I need to attach sterling silver cylindrical endcaps to 5mm dia.
silicon rubber cord (for choker). The cord fits in with a bit of
play, so I am concerned about making a secure connection between the
rubber and the silver. If I insert the cord, drill thru cord and cap
together, and rivet, will it weaken the rubber too much at the point
of the hole? What size drill? Is rubber firm enough to keep the
silver cap from squashing during the riveting process? Should I also
use glue before inserting the rubber to drill? What kind of glue? I
would be grateful for advice, particularly from Orchidians who are
used to making these kind of chokers.
I have used rubber cord a fair amount this past year (I love the
contemporary look it gives) and I’ve been very successful using Rio
JetSet Adhesive (p 519 in the 2007 catalog). I’ve used primarily 2mm
or 4mm cord. On occasion I’ve made my own end caps when I either
couldn’t find what I wanted or needed it NOW - a true PITA - but
certainly doable.
To test the adhesive, I took a piece of scrap rubber cord, adhered
the cord into a scrap piece of tubing with the adhesive (didn’t push
the cord all the way in, though enough for holding purposes - left a
bit of space at the top of the tube so I could get hold of it with
pliers)and allowed it to set over-night (although being a super glue
it dries quickly). I then secured the rubber cord in a vise and with
pliers grabbed the open tubing end and gave it a pretty strong pull
(more than you’d get from fastening or wearing the item. It held to
my satisfaction. That being said, I’ve usually had tubing that fit
the rubber cording pretty close. You could check with Rio about how
close the fit needs to be.
I like the fact that the Rio JetSet does not get brittle.
But then this is my personal experience, and I think each person
needs to do their own test to see.
I’ve been wearing a choker length necklace I made for myself (4 mm
rubber cord w/a pendant) for quite a while now and there is no
visible sign of the bond weakening. And I wear this piece frequently.
I used one of the twist clasps to fasten this one. So it gets twisted
all the time when putting it on or taking it off.
I have riveted these with 3mm cord and found them to be sturdy. I
suggest you do a test, and try to pull a finished end apart. I
really think that the 5mm cord will still be strong even with a hole
drilled in it. If there is too much play, and it moves around in
there, by all means glue it as well. Just be careful when you rivet,
not to overdo it and squash the tube. And drill a few mm’s from the
end of the cord. I countersink the holes a bit, and do a closely
fitted flush or slightly domed rivet. Looks nice, IMHO.
I would recommend telescoping a smaller diameter tubing into the end
cap and using JB Weld as an epoxy to secure the rubber. Or if you
don’t prefer this method, I would suggest holding the rubber in
place with a 5 second glue while you drill the end cap and rubber
together then riveting. The drill hole will not weaken the rubber
unless it’s too close to the end. I don’t think the JB Weld is
necessary if you’re using a rivet. Could get a bit messy.
I use neoprene rubber cord quite a bit, and generally use both glue
and a rivet to hold the end caps in place. Clear Araldite is great,
either the quick curing 5 minute type or the longer curing kind. Just
be very careful to wipe off any that comes out immediately - a drop
of acetone on a cotton bud does the trick - otherwise you have a
nasty ring of dried glue on the rubber showing around the edge of the
cap.
Once the glue’s set, use a.08 to 1mm drill (I prefer the finer) and
use the same diameter rivet. I still find it quite tricky to get the
rivet through, the hole through the rubber never seems quite clean,
but with a bit of care, you won’t flatten the end cap.
Hope this helps.
Jane Walker
www.australiannaturalgem