Project by April Foster from Seattle, Wash.
April started making jewelry during a high school metalsmithing class but didn’t pick it up again until more than 10 years later. She loves being able to do this work at home, so she doesn’t have to be away from her children. For her personalized bracelet, not only does April fabricate the silver, but she also does her own lampwork to make the beads and then hammers words or names into the silver so they can be individually customized.
Materials:
5"-8" flat sterling silver wire
steel stamps
brass hammer
hole punch tool or drill
flat needle file
coarse and fine sandpaper
8" sterling silver round wire
2 lampwork beads *
4" heavy-gauge sterling silver wire
clasp
wire cutters
shaping pliers
round-nose pliers
flat-nose pliers
anvil
polishing cloth
* To make lampwork beads: various glass rods, mandrels, bead release, fuel (Mapp gas, oxygen, propane), kiln, heat-proof surface, eye protection, well-ventilated area
Steps:
1. With wire cutters, cut size of flat wire needed according to wrist size. File both ends smooth with needle file; then sand smooth starting with coarse sandpaper and finishing with the smooth.
2. Place the flat wire on the anvil or other hard sturdy surface and using steel stamps hammer your words into the flat wire.
3. Using a hole punch or drill, put a hole into each end of the flat wire.
4. With the shaping pliers, shape your wire into the desired shape; this may require some hand shaping.
5. Cut a 4-inch piece of round wire. Make a wrapped eye pin using the round-nose pliers; but before wrapping it shut, slide it through one of the holes you just punched. Once through the hole, then wrap it shut. Use the flat-nose pliers to help hold the eye pin while you wrap it shut.
6. Slip on a bead and make another wrapped eye pin, but before closing it, slip on the clasp and then finish wrapping it shut.
7. With the remaining round wire, make another wrapped eye pin. Before wrapping it shut, slide it through the other hole. Now wrap it shut and slip on your other bead and make another wrapped eye-pin.
8. Use the polishing cloth to shine it up and remove any smudges.
9. To make the lampworked beads: Put on eye protection. Dip the mandrel in bead release, let dry.
10. Light the torch and have a well-defined blue cone in the flame. Slowly introduce the tip of the glass rod in and out the flame with several passes in order to warm up the glass and prevent thermal shock, which will cause glass to pop and go flying.
11. Once the glass is warmed, melt the tip of the glass until an orange glow appears. Rotate the glass rod to prevent the glass from drooping off.
12. Introduce the coated mandrel into the flame and heat it up, at the same time still heating the glass. The mandrel needs to be hot enough to accept the glass. When the mandrel is hot, hold it horizontal and press the hot glass onto the mandrel, rotating at the same time and pulling the glass onto the rod. Do not use too much force in this process or the bead release could break and separate.
13. Continue to add more glass as needed for design and shape. Once you are done with the bead, take it out of the flame and let the glow disappear and reintroduce it into the flame to evenly reheat it and let cool slightly.
14. Put the bead into the kiln and anneal according to kiln instructions.
15. When beads are completely cooled, clean bead release out of the center cavity.
Website: www.FosterWorks.com
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