How to fix wire on back of Silver pendant w/o soldering?
Hi All,
I am new to this subject of metals and jewelry. I have made some
silver pendants. I drill holes in various places on the silver
pieces. I create a design for the front with various gauge silver
wire. When finished on the front, I run the remaining wire through
the holes with the intention of securely fixing the wire in place on
the back. Just twisting the wire on the back does not work well and
may not look good… I have tried using a silver “bead cap” to cover
up the twisted wire on the back but this also does not work so well.
Other than soldering (which itself may be unsightly), is there a good
way to fix the wire on the back of a pendant or earring which looks
clean and professional?
Robert, I suggest that you rivet your wire designs on to your sheet.
Match the drilled hole to your wire gauge so that the wire fits
tightly. Cut and file the wire so that it is about half of it’s
thickness measurement sticking out in back. Support the front on a
hard surface, and spread out the rivet head with a ball peen hammer.
You can find very good graphics on this in most jewelry instruction
books, such as Tim McKreight’s.
If you don’t want to solder, then your options are restricted to
riveting or adhesive. If the holes are only just big enough to allow
the wire to be inserted then dribble some super-glue into the hole
with the wire in place, then, when the glue has hardened, cut the
wire flush with the surface and then tidy/polish it as appropriate.