Make Your Own Washers

Trio of Washers Pendant with Blue Patina

Circles are a common theme in jewelry. Spend some time in an art history course or in almost museum and you will find examples of circles in jewelry made by almost all cultures across the globe and dating back to early man.

The other day we received an email asking how to make washers. Oops. We realized we covered the basics of how to cut circles and disks in the following tutorials:

How to Use a Disc Cutter
Make Your Own Discs with a Disc Cutter
How to Dome Metal
How to Use a Jewelry Saw

...but the writer was correct. We never explained how to make a washer.

Washers are very easy to make and different metalsmiths do so in different ways using different tools. The easiest way to cut washers is to use a disk cutter.
Step 1
Mark the size washer you want. Select the two holes in your disc cutter. The larger hole will be the size of your washer. The smaller hole will be the size of the hole your create in your washer.
Step 2

Slide in Sheet Metal

Slide the sheet metal into your disc cutter. Use a mallet or hammer to cut the small center hole in the sheet metal.
Step 3

Hit Disc Cutter with Mallet

Mark where you want to cut the second larger hole. Slide the sheet metal with the small hole back into the disk cutter and then cut the larger hole. The result will be a completed washer.
Step 4
File, sand, drill, form and polish the washer as needed for your project.
Tips
Cutting the interior of the washer first makes it easier to handle the sheet metal when you cut the washer. Cutting the interior first also allows you to create interesting, off centered washers as as well as the traditional centered washer.

Commonly Asked Question
So the follow up question inevitable is: what disc cutter works best?

In our budget conscious small studio, we use a generic six piece disc cutter that looks like this:
6 Pc Jeweler's Disc Cutter Puncher Tool Set 1" to 5/8"
More than once I wished we had a larger seven piece or 14 piece disc cutter like these:
14 Disc Cutters Jewelers Holder Metalworking Punches
Disc Cutter 7pc Set Jewelers Metalworking Punch Tool
Over the years, we have worked in a variety of studio settings using a variety of disc cutters. Those used in a college metalsmithing setting were the most abused, but they all worked. Price your tools and pick one that fits your budget and your needs.

When selecting tools, the rule is simple: buy the best tools you can afford and make the tools you use work for you. More than once, we needed to get out our flex shaft to sand and polish the sides of our disc cutter and sharpen the cutting edge of the cutter to make it work better.

Remember, you do not need a disk cutter to make washers. You can use a jewelry saw. Disc cutters just make the job quicker.

Happy metalsmithing!

How to Sharpen a Graver

This is the third in our series of tutorials on engraving. Earlier we discussed:

• How to Sharpen a Graver
• Make Your Own Engraving Tools

Recently, we were asked how to sharpen a wriggle graver.

A graver is a piece of metal sharpened for engraving and then stuck into a handle that is usually made of wood. The tip is the end of the graver that you sharpen. Graver tips can be shaped into different types of gravers. The wriggle (also called a wiggle tool) is a specialty engraving tool shaped like a flat chisel. The wriggle engraving tool is used to engrave zigzag lines. It is important to keep the gravers sharp as you work. Most engraver like to sharpen their gravers before begining to  engrave. Moreover, gravers tend to get fatter and less sharp as you cut. As you engrave, you will need to stop from time to time as needed to sharpen the wriggle and other gravers.

To sharpen your graver, you will need to remove some metal to make the graver thin again before you can bring the edge to a knife like point. Here is a brief overview of how to sharpen a graver (including the wriggle):

Step 1
Use a grinding wheel or flex shaft to reduce the size of the tip of the graver. Quench the metal graver tip often in water to retain the temper. Quench the metal tip and not the handle of the graver. Do not allow the graver to turn blue or you will need to reharden and retemper the graver tip.
Step 2
Place a sharpening stone on a smooth flat surface. Lightly oil the stone. Clamp the graver so it is secure and will not slip. Rub the graver against the stone. Use a rotary tool and stone attachments to hasten the work time.
Step 3
Repeat using a a finer grit stone. Continue using increasingly finer grit sharpening stones until all scratches are gone from the graver.
Step 4
Remove burrs from the graver tip, if any, by jamming the graver tip into a block of hardwood. You need not purchase specialty products. Hardwood found in your yard will work.
Step 5
Tape a piece of fine grit sandpaper to your worktable or other flat surface (we like to use boards to create sanding boards in different grits). Polish the graver by rubbing the graver tip against the sandpaper.
Step 6
Test the graver to see if it has a "bite" when rubbed against your fingernail. If the graver slips rather than bites, then it is not properly sharpened. Continue sharpening.
Step 7
Rub the sharpened graver against a piece of crocus paper or cloth impregnated with rouge (a specialty product). Rub the graver until the surface has a mirror finish. You can purchase crocus paper or cloth impregnated with rouge from most companies selling tools for metalsmiths, many art supply stores and some automotive supply shops.

Note: Crocus paper or cloth is really, really fine. Rouge is a type of polish. The two are used to bring things to a high polish. There are many specialty suppliers that combine the two together so they are less messy.

Make Your Own Engraving Tools

Yesterday we discussed how to engrave sterling silver, gold, copper and other metals. Today, as promised, we  exlore how to make your own engraving tools, also called "gravers."

Different Shaped Gravers

While there a lot of great commercially made gravers, there are good reasons to make your own. Making your own graver allows to you to form exactly the style graver tip you need for your engraving project. Making your own graver is also a great way to upcycle. You can use old wrenches, old screw driver tips and broken or dull drill bits to make your own gravers.


Select the Metal
Use tool grade steel to make your graver. Different tools lend themselves to making different types of graver tips. Old screwdriver tips are best for creating flat or knife shaped graver tips. Old wrenches are a good choice for creating onglette, square and round shaped graver tips. Old, broken or dull drill bits are also well suited for creating round graver tips. Small drill bits are a good choice for creating very fine tipped gravers.

Cut the Metal

Cut wrench to create graver

Cut a piece of high-quality tool grade steel. The size of the steel will depend on the size and shape graver you want to create. For most graver you will want to cut a piece of steel that is about three inches long and 1/4 by 1/4 width and depth.

Form the Tip
Create the tip of the graver. Use a grinding wheel or flex shaft to shape the tip of the metal graver to the shape your want. Quench the tip often in water from time to time as you work.

Sharpen the Tip; Remove Scratches
Place a sharpening stone on a smooth flat surface. Lightly oil the stone. Clamp the metal. Rub the tip against the stone to sharpen the graver tip. Repeat using a finer grit stone. Continue using increasingly finer stones until all scratches are gone from the graver tip.

Remove Burrs
Remove burrs from the graver tip, if any, by jamming the graver tip into a block of hardwood.

Sand and Polish
Tape a piece of fine grit sandpaper to your worktable or other flat surface. Polish the graver by rubbing the graver tip against the sandpaper. Polish the graver until the surface has a mirror finish.

Add a Handle

Test
Test the graver. A sharp graver will have a "bite" when rubbed against your fingernail. If the graver slips rather than bites, then it is not properly sharpened.

Add a Handle
Slide the completed graver into a handle for easier use.

How to Engrave

Decorating metal is infectious. So many metalsmiths start off stamping, move on to etching and then want to expand their skill to learn how to engrave.

Engraving is an ancient technique of cutting a design into metal. Engraving is used to show ownership and to decorate metal objects. You can find examples of elaborate engraved jewelry, housewares, swords and guns and other armor in museums throughout the world. Engraving is an easy technique to learn but a difficult technique to master. Practice engraving on scrap metal before you try to engrave your project.

Sketch your Design

Plan your engraved design. Make a sketch on a piece of paper.

Prepare the Metal

Clean the metal with dish soap and water. Dry. Remove any scratches or other damage to the metal using sandpaper.

Transfer the Design

Transfer your design to the metal. Use a laser printer to copy your design. Put the ink side of the copy against the metal. Apply heat to the back of the paper using an iron until the ink transfers to the metal. Touch up the design, if needed, using a permanent black marker.

Secure the Metal

Secure the metal using an engraving block, shellac stick or vise. Check to be sure the metal cannot move at all.

Cut the Metal with a Graver

Use a graver to cut the design into the metal. Tim McCreight recommends in The Complete Metalsmith that engravers "hold the graver between your fingertips and along the length of your thumb." Push the sharp graver across the metal following your design. Vary the engraved lines by rolling the graver as you cut.

Change Gravers

Change gravers to add shading and dimension. Different gravers cut different width and shaped lines. Gravers are made in flat, knife, round and other shapes.

For examples of commercially made gravers, see the links below:

GROBET CARBON STEEL GRAVER CHISEL GRAVER # 1 5MM THICK 

GROBET CARBON STEEL GRAVER LOZENGE GRAVER # 6 2.50MM THICk 

Sharpen Your Graver

There are two secrets to engraving. The first is practice. Engraving is easy to learn but difficult to do well. The more you practice, the better your engraving will get. The second tip is working with a sharp graver. Stop from time to time, check your graver and sharpen your graver when it starts to dull. "How to Sharpen a Graver" is the subject of another blog entry, for the mean time check out this tool:

Hand Graver & Screwdriver Sharpener Jewelers Bench Tool 

What to Do with Old Playing Cards

If your family is like mine then somewhere in your house there is a junk drawer. Dig in the junk drawer and you are likely to find playing cards, game cards and sometimes scattered game pieces-- but not quite a full set. Ugh. What can you do with an incomplete set of cards? Make gifts of course!

Here are some ideas on how to upcycle old playing cards:
1. Use the cards as cover and back page of
a  homemade 3x5 notebook (you can make the notebook with or without dividers).
2. Select a playing card or two to use as part of a decoupage to make a holiday card.
3. Punch a hold in the cards and tie on a string to create decorative string tags.
4. Cut and laminate to create a bookmark.

Use Cards to Make Pins or Magnets

There are a number of ways to use card to make jewelry. Here are some different  methods:
1. Cut up a card or two into interesting shapes, poke a hole in the top and use as paper charm for earrings or a pendant.
2. Cut the card and paste it into a bottle cap and then fill the bottle cap with resin until the resin domes.
3. Cut up a card and paste the card to the back of glass to make a pendant.  Glue on a pendant bail to complete.
4. Cut up a card and paste it to the back of a scrabble tile. Seal with Mod Podge glue and add a finding.
5.  Paste a cut up card to the back of a poker chip. Seal with Mod Podge glue or fill with resin to complete the look. Add findings.

Gift Wrap for The Eco-Minded

Drawings as Wrapping Paper

Lets talk about gift wrap. Who can deny the excitement of unwrapping a present from a close friend, family or lover and wondering what is inside the pretty package. Intrigue. Curiosity. Hope. Finding or making the perfect gift for someone you love and watching them open it is one of life's treats....but wrapping paper adds to the landfills and because of the environmental perils involved in the paper-making process and is not considered one of Santa's more sound practices. What's a gift giver to do?

We all remember an older depression era relative who carefully unwrapped presents and reused the paper. While I admire the sentiment or recycling, when it comes to presents I must confess to being a tear-the-paper type. I just don't have the discipline to unwrap carefully when given a present. Rip, tear and admire is more my style.

So here are some of the techniques we use to wrap pretty presents and still recycle:

1. Paintings & drawings. If you are blessed with young children in your life, you undoubtedly have lot of paintings and drawings that are sent home every Friday. One creation is prettier than the next, but there is a limit to space on the refrigerator and even the walls for all the artwork sent home. Pick the art you want to keep and ask your child if they would like to use the remainder as part of the present preparations for friends and relatives. If your kids are like mine, the kids will come home designating what artwork should be used as wrapping paper for each important person and the kids will feel empowered at helping create a more beautiful, personal and environmentally sound holiday.

2. Drafts and sketches. If you are a crafter, then use your own drafts and sketches for wrapping paper.

3. Pamphlets, calendars, magazines, catalogs and funny papers often contain lovely photographs and artwork that can be used to wrap gifts.

4. Use scrap duct tape, gimp, wire or buttons to decorate the package.

What to Do with Bottles

The holidays are fast approaching and gift gathering time is upon us. With the economy down and environmental sensitivity up, more and more folks are looking in their trash and recycling cans for materials to make treasured gifts. The glass in bottles make a great raw material.

Make the glass bottle into a lovely vase. Just cut the top off a used bottle using a tile saw, glass cutter or a string, file the edges until smooth and your new vase is ready to be wrapped as a gift or filled with flowers. Make the vase even more special by painting the glass.

Use the same technique to make small glass bottles into a set of drinking glasses.

If you have a kiln or a torch bottles are a great source for cheap glass. Melt the bottles into a tray or jewelry in your kiln. Melt the bottle into beads using a torch. Crush the wine bottle into frit and then use the frit in your kiln to cast glass. Here is how:

How to Melt Wine Bottles into a Bead
How to Melt Wine Bottles into a Cheese Tray
How to Melt Wine Bottles into Jewelry
How to Melt Wine Bottles for Lampwork

So save your bottles, upcycle and get ready for a creative, thrifty and environmentally sound holiday season.