patrickfraser
Well-known member
What's your craft???? Post photos of your work and explain your process.
I do wire wrapping and electroforming copper jewelry. Previously discussed here. http://mantidforum.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=24170
Wait til you see the crafty thing I've got brewing (electroforming). It has been soaking for about 2 days and I think it's about time to take it out and give it a tumble.
I did a trade quite some time ago and received these cool beetle wing dangle earrings. I got like 6-7 pair and thought I gave them all away. Well I found another pair and decided to use some of the wings and electroform a pendant.
First, I got a decent matched pair and glued them together (slightly overlapping in the middle), then I attached a copper jump ring (bail). After that set out to dry, I then glued a cool opal vaseline glass stone. After that set out to dry..(lol. there's a lot of waiting involved. This isn't instant gratification, but the results are worth the wait)...I painted (with copper conductive paint) the edges of the wings, the entire backside, a stripe down the center "seam", and arount the glued on stone. It was a rather messy paint job, so after that dried I got out my dremel and sanded to smooth the lines in the paint and reveal more wing color.
I had something else going at the moment, but just knew this pendant would be next.
This is a mushroom pendant I had made and just thought electroforming it would probably be cool. Boy, was I right. The copper attached to the wire between the beads and grew copper nubs all over. Very organic and it really sparkles.
I put it into a solution of copper sulphate and attached the rectifier. Positive is attached to the copper to transfer (anode) (I use junk wire and scrap that I have saved up) and negative is attached to a wire holding the piece to take the copper (cathode). The rectifier is set to .1 amp per sq inch to plate (recommended for smooth an consistent plating, but I bump it up for more organic "growth". as seen above (is it there yet? lol). Then you just leave it and check it once in a while. I looked this morning and there was still some space needing plating on the back, but I felt it would be ready this afternoon.
This is the pendant straight out of the solution. Very unique looking, but a lot of the growth will be tumbled away. It looks like it will have a very bumpy texture.
This is the fresh pendant with a similarly painted pattern on a smaller set of wings using a smaller stone.
It starts to oxidize and darken quickly, but there is lots of shine under that dull salmon color.
...and off into the tumbler we go. What's going to come out? It always surprises me and I amaze myself, again.
I do wire wrapping and electroforming copper jewelry. Previously discussed here. http://mantidforum.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=24170
Wait til you see the crafty thing I've got brewing (electroforming). It has been soaking for about 2 days and I think it's about time to take it out and give it a tumble.
I did a trade quite some time ago and received these cool beetle wing dangle earrings. I got like 6-7 pair and thought I gave them all away. Well I found another pair and decided to use some of the wings and electroform a pendant.
First, I got a decent matched pair and glued them together (slightly overlapping in the middle), then I attached a copper jump ring (bail). After that set out to dry, I then glued a cool opal vaseline glass stone. After that set out to dry..(lol. there's a lot of waiting involved. This isn't instant gratification, but the results are worth the wait)...I painted (with copper conductive paint) the edges of the wings, the entire backside, a stripe down the center "seam", and arount the glued on stone. It was a rather messy paint job, so after that dried I got out my dremel and sanded to smooth the lines in the paint and reveal more wing color.
I had something else going at the moment, but just knew this pendant would be next.
This is a mushroom pendant I had made and just thought electroforming it would probably be cool. Boy, was I right. The copper attached to the wire between the beads and grew copper nubs all over. Very organic and it really sparkles.
I put it into a solution of copper sulphate and attached the rectifier. Positive is attached to the copper to transfer (anode) (I use junk wire and scrap that I have saved up) and negative is attached to a wire holding the piece to take the copper (cathode). The rectifier is set to .1 amp per sq inch to plate (recommended for smooth an consistent plating, but I bump it up for more organic "growth". as seen above (is it there yet? lol). Then you just leave it and check it once in a while. I looked this morning and there was still some space needing plating on the back, but I felt it would be ready this afternoon.
This is the pendant straight out of the solution. Very unique looking, but a lot of the growth will be tumbled away. It looks like it will have a very bumpy texture.
This is the fresh pendant with a similarly painted pattern on a smaller set of wings using a smaller stone.
It starts to oxidize and darken quickly, but there is lots of shine under that dull salmon color.
...and off into the tumbler we go. What's going to come out? It always surprises me and I amaze myself, again.
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