"Hello World" - My First ACS Project

[noregsson]

All right folks! I thought I'd simply make a new thread with my finished project, instead of continuing my "seeking help and advice" thread.

So without further ado, let me introduce:

Ring of Awesome
Stats: Win < 3



I had a lot of fun playing with this, and learned quite a lot, I feel, about working with ACS, so hopefully my next project will be better. Altho this didn't come out nearly as bad as I was expecting (nor as good as I wanted, but pretty decent for a first try).

Now, I used a plastic baking "mat" which I rubbed some Badger Balm on - seemed to work fine as a non-stick surface, tho the mat left patterns on the ring, however that didn't really seem like a problem while working with wet clay. Also used a simple plastic tube for rolling the clay, as well as a pair of plastic strips a couple of mm thick to ensure even thickness. Applied it to a mandrel like this:



What I want to remember for next time: Use the mandrel as a rolling pin with the clay attached - to even out the surface. I used my fingers this time, because I'm retarded and didn't think of simply rolling it till after I was done. Result of that? Uneven thickness.

Dried with hairdryer:



Now originally I wanted the ring smaller at the bottom and widening out towards the top where the pattern is, but being clumsy and a poor judge it ended up with almost even width all over:



I used a file, a screwdriver and a compass (the thing you use to draw circles and construct angles with. It's called a compass, right?) to make the pattern.

Now, next time I need to be more patient and spend more time filing and sanding to get a smoother surface, especially smoothing the inside, as I ended up with a lot of irregularities after burning. I also discovered that keeping high humidity in the room while working will make the clay become moist again, which can make it easier to work with, or you could end up with an oval shape, instead of a circle. I also need to find a better way to make round patterns.

Cracks can also appear, and are a hassle to fix, apparently, as I had to try four times, and still ended up with a crack in the ring after burning. If anyone has advice on this, I'd love to hear. What I did was simply smearing paste around the crack, trying to squish as much as possible inside the crack.

After smoothing as much as I could bear to do, with my limited patience, I made sure the clay was dry, and took it outside for burning - I used a butane & propane torch for this.



And here is the crack:



Next time: Be aware that silver can melt! This happened, of course by the crack and the pattern, and lead to an uneven surface. Now, how can I fix this? Could I simply add clay to the irregularities and the crack, re-fire, and smooth? Should I simply spend more time sanding and polishing?

Also, I had trouble cleaning the inside of the pattern. I tried using my burnisher, but that wasn't too easy either. Halp?

After all of this I oxidized the ring - to get a darker pattern - sanded and polished:



As you can see, the pattern didn't turn out as nice as I wanted. Nor was I able to get a good finish due to all of the irregularities in the surface - which, by the way, and I need to remember this and not be stupid - of course turned black from the oxidization.

I'd love to hear your critique and advice for future projects. Any help on making dreary tasks like filing and sanding more fun, f.ex. Or what works best for getting a good finish if the ring looks horrible after firing. Also how to easily make small, round patterns?

The ring also shrank a wee bit more than I was hoping it would, so it ended up one size smaller than I wanted. What's the easiest way to fix this, if I need to?

Hope you all enjoyed my first battle with ACS. And, like I said, I'd love to hear what people think!


-M

[Metalman]

Hello Again = Metalman here.
I think your ring came out very well considering you have not had any hands on help and you were 'flying in the dark'.
I frequently tell my students that if you want to make a particular thing well - you need to make at least 5 of them before you get critical

I read through the other thread but thought I should reply here.
So I am going through and trying to address your various note and questions:
1] About tools or methods for making your design - One of my favorites are very small wood block or carving tools. Like a 1mm V groove chisel - a good sharp blade works great on unfired ACS..  Another method to get that design you were making is to use a rubber stamp into the clay if you have one that has your design. [PS= if you're really serious , you can have rubber stamps made]  YET another way to go is to cut out a small copy of your design in cardboard or thickish paper then roll the clay over that when you roll it out and it will be embossed into the surface. You may need to play with this a bit to get good at it.  Last thought for this one.  If you have a rotary tool like a Dremel of a flex-shaft - small dental bits work great for this size/scale of carving - careful though because with the power tool you can really rip through the unfired clay piece. This sort of tool is great for lots of the finishing aspects as well.

2] About Cracks - I usually try to fill by 'spackling' in clay type ACS - the paste is too thin for this sort of fill. Also, sometimes I use a small , sharpish tool with some water and make small score lines across the crack [not along, across] With the small amount of water there - I am working to 're-bond' the 2 sides of the crack - then I fill with clay type. Usually this ends up looking fairly lumpy but once its dry [a day or so] I can sand/file/refinish again.

3] In all jewelry making  - the lines and finishing are the big issues. I like how you ring came out but small improvements could be had by :
1] Gently sanding the sides of the ring on a large flat surface to true up the edges and to square up the rounded edge [OOPS - the is my design idea/approach, not your design approach]
2] I frequently burnish the entire surface but I use a wide, shallow curved  burnisher which will smooth the whole surface with our making lines or grooves in it.
3] Once you get going with this, you will start to figure out which finishing aspects you can and want to do in the unfired clay and which aspects you can do better in the metal stage.
4] Once its fired its metal - and sanding/grinding/ finishing/drilling/soldering are all the same as in any silver or whatever

[noregsson]

WELL!

I've been gone for a few months. Sorry about that.

Thanks again for the advice. I feel slightly retarded, as a lot of the things you mentioned are things I was planning on doing for other projects. For some reason tho I never thought to apply them to the ring. Oh well, live and learn.

Anyways. Life took hold of me and shook me around, but it's getting to be around the time for a few new projects, I think.

First, I was thinking of making some simple, smooth pendants. I was wondering if it might be a good idea to make molds for these? And if so, how does one make a mold, and what does one use? They're going to be pendants of Mjølner, btw (Thor's hammer pendants), but without any err . . . damn this vocabulary of mine. They're going to be completely smooth! No fancy carvings or whatever they're called.

I was also, just out of curiosity, wondering if it's possible to make bells out of the clay, say for a collar, and how much skill would be involved with that? I imagine there's a lot to take into account there, if it's going to make a little jingle.

Lastly, I had an idea for making a spiral pattern in a sphere shape encircling a stone (not spherical). I was considering rolling the stone inside some organic/burnable material. But since the spiral design would consist mostly of thin "strands", should one use a syringe to make the pattern, or fold it by hand? How would one sand, polish and generally work with such a thing?

What are the things I need to take into consideration before trying my hand at either of these two projects. (I ain't making no bell =P )

Hopefully I'll get stuff taken care of, and a new workspace set up within the first half of June, so I'm hoping to get started then. Never too soon to start planning tho.

[Metalman]

WELL!

I've been gone for a few months. Sorry about that.

Thanks again for the advice. I feel slightly retarded, as a lot of the things you mentioned are things I was planning on doing for other projects. For some reason tho I never thought to apply them to the ring. Oh well, live and learn.

Anyways. Life took hold of me and shook me around, but it's getting to be around the time for a few new projects, I think.

First, I was thinking of making some simple, smooth pendants. I was wondering if it might be a good idea to make molds for these? And if so, how does one make a mold, and what does one use? They're going to be pendants of Mjølner, btw (Thor's hammer pendants), but without any err . . . damn this vocabulary of mine. They're going to be completely smooth! No fancy carvings or whatever they're called.There are a variety of molding methods. I like this really simple one:  Carve the shape you want into a bar of Ivory soap - make sure the size is small enough - then you can press the clay in / dry & fire.   This is a good way to start a shape/form design.  You make the soap mold - press mold one in clay - THEN - clean that one up - sand and finish - detail and fire it.  THEN use the silicon molding putty [in the R&T catalog - make a permanent rubber mold to keep for when you want more

I was also, just out of curiosity, wondering if it's possible to make bells out of the clay, say for a collar, and how much skill would be involved with that? I imagine there's a lot to take into account there, if it's going to make a little jingle.You could try  - I don't think the clay material will jingle

Lastly, I had an idea for making a spiral pattern in a sphere shape encircling a stone (not spherical). I was considering rolling the stone inside some organic/burnable material. But since the spiral design would consist mostly of thin "strands", should one use a syringe to make the pattern, or fold it by hand? How would one sand, polish and generally work with such a thing?I don't think syringe form will be durable for what you seem to describe

What are the things I need to take into consideration before trying my hand at either of these two projects. (I ain't making no bell =P )

Hopefully I'll get stuff taken care of, and a new workspace set up within the first half of June, so I'm hoping to get started then. Never too soon to start planning tho.

[noregsson]

Soap, prototype, mold. Good plan. What do you mean when you say "make sure the size is small enough" tho?

Why wouldn't the material "jingle"? It _is_ metal, isn't it? Wrapping an iron ball in cork or similar, then shaping a "bell" on top of that. You ought to be able to get something out of that, ne? Regardless, this was just out of curiosity.

The entire syringe thing wossname has been scrapped. The design changed when I discovered sakura trees in our japanese garden. I was thinking of painting these in clay and firing them. I'd really like to get the finished silver leaf flat tho, so what are simple tricks to make this work? Could I press the leaves first, or will this leave them too brittle to paint? Glue them to a piece of paper? Melt silver and pour over them? Use dynamite?

Last time I pressed flowers was in kindergarten, I believe, so I can't really remember how the results end up =P

And on a side note. Does anyone know of any good ways to preserve flowers? Say sakura blossoms in this case (blooming time is, unfortunately, almost over, so I reckon we'll have to wait till next year to try). Would putting a small branch in glycerine work? Dehydrate and spray paint? Storing them in a vacuum? Try explosives again?

[Polly]

You can press flowers and leaves in a hard-bound book. 
Also, special flower presses are available, but an old hard-bound book works great.  (Got a stack of encyclopedias collecting dust in the attic or basement?)

I've also used a stack of magazines, but you have a greater chance of ink coming off the pages, onto your item. Since you don't need to preserve the color, just the shape, that should be ok ... unless the glossy magazine ink introduces something that reacts poorly with ACS... so maybe a bit of tissue paper in between if going the magazine route.  I think somewhere between 3 days and 2 weeks should be plenty, to get the moisture out of the leaf. May depend on how fresh the leaf is and the humidity where you are.

[Metalman]

Sorry to be out of touch, here we go>>>!!!

Soap, prototype, mold. Good plan. What do you mean when you say "make sure the size is small enough" tho?When carving a mold - it is really easy to make an object that is notably larger than intended (especially a jewelry object)

Why wouldn't the material "jingle"? It _is_ metal, isn't it? Wrapping an iron ball in cork or similar, then shaping a "bell" on top of that. You ought to be able to get something out of that, ne? Regardless, this was just out of curiosity. Sound , in metal is based on the molecular structure and/or alignment. In castings, this is a crystalline alignment, in forgings it is a hammered molecular structure which has been aligned by the hammer blows - both of these have inherent tension in them that interacts with sound production.. ACS structure is more like a sponge - lots of little holes together with some metal ( this is molecular in size - Doesn't make for a bell tone

The entire syringe thing wossnamebeen reading T. Pratchett have we? has been scrapped. The design changed when I discovered sakura trees in our Japanese garden. I was thinking of painting these in clay and firing them. I'd really like to get the finished silver leaf flat tho, so what are simple tricks to make this work? I use small leaves with some body - meaning that they aren't those fern leaf Japanese maples - too fine a structure - baby oak leaves work great! I don't worry about flat but experiment until you can make it work. In general ACS doesn't like to be bent around after it is fired. IT WILL BREAK - so - leaf has to be flat (somehow) before you fire itCould I press the leaves first, or will this leave them too brittle to paint? experiment - make it workGlue them to a piece of paper? Melt silver and pour over them?no - the leaf burns up too fast Use dynamite? ovewrly rough on the studio space, now that you have that going

Last time I pressed flowers was in kindergarten, I believe, so I can't really remember how the results end up =P

And on a side note. Does anyone know of any good ways to preserve flowers? Say sakura blossoms in this case (blooming time is, unfortunately, almost over, so I reckon we'll have to wait till next year to try). Would putting a small branch in glycerine work? Dehydrate and spray paint? Storing them in a vacuum? Try explosives again?My mom used to take a contaner put about 2 inches of washing soda in it; then turn the flower upside down and sift the washing soda over it until well buried and leave it for a week or two - dig it out carefully

[xandrille]

This is such a great project – I adore this ring. Thanks for sharing.