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When Things Go Awry

Today I wanna show you the process for a piece I am currently working on.

It all started with this carved bone mask.  
Originally I wanted to hinge part of the piece but decided not to because well...okay because I was being LAZY.

Anyway...

In my mind this was going to be a pretty big piece but I can do this!  
The back plate is ~ 3.5"L x 1.25"W.

The Plan

Spirit
I had made a bezel for the mask and the stone.  The stone bezel will be riveted on to the back plate.  The mask bezel will be soldered to the back plate. 

After the back plate was sawed and filed I was ready to solder.

Copper, brass, and bronze oxidizes really fast.  My intention was to get in there with the torch and out of there as fast as I can.
BUT
maybe that is not the answer.

I had to do the soldering in steps and everything was going great until I ran out of oxygen!
Who does that???
I mean...I HAVE oxygen.
I just did not have the regulator for it!  
AHAHAHA!!!

It is okay though.  We can always find other things to do.  Right?
Like make evil eyes...
Evil Eye Earrings
More Evil Eye earrings
I am on an Evil Eye amulet kick!  
Can you tell?
One can never have enough protection right?

I did have to hurry because after Thursday my arm had to go on bed rest.  You will be amazed on how much you do with your arm when you are not allowed to use it.  Although the upside is that everyone does EVERYTHING for you.  Yay!!!

So...
regulators came in last Thursday and I set them up last Monday.
I still have to secure those tanks so they do not tip over.  Just so you know that I am thinking about it.
Safety first!

NOW 

back to Spirit.
I have got the heat and boy do I HAVE IT!!!
Do you see that gap and the silver spill?

I sent this picture to my good friend and he told me that the bezel started melting and pooled on to the brass.  Well, it was a little more complicated then that.  Something about the alloys fusing with the fine silver, bezel sinking into the back plate, and so on but that was the gist of it.  

OMG!!!
And this puts an end to this piece.

There is no fixing this baby.  I will have to start over.
It is okay though.  I am going to use this piece here to practice on that hinge I wanted to do in the first place.  So see...one can always learn from those bumps along the journey.
Once you realize that the road is the goal,
and that you are always on the road,
not to reach a goal but to
enjoy its beauty and its wisdom,
life ceases to be a task and
becomes natural and simple.
In itself an ecstasy.

 — Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj



In other words...
The Journey Is The Destination
~Dan Eldon

UPDATE...

Thursday, October 2nd

When experimenting there is no pressure for me.  I do not have to worry about anything melting because I am not really committed.  So I PLAY and continued with the piece by putting a hinge on.  I then decided to torch the head part to see if the bezel would sink down 
AND
IT DID!!!

I cannot begin to tell you how excited I am about this.
Here is Spirit v.2
It is nice not being fearful.  
I think I will try and take this approach to every piece from now on.  
If I have a melt down I can just start over
and
so can you.  :)

No worries!

In the words of John "Hannibal" Smith...
I love it when a plan comes together.

_/\_
Namaste
Kalaya

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Comments

  1. Cinnamon JewelleryOctober 4, 2014 at 3:38 AM

    Great post! It really bugs me when things I'm making don't do what they are supposed to but it is a good way to learn and not repeat my mistakes.....hopefully!
    Love the evil eye enamel earrings :D

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Kalaya SteedeOctober 4, 2014 at 7:36 AM

      Merci Cinnamon! I'm almost done with the piece. All that is left is riveting...oh and I have to decide on a chain. That is always the hardest part. That is why I like making brooches! :)

      Delete

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