This bracelet has been on my design list for a while now. I wanted a resin bracelet that was easy on and off, comfortable to wear, and oval shaped. The biggest hurdle was finding the spring loaded jewelry hinges. The next problem was finding a heat-proof bracelet mandrel for post curing the urethane resin (see previous post) Once these design challenges were solved, I created the master and molds. The final problem was finding the right glue that would bind the metal hinge to the urethane resin. The glue needed to be heat resistant and give a strong bond, capable of withstanding the torquing stress of opening the bracelet, without failure. After multiple tests, E-6000 turned out to be the winner.
Here is the first of my new hinged resin bracelets. It’s a fan coral design. I love the way the fan coral fingers interlace in the front, to give an almost invisible closure. When you pull the bracelet open, and let go, it gives a nice snapping sound. Or should that be a clapping sound?
This is the perfect style bracelet for me. I have small wrists and large hands. I wear a size 7 bracelet, but to get a bangle over my hands, can be painful. This resin bracelet is comfortable, easy to put on, stays in place without rotating, and light weight at just 38.6 grams. Did I mention it’s my favorite colors for summer?
I have a new bracelet design that requires an oval shaped bracelet mandrel for final heat treating. I bought a cast steel mandrel years ago (very expensive) but the steps are just not long enough for my current needs. The steps are 1 3/4″ long and I need one 2 1/4″ in length. I scoured the Internet for an oval bracelet mandrel, but the only ones I could find were tapered (won’t work) or stepped, just like mine. Hummm…. what to do.
I was thinking, if I had access to a lathe, I could make one out of oak or steel. We have an ancient metal lathe down in the shop, but, it hasn’t been used for years and I doubt it still runs. Still, I could spend a week moving the junk piled up in front of, and on top of it, cleaning the lathe and checking to see if it still runs.
Then, the perfect solution came to me. As usual, my ideas always seem to come in the early hours of the morning. I needed to find a plastic bottle, the right diameter. My oval design is 2.48″ wide x 2.29″for an average diameter of 2.39″. I buy plastic squeeze bottles from Wal-Mart for dispensing my assorted resins, and these turned out to be the perfect diameter. I ran a quick test for heat resistance. Yep, the plastic squeeze bottle can handle the 180 deg heat treatment temperature with no melting or distortion. I cut off the top of one of the bottles, squeezed it into the right shape with an existing metal cuff bracelet, filled the bottle with plaster of paris, and let it cure overnight.
Voila! Here it is! And, I spent maybe 2 dollars making it. My mandrel turned out a whopping 5 inches tall. That means, I can heat treat 2 bracelets at a time.
My banana trees are happily spending the winter in my studio. Unfortunately, they are harboring tiny fugitives - gnats! A few gnats are not a problem, until they find their way into my casting room. I had just finished a new butterfly bracelet and was removing it from the pressure pot, when I found a “Kamikaze Gnat” had dive bombed my final resin pour. My fiancé suggested I list the bracelet at 1/2 price, so I created a 1/2 Price Off Casts section in my Etsy store. Good idea! Maybe, this is a great way to clear out some of my less than perfect jewelry.
So here is the first 1/2 Price listing.
New Clear Resin Butterfly Cuff Bracelet Modern Art Jewelry 1/2 Price Kamikaze Gnat
His wings were not as stuck as the rest of him, and came off. So, I cut a piece of black glitter in half and glued on his new wings. It’s impossible to hide him, so I might as well make him pretty.
I keep a notebook, where all of my design ideas are drawn. This notebook contains the date, manufacturing questions and details, resin amounts, and test results. Of course other less pertinent information, like to-do lists and phone numbers find their way into my notebook. This is the anal engineer part of my personality. I still have design notebooks, going back 30 years.
The idea for the new series of mermaid bracelets that I am currently working on, came to me early one morning. I had the idea, but could I make the design work? There are so many issues to resolve for every new design. Would the mold be easy to make or nearly impossible? Which type of resin or combination of resins to use? Approximately how much finishing time would the design require? Would I need to order any new materials to complete the first piece? What range of sizes do I want to offer? All of these questions, and more, go into my notebook, to be answered as the idea progresses.
Sometimes, I hit a real snag, and the whole design is shelved, until a later date. I periodically go through my notebooks and look for these ideas. Maybe, I’ve discovered a new material, that will allow me to proceed with the old idea. Or, as sometimes happens, my brain has had more time to stew over the details and I have one of those “a-ha” moments.
Today, I tried casting my new mermaid bracelet design in gold pigmented resin. I then gave it an antiquing wash of black acrylic paint to bring out the details. I think the gold looks fantastic, and the details really pop! This medium can be frustrating to learn, but so much fun.
To read all the details, see more pictures or to purchase this bracelet, go to my etsy store Night Sky Jewelry by In Art Studio
It’s finally done! The first cast of my new mermaid bracelet design -”Treasure”, and I am very pleased with the results. I think she turned out fabulous! The mold was a real bear to make, and required a whole day of post finishing, but it picked up all the fine details. My fiancé remarked that the octopus almost steals the show. So, I am thinking about making “Glamor-Pus” into a pendant. Today, I will try casting this bracelet design in gold pigmented resin.
I am already planning the next mermaid bracelet design. I’m thinking of a mermaid floating in a bed of kelp, sunbathing with her friends.
To read all the details, see more pictures or to purchase this bracelet, go to my etsy store Night Sky Jewelry by In Art Studio
I want to incorporate my logo tag into my new bracelet design, but, where to put it? I plan to cast this bracelet mainly in clear resin, but the metal tag I use, will show through the front. The first bracelet has the logo tag hidden behind a sea shell. But, this new design has no good place to hide the tag. So I have decided to just sculpt the initials NSJ into the right hand side of the octopus. Hopefully it’s not too obvious, but it’s there. I am just about ready for the final bake of the master.
Now for the final cast of characters. The design calls for a school of tiny fish, between the mermaid and her hand mirror. These fish are crowding each other, trying to get a look into the mirror, so only part of their bodies show. I try sculpting the fish individually, intending to stack them. I then realize there is a better and easier way. I take a small amount of clay the approximate size and thickness of the school and place it into position. I outline each fish, then start to carve and define each small head. Here is the result. They still need some refining and detail work, but, I like the look.
The last character is my baby dolphin. I imagine him to be inquisitive and playful, so he will be sporting a pearl necklace. I love adding dolphins to my designs. They are easy to sculpt, and add so much charm.
Well, the sculpture is almost finished. I still have a a lot of finishing work to do, before it will be ready for molding. The surface finish is important, as every little flaw will be picked up by the silicone molding compound. But I am very pleased with the design, and think it will look fabulous when cast.
This mermaid bracelet master calls for a figure on the right side. I have designed the layout to include an octopus. I have Googled pictures of octopus to get an idea of their texture. I want to make this a lady octopus with eyelashes and kissy lips. She is trying on jewelry with her mermaid girlfriend. Sound like fun?
Here she is roughed in.
I decided to change the arm position, and added the suction cups to her tentacles. And here she is with most of her jewelry on.
Next - a dolphin and a school to tiny fish complete the scene
Now for the really fun stuff. The treasure chest is next. I have been thinking about this and I wanted a layered 3-D effect. But, because it sits behind the mermaid, it can not be too thick. The front and sides are twice as thick as the top, which is hard to see in the photograph. I want it to look like rough, old wood, like it’s been under water for a long time. I added a lock and some strapping, for more detail. It’s not finished, I want to make it look even more old, by roughening the corners and sides. But, you get the general idea. One of the benefits of having lived in the Florida Keys, was the opportunity of visiting the many treasure museums. I got to examine the items salvaged and collected from the local shipwrecks. I also had the opportunity to meet and get to know, the guys that did the salvage diving. What fun!
I’ve added hair to the mermaid and some jewels. The Mermaid’s body is finished and soft fired, for 10 minutes at 265 degrees. She is not hard all the way through, but she is hard enough to scrape and sand, before adding her hair. She looks so much better with hair. Here, also, is her fancy little hand mirror. All the tiny pearls are glass, and will be fired and cast, right into the mold.
Next - Sculpting an Octopus
