No special tools or know-how needed.
Everything I could find about making lockets required fancy tools or know-how. So, I set out to make one without them. I’m sure it’s been done for hundreds of years though, for me, figuring this out took about 20 hours, a dollar worth of nickels, and half a box of paper clips. It’ll be well worth it if someone else makes one.
Everything I could find about making lockets required fancy tools or know-how. So, I set out to make one without them. I’m sure it’s been done for hundreds of years though, for me, figuring this out took about 20 hours, a dollar worth of nickels, and half a box of paper clips. It’ll be well worth it if someone else makes one.
Remove these ads by
Signing UpStep 1: Hammer Out Two Nickels
Use a smooth faced hammer on a smooth surface. I like to start out by placing a smaller ball peen hammer on the coin and using a larger hammer to pound it. This helps keep the coin in place and better directs your blows where you need them. Wear your safety glasses.
Once the detail of the coin begins to disappear, hammer along the edge. Notice that the coin has a tapered edge in the fourth picture. After you taper the entire edge of the coin, go back to the center with hammer on hammer. Do this until the coin is an 1¼” in diameter.
Once the detail of the coin begins to disappear, hammer along the edge. Notice that the coin has a tapered edge in the fourth picture. After you taper the entire edge of the coin, go back to the center with hammer on hammer. Do this until the coin is an 1¼” in diameter.
Visit Our Store »
Go Pro Today »
This is staggering! I've got so many ideas from this. thank you for posting!
im nearly done with my necklace and im wondering if theres any way you can make a tutorial to make a latch to this necklace.
thanks
if there is any suggestions i cn get please tell me this is all new to me :D
Thanks for the wonderful tute! I love the heart-shaped one as well - hearts are my favorite! Please make a tutorial for that one as well!
A whole page of Victorian Lockets & Locket Chains: (http://www.morninggloryantiques.com/collectLockets.html)
Some pictures:
The one that started my obsession - from the movie A Little Princess.
Also one from the page above that I particularly like.
How do you exacly this: " Hammer the skirt until it sit’s flush with the side of the socket."
Now, my edge has about an angle of 100 - 110 degrees so it doesn't sit flush with the side of the socket yet.
But whenever I hammer my cap somewhere, a bulge appears somewhere else, so the average angle does not change at all.
(This morning i hammered a cap about 1.5 hours and compared with the other cap and there was no change.)
Somehow the circumference of the upper part of my edge must be reduced but I have no Idea how to do that. I see in these images that it must be possible but how?
Does one have any advice?
Thanks!
I got to the point where I was forming it around the socket and had a similar problem with the bulges, and the first thing I did was hammer it back to flat and then pound it as thin as I could, making sure that the edge was very, very thin.
I got it to the bottle cap stage fairly easily, then spent a LOT of time trimming the skirt, it was much more involved and difficult than I thought it would be. I ended up carefully nipping away at it until it was level with the washers, which tried my patience, but paid off when I was able to hammer it flat in a few minutes. Wood shims in the clamp helped the sockets stay in place.
Mrballeng, thanks so much. Your methods for making jewelry with common workshop items is a revelation to me, and very inspiring.
My only thought is that instead of just one groove in each half you could make two grooves one on either side. You could then take the paper clip you have inside from the hinge and use it also to make a clasp on the other side.
Hope I explained what I was trying to say x.x
abra catambra.......broke!
hahahhahha