Something From Some Things

Hello All,

Thought I would turn a few things that I had lying around into something useful. If nothing else it was a fun project that I could get done without spending any money on materials, and you really only need a few tools. This could be designed any way you want, but perhaps you may get a few ideas on how to work with some materials that you may not have considered. Hope you enjoy.

Here is a list of what I used, but it could be much smaller depending on what you have to work with:

-Pencil

-Piece of scrap wood cut to the thickness of the jewelry you want.(I had a small piece of curly maple)

-old copper pipe (if you want to add some flash)

-pipe cutter/hacksaw

-cord (mine as from an appliance that died)

-wire cutter or utility knife

-Saw of some sort (I used a scroll saw)

-Sanders/sand paper

-Drill and bits

-wood glue/sawdust if needed

My first step was to use the wood thickness to mark my copper pipe. Just lay the wood beside the copper and turn the pipe as you touch it with the pencil. Then cut the pipe with a pipe cutter or hacksaw. I cut two pieces (which came in handy as I happened to crack my first attempt...if at first you don't succeed today, try again a different way).

Creating your own design is one of the more enjoyable parts of the project (at least for me). I traced the pipe unto my wood piece and then drew up a simple design. It is important to note that when you are done, you will be sanding your piece and it will lose a bit of thickness. That being said, if you are picky, start with a piece of wood that is a little thicker than what you want your final thickness to be.

This is where you could vary in your approach depending on the tools you have available. I was using 1/2 inch copper that has an outside diameter of around 5/8 inch, and my 5/8 forstener bit looked like it would make a perfect hole, which it did. You could also cut the hole with a scroll saw or coping saw. I highly recommend drilling the holes and cutting out the inside areas before you cut the shape. This will make clamping much easier for drilling and give you something larger to work with when cutting (I did not do this on my first attempt and it was much more difficult). I tapped in my copper pipe at this point, but that could wait until a later step if you prefer.

Cut out any interior designs, and then cut out the whole piece.

Although my copper fit snugly, I chose to coat the inside of the hole with wood glue and then rub in some fine sawdust. Although not necessary, it can fill up any cutting or drilling imperfections and also help to fix the pipe more securely if it seems loose.

At this point you can let the glue dry or begin sanding. *The copper pipe will get very hot so be careful not to burn yourself. I had a relatively old disc on my sander so I did not mind if the glue was not completely dried. This step could also be done using sandpaper and hand sanding. This is also a great time to perfect your shape and thickness.

Depending on how you want your pendant to hang this may or may not be necessary.

For the next step you will strip your piece of wire. First cut the wire to a length that is a little longer than what you want your finish "rope" ??? not sure what you call that stringy part of a necklace.

I used a utility knife to slice through the outer coating which reveals 3 wires (all have the same stranded copper inside but differently coated). Then using a wire stripper or your utility knife take off the outer coating of one of the wires. I pinched part of the coating in the vise and then pulled the wire through pretty easily (you may want to wear gloves to try this).

I chose to remove a single strand for my "chain"??? And threaded it through the pendant hole. It is a very thin strand that is almost invisible in the picture :)

I took a piece of steel wool and cleaned out the inside of the copper pipe so that it would be shiny. If you used a power sander to sand you will likely have taken the burr (forms when you cut with a pipe cutter) off. If not, be careful not cut yourself as it could have a very sharp edge inside.

Hopefully you know someone who likes Jewelry and will be willing to model it for your instructable. I am sure my wife did not like the combination, but she was kind enough to throw it on over her other bling and VOILA ..Stunning.

Anyway, hope you got some new ideas and maybe learned a trick or two....