Monday, December 19, 2011

Fold-Formed Bracelet Prototype

Here is a fold-formed copper bracelet that I made today. I started with a strip (1.5" x 4.0") of 22 gauge copper and rolled it through the rolling mill to reduce it to about 24 gauge. After rolling it, it had lengthened to about 5 inches long. After rolling it, I annealed the copper and then folded it lengthwise. Before hammering it, I cut the folded piece into a half-moon shape that tapered toward the ends of the strip. After cutting to shape, I hammered the edges on the side opposing the fold. I did this hammering/annealing process 3 times before opening it up to its present form. This bracelet would fit an average to small woman. Now that I have dialed in the dimensions of the starting material, I can confidently make this from sterling silver.



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