Hi there. A super straightforward question, but does anyone have tips
for VERY easy forming of stg money clips and tie slides? Looking to
make several dozen or more, and would love a really easy way to bend
without making lots of finishing work for myself…
Thanks!
Joseph
Hello Joseph, The simplest way is to roll your sheet to a rather hard
material. For silver approx from starting soft, roll to half the
thickness for 14 K gold from starting soft to 60% thickness 18 K from
starting soft to 50% thickness. Titanium from starting soft to 70%
thickness. Other materials I do not have the correct rolling down
thickness. you have to experience.
For the tie slide: start with a half hardened rolled strip of 110 mm
length, the with you determine your selves mines are often 7 mm wide.
Bend some waves in the first 30% length. Than bend the top over at 40
% length, keeping the 60% as the front side. (55 mm) Bend it a bit more
so that you get some pre tension. Use some paper sticky tape (painters
tape) on the strip of material to protect it for scratches.
success
Martin Niemeijer
Dear Joseph, For the money clips, cut sterling to desired size ( I
used 20 ga, 1"X5" for large ones). Anneal well, pickle, brass brush
to luster, file corners to round you desire, prepare to polish both
sides (sand, etc), polish with tripoli, clean, then polish with
rouge, clean. Place annealed and polished strip vertically in
woodworkers bench vise. With vise “teeth” at the place where you
want to make the bend, and tightened well, bend the strip over
perpencularly, remove from vise, continue bending to desired
taughtness, leaving a little space to grab the top edge (which now is
bent over to almost meet the bottom edge), so that you can tweak up
the top edge with pliers taped up, so as not to scratch the lovely
mirror finish. That is so the hundreds of bills can be pushed into
the now-clip. Give it a little extra push at the end to get it nice
and tight.
I cabbed a rough aquamarine in one for my March-born son. He loves
it. a nd I love him for loving it!
I imagine a similar process could be done for the tie clasp, but it
may marr the fabric (that is press it flat where the clasp is). Not
too GQ. Take a look at the ones pictured in Rio Grande’s
gems/findings catalogue for a few ideas.
Good luck.
Kay Taylor