Day in the Life of a Metalsmith

So, I thought I would start a new bloggy series today. Figured it was as good a day as any, and I actually thought about it before it was too late.

This new series is called A Day in the Life of a Metalsmith. This first edition will feature the making of a cuff. Gasp. Can you believe I actually called myself a metalsmith?! I mean it's what I do, but, and I'm not fishing for compliments, I always think 'metalsmiths' are far more talented than myself. Anyway. This edition will show what goes into the making of a cuff from start to finish. This is not a tutorial but more a glimpse into the fabrication process.

First, I start out with a sketch. This design was actually inspired by the stone. As soon as I saw this handmade stone, I knew what it wanted to be and would look like. Then I cut out and dry fit all the pieces to see if anything needs to be changed.



Then I start soldering all the accent pieces in this particular design and again dryfit to make sure nothing needs to be changed or resized.



Now since that fits and I've got all the accent pieces figured out, I solder the whole thing together essentially making the cuff. Here's a pic of the cuff after the first sanding...



I could be done now with just sanding left to, but I felt it needed something else. So I added some resin in those circles, and since I'm a bit messy with my cloisonne technique..



And here's the finished project after all the sanding steps, added matte frosted finish, and stone all set. A really unique one of a kind cuff.



I hope you've enjoyed a peek into my process. Perhaps I'll show you the steps into making one of my Mad Hatter rings on the next edition of A Day in the Life of a Metalsmith. My psychedelic cuff is available in my etsy shop because you know you want it.