Heart in Teardrop Pendant for Your Love- How To

Recently I made this Pendant for my girlfriend. It took a while to make it but finally I'm happy of how it came out.
It's made out of 0.5 mm thick steel and the heart itself it's made out of brass, all clear filling is just regular Super Glue (many layers)
but it could be done using acrylic resin or something similar.

When i was making it I didn't think about taking photos in different moments to show you all the making process, but If you read my explaination carefully you should be able to make your own pendant for your love ;)

Ok, you're now ready to see the Step first, Go on!

Step 1: What Will You Need to Make This Pretty Thing? Huh? Think About It...

It isn't difficult to make this pendant if you have some metalworking skills and proper tools like dremel, files etc.

For this particular thing you will need:
-some 0,5 mm thick steel sheet (stainless steel will do it's job also)
- 1mm (or 1,5) brass sheet (you dont need that much) or other metal, you could even use gold
-Super Glue or clear acrylic resin
-Hammer (time!)
-something to emboss the center of pendant (mrballeng's diesel hammer will be good for this https://www.instructables.com/id/Diesel-Ball-Peen-Hammer/)
-Some wood to use support in punching
-400, 1000 and 1500 grit sandpaper
-Dremel tool with all of its acessories
-metal polish
-metal files
-Time... lot of time if you're making this kind of thing for the first time ;)

And (of course) safety first! Always wear safety glasses and dust mask (because nobody likes metaldust in throat or nose)

Now, when you know what you need you're ready to work.

Step 2: Let's the Work Begin!

In this Step we'll start with making the brass heart.
You have to be patient because this step need a lot of precision.
I recommend you to start with a small triangle cutted from brass sheet, then you want to smooth the edges going to reach heart shape. Probably it would take some time and will need to use magnifying glass. Don't worry if the first heart won't be perfect, just practise! After you reach your perfect heart shape use 400 grit sandpaper to smooth the edges and then you can use 1000 and 1500 grit sandpaper to give it nice shiny finish, yeah...that's what you want...

Step 3: The Part, I Forget to Take Pictures To...

Now you'll test your imagination ;) As I said before, I didn't think about making instructable about making this bacause I was doing it only for my girlfriend, so... there is some missing photos to this step. You just have to follow my instructions.

Now look at my painting... isn't it amazing?!

Now seriously...look at it...
Drawing at the top shows you what shape you're going to finish with.
When you cut out the right shape smooth it with dremel so there isn't any sharp edges (you don't want tour love cut herself!)
At the second drawingyou can see where you have to punch to get spoon-like shape.
Then you can bend the "tail" like on the second photo.

At the end of this step just use 400, 1000 and the 1500 grit sandpaper to make it shiny.
You need to polish the area marked with "+" you want mirror finish.

Step 4: Filling the Tear!

Now the longest part... but it depends on what will you use, if you choose the Super Glue method you will spend next three or four days making next layers, and if you use poluester resin or something similar you will wait for about a day or even shorter.

Some time ago I discovered that Superglue can easily replace resin in small projects. After drying It is very hard and difficult to break. maybe this is the reason why we call it Super ;)

Just because I didn't have any resin lying around I chose the Super Glue method.

And the important thing- before you put a heart into resin you must put one layer (for both methods) and let it cast and then put a heart on next layer and cover it with resin. You will put new layer to get nice convex (is it right word?) surface.

You must remember to clean the metal surface before applying the resin/glue.

After drying process the surface can be "frosty" and that's why you need to use at first 1000 and then 1500 grit sandpaper.

Last step is polishing- remember do not use dremel to polish! high speed rotation can damage the surface! You should do this by hand and a piece of fabric-gently!

Step 5: And That's All

I think that's all. I'm glad that you survive with me all that time ;)

Now go! Make your own pendant for your love!

If you make pendant using my instructions, please, post a photo of it! I'd like to see it!

Thanks for reading, hope you enjoy my work.
Leave me a comment below and let me know if you like it.

By kondzio29

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