hi karen in response to your question about oval links: i like to
use a round mandrel to form the links. after soldering, place
one at a time on a flat surface and squeeze together into an oval
shape between two small pieces of steel (or anything strong). it
goes really quick. it is important not to stretch your links into
an oval as this stretching may create slight variations in the
size of the links. uniformity is especially important when you
want to make a double axis, double link etruscan chain because
the slight variation in link size caused by stretching will
cause your chain to come out looking sloppy.
My question... is it easier to make oval links for chains by
wrapping on an oval mandrel, or by fabricating round links and
then stretching them out into an oval shape? If an oval mandrel
is used, what do you use for the mandrel? Thanks!
G’day Karen; I make round links from well-annealed sterling by
the coil-and-cut method on a round mandrel - a knitting needle.
I hard solder each link then stretch it in a pair of special
pliers. These I modified from circlip pliers (buy them
reasonably priced from an auto shop) When you squeeze the
handles together the business end opens instead of closing as in
normal pliers. There are two ‘horns’ on the business end which
engage in the little holes in circlips to open them. I replaced
these with tapered 'horns with several small grooves on the
outside of them, so the silver rings could rest in them. Thus
when you squeeze the pliers the ring is stretched to oval and the
grooves stop the now oval rings flying off. Thus you can say
that every link is separately tested and guarranteed, can’t you?
Cheers, – John Burgess, @John_Burgess2
about oval links: i like to use a round mandrel to form the
links. after soldering, place one at a time on a flat surface
and squeeze together into an oval shape between two small
pieces of steel (or anything strong).
derek, Can you explain this in detail? What are the small
pieces of steel? Thanks! Karen
hey karen, after winding the wire onto the mandrel, wrap it with
masking tape and then remove the coil from the mandrel. slice the
coil with a cutoff wheel or your jewelers saw to form the
individual jump rings. after soldering and pickling i like to
place the rings one at a time on my 6"x6"x1" steel bench block.
then i reach over and grab two draw plates and place one on the
left side and one one the right side of the jump ring and then
push the two together to squeeze the ring into an oval shape.
quick and easy. i know that some people prefer to use the ring
stretching pliers and that may be fine, but this is the way i was
taught and it works really well (and fast) and provides very
uniform oval links.
.... then i reach over and grab two draw plates and place one
on the left side and one one the right side of the jump ring
and then push the two together to squeeze the ring into an oval
shape. quick and easy.... and provides very uniform oval
links.
I tried sometihing of that kind - didn’t work for me. How do you
manage to get them uniform? Do you use anything but your eye to
determine the distance between your two draw plates?