Assignment

Doug Reiser
Instructor

Since ancient times, man has been working metals to produce tools, accessories, weapons, and articles of adornment. Pensacola Junior College is privileged to have Master Metalsmith Doug Reiser teaching Jewelry Making I, Jewelry Making II, and JM Independent Study. His degrees, both BA and MA, are in Metalsmithing.

His extensive studies in metalsmithing / jewelry making provide a rich background of experience and expertise. Fortunately, he is also a Master instructor...he teaches more than simple method. One learns the sounds to listen for when a hammered piece is truly flat...the color that various metals take on during various stages of processing, and other tips and tricks that are useful to the neophyte Metalsmith.

This pendant is constructed by using "cold connections"...rivets.

The design is originally produced in individual layers on tracing paper, and when folded together, they represent the entire piece. The frame is brass. The rays are constructed of nickel and copper, and the backing is titanium. The color background is anodized titanium (through torch, as here, or with an anodizer). Since heat from soldering would ruin the color, rivets are used to preserve the colored metal.

The facing plate of brass has countersunk rivets which barely show when buffed. A satin finish was used here, instead of a high polish.
Project layout planning, use of a jeweler's saw, riveting hammer, bench shear, and torch use (anodizing) were learned through construction of this piece.
This piece measures 1.5" x 2".

The second piece was "Married Metal Construction." This is a complex procedure that requires precision. A diagram tutorial demo is located HERE.

In a "married metal" piece, the design elements of various metals are pieced together like a jigsaw puzzle. The image is traced onto a piece of paper with an extra fine line pencil (the point rolled to get a sharper point). White Out is painted onto the surface of the base piece, and the image is then placed face down onto the White Out, and pressure is applied to make the image adhere to the White Out. The largest piece (the base or frame...in this case, brass) is then cut out. The remaining image imprinted in the White Out shows where to make a small hole for the jeweler's saw blade to be inserted into the main area that is to be cut, and then the interior design is cut away. The inside cut may be filed and sanded to give a smooth edge.
Next, the frame is placed on top of the next metal (in this case, sterling), and the inside cut is scribed (traced) so that the pattern can be cut to match the frame exactly...even imperfections, such as bumps. This pattern is then cut to the outside, along the scribed line.

The piece should fit with little or no light visible when held up to a bright light source. If there is too much of a gap, the solder won't be able to fill it.
The remaining image is applied to the interior piece with the White Out and pencil carbon. Those areas are then drilled, and cut away.
The entire piece is fitted together, and the seams are all soldered into place. The excess solder covering both sides of the piece must then be filed away until there is no more trace of solder, and the merged image is visible. The piece is then polished, texturized (in whole or in part), and finished, according to the preferences of the artist.
For this piece, a spring pin back was also constructed.
The back of the pin was texturized with a rotary grinding wheel.
This piece measures 2" x 2".

The third piece allowed construction of your choice of rings...either a box ring, or a plain shank ring. Sterling silver was used in this construction. The stone chosen for this piece is a cabochon of blue chalcedony, a milky stone with periwinkle blue undertones.

The main ring shank is first formed into a circle. A second, pierced piece is soldered to the bottom and sides of the main shank, forming a "u" with the main ring shank resting in the bottom loop of the "u." This piece is then soldered to a solid piece of material. The center is cut out, and the sides are reduced to match the "u-shaped" decorative strip.

Then, the piece is flipped, and soldered to another solid section, which is treated the same way. The whole is polished, and the bezel is soldered either on top, or on a platform soldered between the two decorative flanges. After extensive filing and polishing, the stone is set, and the ring is buffed. This ring is a size 7.

The final piece for the first term incorporated every element learned...cutting, piercing, riveting, soldering, cabochon setting, and married metal.

For this piece, a yin / yang was made of married metal. The cabochon that acts as a magnifying glass is pure, clear, quartz crystal.
The bezel containing the cab was soldered to a platform of brass which was pre-soldered to a copper platform. Both platforms have beveled edges.
The platforms rest on texturized sterling silver. Sandpaper was used in a rolling mill to get the fine texture. The bamboo cut-outs display a pastel of rainbow anodized titanium underneath.

The whole was set into a brass texturized bezel with a solid back. A Scotch Stone was used to make swirl patterns over the whole of the brass...back, sides, and front edges.
Since no heat could be applied after the titanium was set into place, rivets were used on the copper platform to secure the structure to the brass backing. The rivet in the free-swinging bail added more balance to the riveting support.
This piece is approximately 2" in diameter, and is rather impressive suspended from an Etruscan chain.

The first project for the second term was the artisan's stamp.

Each class member designed a symbol that they could use to identify their work, much as ancient metal smiths used personal symbols to mark pieces as their own work. Some of the ancient symbols have been deciphered, and the artisans have been identified through ancient texts or shipping manifests.
This symbol represents a tribute to the metal smiths of ancient times whose work precedes and influences much of our own.

Artisan's marks are a common method of identification in the realm of hand crafted jewelry.

This stamp was constructed from a 6" tool steel punch. The pointed tip was removed by grinding to the point that the face of the steel was approximately 1/4" in diameter. The Etruscan letter "E" was formed by sawing with a jeweler's blade and filing. The tool was then hardened by bringing the steel up to such a high heat that it glowed an almost clear tangerine color before being quenched. It was then heated again. The second heating is stopped when the yellow in the color spectrum that runs down the tool reaches the tip. The tip is then at its hardest.

The box was a project that the Jewelry I class begged for. What could be simpler...four sides, a top, and a bottom!

Box construction begins with a diagram. You have to decide what shape you want to build, and if the box is irregularly shaped (rectangular or an uneven triangle), how long each side should be. The metal is cut and scored at the fold lines. A line is also scribed for the top of the box on one end of the sheet, but it is not cut off. Any piercing or married metal insertion is done at this point.

The fold lines and ends are filed with a square file to produce 45 degree angles for each fold or join. The sides are then brought up by placing the sheet on the edge of a flat surface with a piece of heavy, square metal lined up where the fold will be, and a small piece of sheet metal is used to lift up each side. The box frame is then bound with binding wire, and soldered. Solder is also applied to each inside corner for strengthening. A bottom (or top) is then soldered on from the inside, and the excess material is cut away. The box is then placed upon a sheet that is just bigger than the box, and the outline of the box is scribed onto the sheet. Solder is melted into the scribed line in order to sweat solder that piece into place. Before each successive soldering, White Out is used on all previously soldered joins to keep that solder from running. After soldering, the edges are trimmed.

The top of the box is removed by sawing with a jeweler's blade, beginning at alternating corners, and across the line scribed earlier for the top. After the removal of this piece, the rough edges of both sides are sanded flat. After this step, a hinge mechanism may be applied, or friction fit flanges may be soldered in. The box is then finished by sanding, buffing, texturizing, and the application of any ornaments, such as cabochons, wire spirals or 3-D designs.
This Incense Box is 2" x 1.5" x 2". A rainbow moonstone is bezel-set on the top, and the artisan's stamp is on the bottom of the box. It is designed for use with cone incense.

The Etruscan chain is one of the most ancient forms of jewelry making.
The chain begins with the cutting of hundreds of jump rings by winding 24 gauge wire around a .25" dowel, and sawing them. The jump rings are then manipulated until their edges line up, and they are placed in rows upon fire bricks. There, a drop of thin flux is applied to the join, and a tiny chip cut from sheet solder is placed on the tacky flux. Each jump ring is then individually soldered.

Rings must then be stretched into an oval with an automotive ring spreader, and pinched in the middle to form two loops--one at either end.
Depending on the type of Etruscan chain you are going to make, you will then solder together either two links, or three.

This chain was the more complex 3-loop form. The three links are soldered in an "x" with a crossbar position, and a 1" piece of substantial brass wire is then soldered to the back for stabilization and handling.
The 6 loops are bent upwards, beginning with the bottom loop, which, when bent upwards from the flat position, has a loose link thrust through each eye. The ends of that link are then bent upward, and the next lowest link is bent upward with a loose link thrust through it's eyes, etceteras. Occasionally, you must use a needle tool to widen the "eyes" so that you can push a link through. The process is tedious, and you average about 1 inch per hour. The necklace displayed was 14.5" in length before drawing.
After you have exhausted your copious supply of links, you anneal the necklace (heat it with a torch to soften the metal a bit), and draw it through a special drawplate. This straightens out all of the link rows, and also thins and lengthens the chain.
End caps with clasps are the final touch. This necklace totals 16.5" without the chain clasps.
The small hang tag attached to the top end cap exhibits a textured back and the artisan's stamp and ".925" on the front to signify that the entire piece is pure sterling silver.

The last project for JM II was a forged bracelet.

This bracelet was formed from a 6" piece of square sterling wire. The wire is bent upwards at both ends, and the ends are brought together to be soldered. After the ends seem to be tightly pressed, a saw cut is made at the join. This may be done two or three times in order to make both end faces straight and flush. Tension will push the flush ends tightly together.

This seam is then soldered on all four sides with hard solder.
The next step involves marking the quadrants. Where you mark is dependent on whether or not you will eventually cut out a section for a catch mechanism, or if you wish to simply enlarge the circumference enough to form a bangle.

The bracelet displayed is a simple bangle.
After marking the quadrants, you place the circlet on the anvil between two marks. You begin hammering with a cross-peen hammer to widen the section of metal. You do the same with the opposite side. Then, you alternate to one of the side quadrants, and place that section flat on top of the anvil and begin hammering "ears." The alternate side is also hammered in this way, and the bracelet is flipped and the back side of the "ears" is also worked.
As the metal becomes hardened from working, you occasionally need to anneal (torch until it glows a dull cherry red) the bracelet, place it in pickle (acid bath), and eventually fish it out and dip it in a baking soda solution (base), and then water. While you are waiting for the metal to "pickle" (the dark grey firescale is dissolved, and clean metal is left), you can work on your Etruscan chain or other projects.
After you have retrieved your bracelet from one of many pickle baths, you will either continue to hammer the shape alternately side to side, front to back with the cross-peen hammer, or you will switch to the planishing hammer for finishing.
Planishing is also done using the anvil. The planishing hammer has mirror-finish faces...one slightly rounder than the flat face. The rounder side pushes the metal, widening it even more into shape. The flat face gets rid of uneven areas, and makes the metal smooth. Occasionally, some filing must be done on the edges, and the bracelet needs constant alignment monitoring and correction to get rid of torque. When the bracelet is wide enough to easily slip over your hand, and the surface is finished, you are ready to buff or texturize the piece, and/or add decorative elements, such as cabochon settings, coiled wire designs, or other decorations.
This bracelet was texturized with a Scotch Stone on the outer surfaces. The interior diameter is 2 5/8" inches--quite comfortably large.

Front view--

Back view--

This rose bookmark is an example of piercing.

Piercing involves cutting designs with a jeweler's saw. First, the pattern is applied to the metal surface by using a carbon image on white gesso, or by bonding a piece of tissue paper with the pattern to the metal. To make a carbon, the gesso is applied to the metal, and the pattern is placed face down so that the pencil line (5 mm lead) can be pressed in by drawing over the image from the back of the tissue paper.

After defining the cutting lines, an awl or punch is used to tap a dent into the metal in every place you want to make a cut. Drill bits are chosen according to the size of the pattern area...from size 56 to size 80. After the drill hole is placed in each cutting area, a jeweler's saw is used to cut out the pattern. Saw blades are chosen to correspond to the size of the pattern. For super fine lines or extremely tiny cut figures, a 6/0 or 8/0 blade may be used. The key to piercing is patience and control.
It is very time-consuming, as you have to constantly take the saw blade out of the finished cut, and insert the blade up through the next drill hole and then fix the free end of the blade back into the top of the saw frame. Accurate cutting is tedious, but extremely rewarding.

Afterward, the piece is sanded (220 / 320 / 400 / 600 grit wet/dry sandpaper), and buffed.

This bookmark is 3" long and 1" wide, with a 1" diameter medallion tag attached by braided silk ribbon in pink and burgundy. Silk was chosen for its strength (rubbing against the metal at attachment points), and its softness (rubbing against the edges of the book as it loops out over the edge). One side was satin-finished and buffed, and the medallion tag has notches spaced around the edge. The flip side was textured with a Scotch Stone.