AuntyM
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Jill of all trades
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More or less close to the topic of this category. Caveman isn't really a jewelry kind of guy, but I'm not going to let that stop me. I made this ring for him this week. The picture is crappy, but you get the idea.
I started by making a mold out of polymer clay, rolled out to about 1/4 inch. I texturized it, and pressed a fish into the block. I baked the mold and let it cool.
Next, I took precious metal clay, shaped it by hand to the approximate size, pressing it into the mold that I had sprayed with olive oil. I removed it, used a tissue blade to trim the excess, wrapped it around a ring form, and let it dry. After drying, it gets sanded and shaped a little more.
Once I was happy with the details, I fired it with a small propane torch for about 4 minutes. The inert ingredients burn off, and you wind up with 99.9 fine silver! It's white after firing, so I used a wire brush to remove the "scale" and then burnished it to bring up the shine.
This was my first attempt at using precious metal clay, but it sure won't be my last. It's a great product to work with, and you can even fire some rocks and stones (7.5 or higher on Mohs scale?) inside the ring, as opposed to making a prong mount or bezel setting.
So, do we have any other precious metal clay users on the board?
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http://www.ccapnw.org
The Monster Breathes!
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WoodsyWayne
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MODERATOR -Bi-Coastal Intelligence
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I used to make rings marsha, had a friend that went to mexico every year and sold rings at the pike place market, he showed me a few tricks for sterling silver, it bends easily.
The silver there was dirt cheap.
I used to make pipes out of antlers (deer, moose), and carve em with a dremmel. sanding em was not so good for the respiritory, but they sold for a decent amount.
also used soap stone but thats the extent of my pike place market vending days...
Good Luck, its alot of work, and time!!! for hubster its a cool thing for a money maker......alot of time
WW
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Fishermans Prayer: G-d grant that I may fish until my dying day, and when it comes to my last cast I then most humbly pray, When in the the lord's safe landing net I'm peacefully asleep, that in his mercy I be judged as big enough to keep
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Southfork
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Not Normal......
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Quote:
I used to make pipes out of antlers (deer, moose), and carve em with a dremmel. sanding em was not so good for the respiritory, but they sold for a decent amount.
Wayne, Why does this not surprise me 
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WoodsyWayne
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easy......drooler..... 
did'nt say I used em just said I made em 
WW
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Fishermans Prayer: G-d grant that I may fish until my dying day, and when it comes to my last cast I then most humbly pray, When in the the lord's safe landing net I'm peacefully asleep, that in his mercy I be judged as big enough to keep
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Musicman
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Thick Tail
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I'm sure we've all used em a time er to....j/k Not sure about that Mexican silver....cruised the riviera last year and was told not to buy the vendor silver....turns green or something like that??
Nice ring Marsha, I'm sure CM will wear it proudly!
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JD
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micropterus101
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Incurable Fish virus.
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I have some small Garnets you could try to put in a ring Aunty. They are supposed to have a hardness of 7.5
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XXX fish porn Naked-fish-Pics.com
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AuntyM
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Jill of all trades
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Loc: Harstine Island
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A small garnet would have looked cool in the fish's eye huh?
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http://www.ccapnw.org
The Monster Breathes!
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micropterus101
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Incurable Fish virus.
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Loc: Port Orchard
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Good Idea.
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