CONVERT A SIMPLE SILVER BOX INTO A LOCKET | ADVANCED
6: FORM A SIMPLE
HANDLE AND CLIP Take a piece of silver sheet about 3mm wide and 15mm long and bend over 2 or 3 mm from one end. File that end round and polish the outer side.
This will form the simple handle and clip mechanism.
Paint the lid inside and out with Argo-tect and using the third hand to hold the handle in place onto the lid, solder using a small amount of easy solder.
7: CLEAN AND TIDY Pickle the whole piece. Then use the 1mm twist drill to clean any debris from inside the joint tubes and trim the two ends.
Using a pendant drill polish the inside and a standard polishing motor to fi nish the outside, after fi ling any excess solder with a fi ne fi le. Polish carefully so as not to round off any corners or edges. The outside is best polished once assembled. Use a length of 1mm silver wire for the hinge pin and assemble the locket.
Finally using pliers bend the clip mechanism as in the photo and cut it back and fi le the end until a pleasing clip mechanism is formed, and polish.
7 6 8 8: THE FINISHING
TOUCHES The chain will be stronger if the links are soldered. Once assembled apply a small piece of cut easy solder. Coax the solder to fl ow by using the soldering probe, and apply fl ux. This will be more easily achieved using a fi ne soldering torch such as the Dremel Versafl ame indicated. Solder the links and jump rings in the same manner. When soldering close to any spring loaded clip mechanism be sure to use a fi re brick to defl ect the heat.
Use heated clean water only to clean the fl ux away from chain link mechanisms, in case there is steel in the spring which may contaminate the silver if pickled.
Once cleaned and dried, the chain can be brushed to a pleasant fi nish using a brass wire brush.
Job done! The locket is now ready for hallmarking.
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