Silver look on one side, gold look on the other.

This my second soldering project. Figuring out the process was tough but the soldering wasn’t. If you’ve never soldered, don’t be intimidated. It’s much easier than you think.

See how I got set up with the link below.

https://www.instructables.com/id/Phillips-Head-Stud-Earrings/

Step 1: Find Your Metals

I’m using a hobby sheet of brass from the hardware store and a piece of a paint rolling pan.

The brass was about $5.00 and came in a .046”X4”X10” sheet. I think I paid $1.50 for the paint rolling pan. You’ll also need a coat hanger.

Step 2: Form the Wire Heart

Find a form to make a large circle. I used a quart paint can. Roll a section of coat hanger around the can so you have a circular shape formed in the wire. This step helps the heart look more rounded and less like a triangle under two circles.

Next make a 90 degree bend in the wire. Hammer the wire while it’s in the pliers to sharpen the bend. Use a socket bit and form the lobes of the heart. The exact sizes I’m using aren’t important. Make the heart whatever size you want for the tools you have.

Play with the shape until your happy with it. Then cut the free ends of the wire from the heart.

Step 3: Make the Relief

I used aluminum tape but only because that's what I had on hand. Any other heavy tape will work as well. Tape the heart on the metal and place it wire side up on a scrap piece of wood. Evenly hammer the wire all the wall around. When you turn the heart over you’ll see the embossed heart.

Now with the metal side up, use a the peen side of a small hammer to rub the depression in. You only need moderate presure. Do this until the depression is smooth and even.

Use heavy scissors to cut the hearts out. One heart will be cut to size while the other is left just a little larger. This will help during soldering.

Step 4: Solder

Apply flux to the inside edges of both of the hearts.

Line up the hearts and lightly clamp them together.

Lay a piece of solder in the seem. Bond the pieces together with a torch. Do this all the way around.

Step 5: Polish

Grind off the seam and any excess solder with a rotary tool. Don’t get too crazy here because the metal is thin and you could perforate it.

Sand out any low spots with 1000 and 2000 grit sand paper. Finish the polish with polishing compound and a buffing wheel.

Step 6: Add the Jump Ring

Using a paper clip and cone nose pliers, form a circle in a free end. Cut it free from the rest of the clip and place an almost 180 degree bend in it. Cut the clip so that it tightly meets the loop as shown. Place a section of wire in the open end and pinch the bend tight. See the pictures.

Drill a hole in-between the lobes and insert the jump ring.

Repolish if needed.

If you want to solder the jump ring in, do it before the grinding step. If you do it during this step you may melt out the solder from the polished seams.