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Gyrogami Blog - Precious Metals, Jewelry, Artwork

A Most Difficult Bracelet		Blog Index
Finished piece Better than I expected Categories: Products; Jewelry Word count/read time: 374 words; 1-1/2 minutes The completed piece can be found here. Dragonscale is a sheet that can be made as wide as needed and also works awesome as a narrow chain. A magnificent weave like this is ho-hum when large and bulky so it would have to be something special. The spreadsheet I designed to calculate labor and materials estimates wire length, finishing weight, and more. The results made me gasp. It would be a heavy bracelet in my preferred gauge and my most expensive silver bracelet. Might as well go for broke. Silver is incredibly difficult to weld because it's the most heat-conductive metal. With such fine wire and tiny spaces, errors are quite destructive. The flame has to target one link or the surrounding links will melt or fuse together...grab the nippers and start amputating. The biggest "normal" time toilet was positioning each new link prior to welding. Precious metals make weak chains unless all rings are welded or soldered. It's irresponsible otherwise. This is what separates novelty items from "real" jewelry. Everyone has an opinion but the laws of physics are not something to casually disregard. Most chain makers ignore these facts which is why so few chains are made properly. Butted rings are bad. Weave tutorials are not always suited for advanced joining techniques like welding or soldering. Thus, it often takes several attempts before figuring out if it is even possible. In other words, I'm confident I've assembled Dragonscale more ways than anyone else. Choosing micromaille came back to bite me. After a few hours I had a section barely 1/2" long; after a few more, somehow it ended up shorter? Between casting the ingot, making wire, cutting rings, and establishing the process - more than a day's work - I still do not have any usable chain! All I have to show are wasted rings, two ugly chain sections, and knowing this is the most difficult weave yet. This chain languished on the back burner for many weeks and came out better than expected 40+ hours later (not including many hours of prep work). It has a unique feel, a sheer tactile delight for anyone lucky enough to experience it. As much as I want to sell it, I dread making another. Posted by M: September 12, 2020 Please email any thoughts or comments regarding this post. Previous Entry  . . . .  Next Entry Comment Section NOTE: Your comments will be included in this section as long as they aren't illegal. This section is censor-free so show me your intelligence or ignorance and everything in between!		2025 Four Fs of Jewelry   Those Are Nice Dimples   Yes, I Have Some   Good Deals   Transportaion Issues   Spining in Circles   Top Purchases 2024   2024 Fake Doesn't Work   Black Mold   Choked Out   Jump Ring Stretcher, V2   Micromaille Cutter   Review: Drill Doctor 500   Full of Hot Air   Give Me a Price   What Would Aliens Do?   Hydraulic Jewelry Press   Kumihimo Chains   This Ring Will Fit   Bullion Bracelet   Ode to the Drawplate   Update Those Displays   Fly on the Wall   Greed Won Out   German Silver   Save It for Desert   Toeing the Line   Time for a Redo   USPS Is Broken   Not Enough Space   Jump Ring Stretcher   Nope! 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Maybe, Maybe Not   Top Purchases 2019   2019 Solid Gold Chain Updated, V2   Review: PEPE Superior Ring Bender   Does Handmade Matter?   Quality Is Important!   Sustainably Harvested   Another Paper Cutter?!   Solid Gold Chain Updated   Eco-UNconscious Recycled Packaging   Celebrate Your Hobby   Internet Selling Venues   Review: Ringinator   Spoon Rings and Utensil Jewelry   Make It Stick   Aspect Ratio   Road Trip   Those Damn Findings!   Weld, Solder, and Braze   Ironing the Shower Curtain   Townies to the Rescue   A Lesson Learned   Let's Get Ready to Tumble!   Hardhat? For Real!?   Coil Winding Machine   Coiling Wire on a Mandrel   Which Mesh Purse?   Pre-ruined Jump Rings   Anatomy of a Bad Closure   What Picture?   The Lowly Jump Ring   Jewelry Has Meaning   Drawing and Making Wire   A Tactile Element   Top Purchases 2018   2018 Shop Local   Schwag Conundrum   Sterling Silver Plated   Custom Pumpkin   The Crucible   Energy Jewelry   Theory of Art   Assets Beware   It Sing Lush   Be a Better Liar   Cutting Jump Rings   It's Hammer Time   Building a Chain   Solid Gold Chain   Customer Service   An Unexpected Deal   Refining Process   Panning for Gold   Shipping   F*#k This   The Scrap Pile   Imperfections Everywhere!   Top Purchases 2017   2017 Craft Fairs   Corrosion Proof...NOT!   Conflict Materials Revisited   Ethics, Please!   Bigger Isn't Always Better   Value and Price   Handmade Jewelry   Gold What?   More Chinese Fake Silver   New Digs   Silver Is Special   Top Purchases 2016   2016 Chainmail Buyer's Guide, Part 6   Chainmail Buyer's Guide, Part 5   Chainmail Buyer's Guide, Part 4   Chainmail Buyer's Guide, Part 3   Chainmail Buyer's Guide, Part 2   Chainmail Buyer's Guide, Part 1   Things That Don't Exist   Chainmaille Not Welcome   Intellectual Property Theft   Know What You're Selling   Blinding Stupidity   Call a Medic!   Recent Commission   Bracelet Sizing   Extreme Jump Rings   Top Purchases 2015   2015 Holy Micromaille!   What Business Name?   Collectibles: Trash or Treasure?   Weights of Common Sterling Items   The Quest for Tools   Reporting Fraud   Jewelry Myths   Counterfeit Precious Metals   Conflict Metals, Minerals, and Gems   Softness of Silver and Gold   Top Purchases 2014   2014 Troy Weight Measurements   These Metals Are Not Silver Either   Testing for Silver, Conclusion   Testing for Silver, Part 2   Testing for Silver, Part 1   Identifying Silver Alloys   Silverplated or Sterling, Part 2   Silverplated or Sterling, Part 1   How Thin Is a Mil or Mill?   What Is Silver?   What Are Precious Metals?

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