Reuse Old SMD Components to Make Jewelry

I make pendants and earrings from old SMD components. I reuse anything I can from old discarded hardware to make something relevant out of it again.

Supplies

Epoxy resin
A lighter
A hot air gun
Tweezers
A magnifying glass
Cabuchons
Paint
Paper glue

Aquire Tiny SMD Components

Find any old PCB or burnt computer you might have laying around. Any old phone, tablet will also do. You can desolder the components by had using a hot plate or a soldering iron, but I've found out that using a hot air gun works best. Desolder any tiny SMD components and microchips. Very small screws are also useful. You can also repurpose flat data bands because they look nice.

You Will Need Cabuchons

Buy cheap cabuchons from AliExpress or the supplier of your choice. These are the actual frames your design will reside in. You can make your own if you wish but these are fairly cheap online.

Create Your Design

Place the cabuchon under the magnifying glass and paint it green, to resemble a PCB board. Use water to dilute the paint. Place the components as you wish and they will slightly stick to the liquid paint. Let this dry for a while and the result is the components stick to a fine layer of paint. If you wish to preserve the original bacground you can use transparent paper glue. Drop a bead of transparent glue unto a bit of paper, use tweezers to pick up an SMD component and dip it's base in the glue then place it on the cabuchon. Let this dry.

Pour Epoxy Resin

You will need a bit of epoxy resin to pour into the cabuchon. Pour is slowly until everything is properly covered. Use a toothpick to spread it evenly if needed. Use a lighter to make a flame and very briefly touch the flame to the surface of the liquid epoxy. This will draw out any air bubbles that might have been trapped underneath the components.

Let It Cure Overnight

Let everything cure overnight. Don't touch or move the cabuchons for 12 hours. Poke two or three holes in the walls of a single-use plastic cup (for ventilation) and place a plastic cup upside-down on each cabuchon to cover it. This will prevent insects and dust settling unto the surface before it fully dries.