it off. In that case, have the mold made with the jump ring. Overall it saves you time.
Make sure your prototype is well finished. Any scratches or dents will be in every single piece, adding time.
Work on a task with an array of pieces. Solder a bunch of things in one session rather than going back and forth to the soldering area. Spend concentrated time on the flexshaft or with files. Get a bunch of pieces ready to patina or stone set and then do all of them at once. By working in this way, you will become more efficient at each set of tasks, reducing time.
Also, work smart and set yourself apart. What you can sell your piece for is not simply a product of the pricing formulas. You are also subject to the fancy and whims of the overall market and the perception of worth.
There are several ways that you can increase the perceived value of your work without spending a great deal of time or money.
• First of all, you can make such original designs that there isn’t anything out there like you! This is easier said than done, additionally you won’t know if you have succeeded until you get out there.
• If you are using a specialized technique or skill that is time consuming, educate your customers. Tell people through signs and in discussion. Practice a “cocktail party” version of the skill that makes the piece so great. Be able to clearly describe the technique in laymen’s terms in 30 seconds to a minute.
• Add value through additions. Gemstones/pearls are an excellent example of this. Patinas are another great example.
• Do the extra little things that you can point to. Make your own clasps, and make them distinctive. Use unusual cuts of stones. Finish the backs of pieces in a distinctive way. Pierce the walls or undersides of bezels.
• Use gold accents or bimetal instead of gold. This gives the looks of gold without the gold price.
• Stress anything unique about the piece. If you made a couple of a particular item and decided you don’t like it, it’s a limited edition!
In production, you are looking to streamline your making process. The goal is to eliminate as much down time as possible and to make the most out of each hour in the studio. Since time is money, thinking ahead and save you time, and increase your profits.
Tips:
Are there elements like jump rings, holes for stone settings, bails, or tubes for settings or hinges that you can include on your prototype and have molded, do so. Think in terms of time- it may take 2 minutes to solder a jump ring on, but 10 seconds to clip it off. In that case, have the mold made with the jump ring. Overall it saves you time.
Make sure your prototype is well finished. Any scratches or dents will be in every single piece, adding time.
Work on a task with an array of pieces. Solder a bunch of things in one session rather than going back and forth to the soldering area. Spend concentrated time on the flexshaft or with files. Get a bunch of pieces ready to patina or stone set and then do all of them at once. By working in this way, you will become more efficient at each set of tasks, reducing time.
Also, work smart and set yourself apart. What you can sell your piece for is not simply a product of the pricing formulas. You are also subject to the fancy and whims of the overall market and the perception of worth.
There are several ways that you can increase the perceived value of your work without spending a great deal of time or money.
• First of all, you can make such original designs that there isn’t anything out there like you! This is easier said than done, additionally you won’t know if you have succeeded until you get out there.
• If you are using a specialized technique or skill that is time consuming, educate your customers. Tell people through signs and in discussion. Practice a “cocktail party” version of the skill that makes the piece so great. Be able to clearly describe the technique in laymen’s terms in 30 seconds to a minute.
• Add value through additions. Gemstones/pearls are an excellent example of this. Patinas are another great example.
• Do the extra little things that you can point to. Make your own clasps, and make them distinctive. Use unusual cuts of stones. Finish the backs of pieces in a distinctive way. Pierce the walls or undersides of bezels.
• Use gold accents or bimetal instead of gold. This gives the looks of gold without the gold price.
• Stress anything unique about the piece. If you made a couple of a particular item and decided you don’t like it, it’s a limited edition!
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