Two more classes!
Apr. 9th, 2008 10:16 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
purpleponyartBut at least another two weekends in the classroom or thereabouts. I ran into a design flaw with the base of my free project. I could have soldered the hangers for the bird cage to the base, but then I would reach a point where I couldn't polish it as much as possible. It was easier to cut off the corners and round them out. Actually it wasn't easy as someone made off with the circle stencils, so I have to do the rounding at home.
We learned how to make pinbacks last week and I made my sample tonight. It's surprisingly easy! Either you can buy a professionally made stem set and solder it to the back, or you can take a piece of wire and make your own. Making your own requires drilling two holes halfway into the metal with a bit the same size as your wire. Then you solder one end of the wire into a hole. Bend the wire so that it can reach the other hole and solder it there. That took me two tries as the end kept popping out of hole. Once it has been pickled and the join is secure, snip the loop apart, leaving one end long and one end short. Curl the shorter piece into a loop - this will hold the pin. Make at least two twists in the longer piece, like a safety pin spring. Trim excess wire and file the end into a point. This kind of pinback is only good for things like sweaters - it will leave a hole in just about any other piece of clothing.
We learned how to make pinbacks last week and I made my sample tonight. It's surprisingly easy! Either you can buy a professionally made stem set and solder it to the back, or you can take a piece of wire and make your own. Making your own requires drilling two holes halfway into the metal with a bit the same size as your wire. Then you solder one end of the wire into a hole. Bend the wire so that it can reach the other hole and solder it there. That took me two tries as the end kept popping out of hole. Once it has been pickled and the join is secure, snip the loop apart, leaving one end long and one end short. Curl the shorter piece into a loop - this will hold the pin. Make at least two twists in the longer piece, like a safety pin spring. Trim excess wire and file the end into a point. This kind of pinback is only good for things like sweaters - it will leave a hole in just about any other piece of clothing.
