Tag Archives: fabrication

Dried Sardine Scalpel and Reliquary – Part 3

Now it’s time to make some of the accessory items, including rivets and eyes for the scalpel. Above, I’m using my Sherline lathe to turn a small piece of moose antler for the eyes.  This little cylinder will extend through … Continue reading

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Dried Sardine Scalpel and Reliquary – Part 2

Above, I’ve started to shape the shibuichi scales.  I’ll be mainly using a my Foredom flex shaft grinder and small drum sanders.  You can see the central area where I’ve started the grinding.  Note that I’ve superglued the scales into … Continue reading

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Dried Sardine Scalpel and Reliquary – Part 1

Well, here’s another of my crazy reliquaries, this one a tiny dried sardine scalpel, in (and on) a sardine can.  This is loosely based on Japanese netsuke and menuki that I’ve seen, carved as tiny dried fish.  My version is … Continue reading

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Clockwork Trilobite – Part 5

Today I’m adding all of the rivets and completing the engraving for the pendant back. Above are the wires I’m going to make my rivets out of, along with my blacksmith’s “nail header.”  The silver wire is 16 gauge silver, … Continue reading

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Clockwork Trilobite – Part 4

Today I need to make the last little gear, solder everything together and do the initial shaping. Above, I’m using a computer printout as a pattern for the tiny gear, and drilling the starting holes.  I used a scan of … Continue reading

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Clockwork Trilobite – Part 3

In order for the parts to solder well, I need to flatten all the mating surfaces – the top surface of the bottom plate, the bottom surface of the top plate, and the bottom of the gears (there’s a parsing … Continue reading

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Clockwork Trilobite – Part 2

Today was just a lot of sawing.  A lot…I had forgotten how gummy and resisting sterling silver could be, especially in thicker pieces.  Now I remember why I much prefer sawing, engraving and carving in steel… Above are the two … Continue reading

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Clockwork Trilobite – Part 1

Here’s the start of a commission for an engraved and carved silver trilobite, with copper gears. Above, I’m weighing out scrap sterling silver (looking for about an ounce).  The scrap needs to be clean, and free of any solder.  If it … Continue reading

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Nazgul Holdout Stiletto – Part 5

Today, I finally finished up the sheath for this little dagger. Above you can see the leather liner and the small piece of goat rawhide I’ll use for the outside.  I’ll have to soak the rawhide in warm water for … Continue reading

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Hummingbird Art Basket – More Adventures in Press Forming

Here’s another little art basket my wife and I collaborated on.  This little hummingbird basket is about three inches in diameter. The basket itself is made from ziricote (the rim and base) and is woven with waxed Irish linen.  The … Continue reading

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