Earrings in an hour!
1
Transfer the Template onto a flat piece of 20- or 22-gauge (0.8 or 0.6 mm) copper. Line up the flat ends of the design with a straight edge of the copper. Attach the design to one piece of copper with rubber cement. Place double-sided tape on the back of one piece of copper, and place it on top of a second piece of copper, or tape the two pieces together with clear packing tape. Saw out the smaller, inner section of the design.
by Annie Pennington
2
Saw out the outside of the design, making sure to saw just outside of the line.
3
Remove the paper template, separate the two pieces of copper, and file the inside edges with a half-round file, making sure to remove all saw marks. After the saw marks are removed, use a half-round needle file to remove all marks left from the larger half-round file.
4
File the outside edge with a flat file to remove all of the saw marks. Use a flat needle file to remove the larger files’ marks. Repeat for the second earring. NOTE: After you file the edges flat, use needle files to file at an angle to the edge of the copper on both sides to remove burs left from sawing. Start with 220-grit sandpaper, and sand the edges with progressively finer grits of sandpaper. Repeat for the second earring.
5
On a steel bench block, use a narrow cross peen-hammer to strike the outside edge of the copper in a radiating pattern. This stretches the outside edge, and makes the narrow ends begin to curve together. Repeat to texture both sides of each earring.
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6
Make a divot with an awl or center punch in the tip of one narrow end of each earring. Drill a hole at the mark with a #47 (1.99 mm/0.079 in.) drill bit. Use 220-grit sandpaper to remove the burs left from drilling.
7
Grip the narrow end of the copper without the hole in the tips of a pair of roundnose pliers, and bend the narrow end into a loop. Make 1½ turns. Repeat for the second earring, but make sure to bend the loop in the opposite direction.
8
Place one jaw of the roundnose pliers in the loop, and one jaw just below the loop on the flat side of the earring. Bend the loop so that it is centered on the earring. Repeat for the second earring.
9
Cut a 2½ in. (64 mm) piece of half-hard sterling silver wire. Make a plain loop in one end. Hammer the loop and approximately ¾ in. (19 mm) of the wire next to the loop flat with the flat face of a chasing hammer.
11
10
Measure ½ in. (13 mm) up from the top of the plain loop, and make a mark with a fine-tip permanent marker. Center the mark on a mandrel, and bend the wire into a U shape.
Open the plain loop, and attach it through the hole of an earring. Close the loop. Grab the long end of the ear wire with a pair of flatnose pliers in line with the copper loop. Make a 90˚ bend in the wire, and trim the end to ¼ in. (6.5 mm). Make adjustments as necessary so that the earring dangles freely. [12] Round the ends of the ear wire with a cup bur, or smooth with a file and sandpaper. Make a second ear wire and attach it to the second earring.
TEMPLATE Whenever you see this icon , there’s a BONUS video demonstrating the technique online at www.artjewelry mag.com/videos.
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