Project by Soren Priede of St. Paul, Minn. Soren was inspired by a junior high art teacher who taught jewelrymaking. In this project, he makes earrings that have dangling pieces reminiscent of the tines of a fork. Materials: 6" 12-gauge sterling silver wire
sterling silver lever back ear wire pair
wire cutters
flux
pickle
torch
hammer
drill
file
sandpaper Steps: 1. Cut a piece of round wire about a third longer than the desired length of the finished earring. Apply flux. 2. Heat the piece evenly to just before it starts to melt. At this point, focus the heat at one end until it starts to melt and ball up. Repeat for the other end. Let cool, pickle and rinse. 3. Hammer one end to the basic desired shape. Hammer the other just enough to drill a hole for the ear wire and drill. 4. File and sand. Polish and attach the ear wire. Notes: Pickle and the flux are easy to purchase at a jewelry supply store but they are toxic. Ventilation is necessary when working with these chemicals. Flux is a borax-based compound that attracts oxygen during the heating process. It is necessary to help prevent the formation of oxides, which show up as a black surface layer. Pickle is a strong chemical bath used to dissolve surface oxidation and flux residue from the metal’s surface. Pickle works best when heated. A crock pot works well for this. Warning: Pickle is toxic. Once the crock pot is used for pickle, it should not ever be used for food again. Website: www.sorenjewelry.com
| 
)
