So I am enjoying my Christmas rolling mill, Durston,
I’m wondering how to straighten out my wire after rolling it through the D roller. I am trying to make a Indian style cuff bracelet with The D rolled wire is joined at the ends and then spread wide like a split shank ring. I’m working with 11 mm wire and I can’t seem to straighten them out enough to join them at each end. Any advice please
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Can describe what you re trying to do better or post a picture. I straighten stock after rolling it on my draw bench, but you need a couple feet for that to work.
These are the 8 mm wires I’m trying to straighten to make a 3 band split Indian style cuff bracelet. I’m thinking I need to solder them together at the end and then separate them, however there might be a better way. The following pictures are basically what I’m hoping to achieve.
I have done this before but I think all I did was to anneal the stock and hammer it out straight. I would use a leather mallet on a very stiff leather pad on a flat anvil. Eventually you reach a “straight enuff” and work with that. The eye is easily fooled by lines that go around corners. Once the wires are bend into cuffs any slight inconsistency will be hard to see. How will you bend the "V"s in the two side wires?
Don
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I am assuming that you roll all of your D wire in one roll, therefore it is initially one length of D wire. Roll it a bit longer than needed. You can then straighten the entire length of D wire at once. For me, the best way is to use a wire drawing bench where you secure one end in the draw plate cradle and pull the other as if you are pulling wire. This will stretch the D wire but also straighten it. As a result of the stretch, it will be a bit smaller in cross section. It should be dead soft before you pull. D wire is hard to bend the way that you need to bend it to go under the bezel. I use a Durston bender and keep the D wire in the bottom of the bend area so that it doesn’t try to turn on you as you bend it. Lay all three pieces flat on your soldering block. I usually hold them together with locking tweezers to get the solder runs started. Prior to soldering it is a good idea to coat everything in an alcohol/boric acid wash. You should still flux the joints as usual. I use medium solder for this type of project, but I cut the 2 - 3 mm solder snips from medium wire solder. The wire form fits the joint better so that it is in even contact with the joint as you heat it. This reduces the possibility that the solder will jump to one side or the other as it follows the heat. It is a good idea to file a narrow flat along the edge of the D wire so that there is a bit of area for the solder to flow into and join the two pieces of wire. If the solder begins to ball or go where you don’t want it to go, you need to quench, pickle, rewash with alcohol.boric acid and then reflux. Don’t cut the ends of the base until you have the base entirely together. As much as you might try, the distance from the center line of the bends that go under the bezel to each end probably won’t be equal. Once the base is done, but still flat cut the ends and finish them in whatever way you want. Once the bracelet base is made, you can solder it to the bezel. Polish the base first while it is flat. It is easier to polish this way. Do your marking also while the base is flat. Then bend the base or at least bend the section going under the bezel. Make sure that at least the bezel back is finished before you solder it to the base. I usually finish the entire bezel before I solder it to the base. Yes, you will have to polish again, but if you use an alcohol/boroc acid wash before soldering the bezel to the base, you will have very little cleanup to do as a result of soldering the two together. Once the base and bezel are soldered together and polished, set the stone in whatever fashion is required. Bracelets with stones in a bezel on top are a lot of fun, but they involve many steps that all have to be done in a particular order. Good luck…Rob
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Rob thank you so very much for the information. Boy it does seem like a lot of work. I’m not locked in to creating the V underneath the bezel, A gentle curve would be enough for me. I will look into a Derstan bender. Again I can’t thank you enough for the information, it will get me started. Christina
Thank you very much for the info I especially appreciate how in detail you wet. I find that very helpful. I’m gonna give it a go Christina
Note From Ganoksin Staff:
Looking for a rolling mill tool for your jewelry projects? We recommend:
