Geetikakalra

  I like to work with copper. It's absolutely wonderful metal. And especially I like its gentle pink color, like the color of human skin. But the copper dims quickly on the air without special protection. And I have one advice how to avoid this. After careful polishing with polish paste or pillows, I use a special Maas metal polish cream.  Apply a bit of cream on a dry cloth and rub the copper. Wash the jewelry with warm water and soap. But this is not enough. I put 2 layers of special metal lacquer Rustins on the copper. The second layer should be applied 4-8 hours after the first. Now your copper jewelry is securely protected.

We must use very strong wire 7-8 gauge (3-3,5 mm) for hair pins. Because they have to withstand the load. But working with such a thick wire is difficult. But if you heat the copper, it becomes soft and flexible. And this makes the life of wire worker much easier. Use a very large hammer to make it flat. Use butane torch to heat the wire to the red light.  Repeat again to beat with a hammer and heat.  After the heating (until the wire is soft), use a bench vise and big pliers. Hold the wire and twist it. The ends of the wire are very scratched now. But the hairpins should be smooth. Use files to make them smooth from rough to small. And use Rubber Polishing Wheel for making it ideal! Then you can solder any parts to the top of the hairpin. Clear in the solution of citric acid. And I beat it by a rubber hammer to turn it back to strength after heating.

I used 16 and 20 gauge wire here, borax powder and the butane torch.  The main secret is to bend the wire at a right angle. Then it gets better and the ball is formed at the end. 

This post is from, The Fine Lime , a delightful and very skilled artisian who makes fresh, squeezable, handspun yarn. I invite you to read her post and while there, check out her fabulous yarn. The HOLIDAYS are coming, and for many of you, its the busiest season!  Try these simple ideas you can implement right away to improve your ...... click here to read her list