Hello,
Could someone tell me how to lengthen a mens hollow link bracelet. I
need to add about 3 links to the chain and hate to make solid links
due to the cost involved. The links are fairly large and partially
flattened like a standard man’s chain. Anybody have any ideas?
Thanks in advance.
steve
I have always made extenders out of gold. Explain to the customer
that it is virtually impossible to replicate a hollow link to match
his and that the only alternative is to pay out for hand made links
or you can make extenders which are much more resonable. If the
bracelet is 1.5 inches short. You can make decorative plates that
will be on each side of the clasp. Stullar sells all shapes of
plates.You can roll out some gold and cut it to shape rectangular or
oval. You can drill a hole on each side of the plates and attach
with jump rings. You can add a longer clasp if need be to also ad
some length. You can also add texture to the plates so they fit into
the style of the bracelet. Engrave his wife or kids name on tham so
they are more than just a plateYou can set his kids birthstones in
them or one diamond. Make them football shaped with his favorite
teams logo. You can also buy lengths of chain from NYFindings
occaisionally you can find a link in their catalog. You have to be a
member of the jewelers board of trade to get one though…Coin shops
are another great source for odd items as they by a large amount of
scrap especially now with gold at over $450 per oz. Imagination is a
great thing!
Regards
J Morley
You should consider if the cost is prohibitive to you or the
customer. Your labor to make another hollow link might exceed the
metal cost.
I’d make a rubber mold and make 3. In the wax hollow the bottom of
the 3, cast and assemble, leaving the link open on the bottom.
OR, take the wax, carefully slice in two, hollow out, cast 6 halves,
solder together (leave a small hole for air to escape, and assemble.
Your labor charges to the customer might exceed the extra gold to
just make them solid.
David Geller
JewelerProfit, Inc.
510 Sutters Point
Atlanta, GA. 30328
(404) 255-9565 Voice
(404) 252-9835 Fax
david@JewelerProfit.com
Could someone tell me how to lengthen a mens hollow link bracelet. I need to add about 3 links to the chain and hate to make solid links due to the cost involved. The links are fairly large and partially flattened like a standard man's chain. Anybody have any ideas?
I’d usually suggest just making them solid. Doing these types of
links with hollow tube, unless you’re already set up for making
tube, and able to bend it into links etc, then you may well find
that the extra time involved in doing hollow links to match the
existing ones, costs you a lot more in time and effort than the
probably small amount of extra metal. Making hollow links for a chain
means, usually, drawing your own tube, often requireing a tube with a
slightly open seam, not seamless, and drawn down upon a base metal
wire. That wire core allows you to wind the tube like wire, into
links, and form them into the bracelet the same as you’d do with
solid wire. An acid etch when you’re done removes the base metal
core. But with the tube, you have to be a lot more careful not to
nick the metal in working, and the extra aggrevation of just making
the tube, forming it around a core, and all, may just not be worth
it unless you’re already fairly familier with these methods. It’s
worth doing for longer sections, like a whole bracelet. But three
links? I’ll bet you’re talking about only saving around a pennyweight
of metal to do it hollow. What’s that worth? Doesn’t take a whole lot
of extra time spent before you’ve raised the cost more than that
little extra metal would do.
Peter
If you have a draw plate with large enough holes, simply take flat
stock and use your draw plate to work it into tubing of the right
size; solder it on the seam and then using a bending gig make the
links. you can also make tubing with a roller mill if it has the
capicity to mill rounds.
Richard