North Brisbane Lapidary Club

We Dig Rocks

Get in Touch

  • Email
  • Facebook

COVID-19 Update

Until the 1.5m social distance restrictions are relaxed numbers attending the club will be restricted, therefore bookings are essential. 

Next Open Day - click here for more details

  • Home
  • Activities
    • Gem Cutting
    • Metalsmithing
      • Beginner Silversmithing Projects
    • Fossicking
    • Gemmology
  • Gem Shows
    • QLACCA Gem Show Dates
    • Raffles & Prizes
    • Gem Shows Photo Gallery
    • Gem Show Dealers & Traders
  • News
    • Blog
      • Gem Show
      • Work Sessions Activity
      • Club event
      • Cabbing
      • Enamelling
      • Faceting
      • Fossiking
      • Metalsmithing
    • Glimpses into the Past
  • Membership
    • Costs and Fees
  • Member’s Area
    • Bookings
      • My Bookings
    • Workshops
    • Suppliers/Resources
      • Resources
    • Gems, Minerals and Rocks
    • President’s Challenge 2021
  • Contact Us
  • Log In

Silver Ring

July 2, 2020 By Carol

by Brenda Honey

Here is another project I have been working on for several weeks. You know…. Do a bit then think about how you will do better in the next step. It turned out well on one side but the other side has a bit too much solder. Will have to think harder next time.

Shows I was listening to my instructors so a big thank you to all of them.

Filed Under: Metalsmithing

Heart Bracelet

June 25, 2020 By Carol

by Mary Lancaster

Material

  • 8 large hearts (5cm length of 1mm round silver wire)
  • 8 small hearts (2.5cm length of 1mm round silver wire)
  • 31 round joining jump rings (1mm round wire, 2.9mm mandrel)
  • 1 clasp
  • All joins silver soldered

Making a simple heart

Cut silver & fold in half

Use round-nose pliers to form heart curve

Form second heart curve & close curves

Solder join. Use small file, emery paper making solder seamless.

Round-nose pliers

Hearts can be joint at top or bottom. Hearts can vary in design and size, just create your own form. Make a bracelet

Filed Under: Metalsmithing

So You Want to….

June 19, 2020 By Carol

Buy a Head Loupe

by Ray Wilson

A magnifying head loupe is one of the most useful tools that you will buy when you commence your journey in lapidary or metalsmithing.  A head loupe gives you improved vision of your work, showing up those annoying scratches that you thought were sanded out.  A head loupe gives you the magnification necessary to see your work but leaves you with 2 hands free to hold and manipulate your work.

Head loupes need to be adjustable to fit different size heads and all models should come standard with this feature.  The more substantial loupes will come with a knurled nut that is wound in or out to adjust the plastic head band.  Some of the cheaper types will have Velcro straps that can be adjusted to the correct head size.  Loupes typically will also move up and down to allow the user to lift the loupe away from the eyes when not in use.  A nice feature that means you don’t have to take your loupe off of your head when not in use. Headbands can be plastic or leather covered.  Leather bands are useful as a sweat band if working in the glare of strong lights or a hot soldering torch.

Loupes also come with different type of lenses and in different shapes.  The more expensive varieties will have optical glass whereas the cheaper option will have acrylic lenses.  Glass lenses are an advantage as they will not scratch as easy as the plastic ones.

Each manufacturer will decide what level of magnification to offer in the lens.  Standard loupes will have a magnification of around 2.5X (2.5 times).  With some brands, additional lenses of increased magnification are included and can be simply replaced by undoing a couple of threaded bolts.  Remember that with each increasing level of magnification the focal point comes closer to your face.  For example the commonly used Optivisor with a 2.5X lens has a focal length of around 200mm.  A 3.5X lens has a focal length of 100mm.

Other features are also available from some manufacturers like an additional lens for one eye, effectively doubling the magnification for that lens.  Often a light is also included.

Donegan Optivisor – Rio Grande

For many years the only head loupe in the market was a Donegan head loupe made in USA.  These loupes are still the standard in head loupes and you will never go wrong buying a Donegan Optivisor.  Recently though the weakening Australian dollar has meant that this loupe now retails for about $120 in Australia.  Recently, like so many other tools, “knock offs” or copies, that are made in China, have appeared on the market.  To all intents and purposes, they are an exact copy of an Optivisor in both design and functionality.  In the favour of the copy is the price.  These can be purchased in Australia for around $60 and come packaged with 4 different lenses.  With Optivisor only 1 lens is provided but others can be purchased as required.  If this is still too much for you a copy of the acrylic head loupe with Velcro straps is available for about $20.

Other models can be purchased from places like Kogan or Jaycar.

Tiltable LED Headband – Kogan              LED Headband Loupe – Jaycar

Head Loupe with 4 Glass lenses – Gemcuts

A good head loupe will last a long time.  I have just replaced my original Optivisor bought in 1998.   After weighing up the options I went for the Chinese knock off from Gemcuts.  I can’t fault it and at $60 including 4 optical glass lenses is a great option for my failing eyesight.  Given that this investment will last you a long time, buy the best that you can afford at the time.

Filed Under: Cabbing, Faceting, Metalsmithing

More from Mary – Three Silver Bracelets

June 11, 2020 By Carol

by Mary Lancaster

(who at the time of sending this was almost out of silver wire and moving onto other creative activities).

Material
2.0mm round silver wire
2.0mm half-round wire (patterned)
Clasp
Makes: 28 x 8.5mm jump rings
28 x 7.0mm pattern jump rings
Length: 22cm

Material
1.5mm round silver wire
2.00mm flat (patterned)
1.2mm round silver wire (small links , hearts)
1.0mm round wire (twisted)
Clasp
Length: 21cm
Used left-over wire to make bracelet

Child’s Bracelet : Used left-over jump rings - Length: 13.5cm

 

Filed Under: Metalsmithing

Brushes

June 11, 2020 By Carol

by Carol Money

After some online shopping (jewellery related of course), I was recently given a free gift of the brushes displayed below. Although it is obvious what you would use some for, I have no idea of the recommended specialities of others and so am hoping for your suggestions.

Please add your comments in the corresponding numbered boxes below and I will post the results next week.

Your answers are completely anonymous, not even I will see who has responded.

What type of brush is used for what?

Filed Under: Metalsmithing

Show & Tell – Enamelling

June 5, 2020 By Carol

by Carol Money

Enamelled Poppy Earrings

The story of the Enamelled Poppy Earrings

After a fun course on making copper flowers run by Sandy, I made some simple copper flower earrings to give to my friends on a trip to the UK. They were so well received I was asked by one of my friends to make some more, but if possible red so they would look like poppy’s.

Last year, on remembrance day, I realised I did not have any poppy earrings of my own and on emailing with my friend in the UK, neither had she. As she was also celebrating her 60th birthday that year the plan for some special poppy earrings began.

As many of you know I do like to dabble with enamels as well as silver work and thought it would be effective in the design to use a transparent red over silver, plus set the earring properly with a bezel as opposed to a hole drilled in the piece somewhere.

I eventually managed to finish them and posted the parcel to the UK in March, it eventually arrived in May.

I am happy to say my friend loves her earrings.

I am now excited by the prospect of getting back to the club soon to experiment with some more enamelling techniques soon.

Filed Under: Enamelling, Metalsmithing

Inlaying Stone

May 22, 2020 By Carol

by Peter Smith

I have been looking at the club website. I am impressed with the project’s members are doing at home. Mary’s Silver work has always been great. I would like to be that good. Carol’s locket and Ray’s casting are excellent. I have not been at the Club much since October 2018, but I am still working on projects at home. My latest endeavour is inlaying stone. The idea came from a You Tube Video (How to make a silver and turquoise inlayed ring without a lathe). Ray said I challenged him to make one, but all I said was it is easy. I didn’t mention that it is also easy to stuff up. The problems I had were crushing the stone and using too much glue. My last project was a pair of earrings and a pendent.

 

Filed Under: Cabbing, Metalsmithing

Twisted Bracelet

May 15, 2020 By Carol

by Mary Lancaster

Twisted Bracelet
Twisted Bracelet

Materials

  • 2m x 1.2mm round silver wire
  • 1m x 1mm square silver wire (twisted)
  • 9.5mm mandrel
  • 6.0mm mandrel
  • 1 x sterling silver clasp

Steps

  1. Using  9.5mm mandrel make 48  round wire jump rings    (add a few spares)
  2. Using  9.5 mm mandrel make 24 twisted wire jump rings  (add a few spares)
  3. Using  6.0mm mandrel make 2  round wire jump rings (ends)
  4. Solder 24 jump rings to start the bracelet, forming a twirl/twist pattern
  5. Add another 24 jump rings, placing behind each jump ring and then cross over and solder
  6. Add the 24 twisted jump rings, placing behind the two jump rings and then cross over and solder.
  7. Attach smaller jump ring at each end of bracelet and solder
  8. Attach clasp

              #  Total length of bracelet 22cm (without clasp)

Filed Under: Metalsmithing

Recycled Jewellery

May 7, 2020 By Carol

from Tierry Tomczak

Up cycled Pearl and Amethyst Pendant – A prime example of recycled jewellery. It is always a pleasure to go through someone’s unloved or broken jewellery and discuss their style and taste in jewellery. Found this beautiful battered pair of gold amethyst earrings and several pearls on studs.

The owner wanted a simple yet classy pendant out of them so I decided to reuse the whole earrings upside down, straightening the hook to attach the pearls and adding a bail. A rather simple concept, and she absolutely loved her new stunning pendant. The end of the wire is usually cut flush, but I left it as is. My first piece of jewellery in over a month and the joy of recreating love… Plenty of ideas in my head but too busy with everything else at the moment.

Filed Under: Metalsmithing

Soldering

May 7, 2020 By Carol

Filed Under: Metalsmithing

  • « Previous Page
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • Next Page »

Club Events

  • Open Day
    • 16/01/2021
  • General Meeting
    • 20/01/2021
  • Beginners Workshop
    • 24/01/2021
  • General Meeting
    • 17/02/2021
  • Open Day
    • 20/02/2021
  • Beginners Induction and Workshop
    • 28/02/2021

Work Sessions

  • Mon AM Work Session 2021
    • 18/01/2021
    • 2 spots booked, 15 still available.
  • Mon EVE Work Session 2021
    • 18/01/2021
    • 6 spots booked, 11 still available.
  • Tue EVE Work Session 2021
    • 19/01/2021
    • 8 spots booked, 6 still available.
  • Wed AM Work Session 2021
    • 20/01/2021
    • 8 spots booked, 9 still available.
  • Fri EVE Work Session 2021
    • 22/01/2021
    • 6 spots booked, 11 still available.
  • Sat AM Work Session 2021
    • 23/01/2021
    • 3 spots booked, 11 still available.
  • Sat PM Work Session
    • 23/01/2021
    • 3 spots booked, 11 still available.

Copyright 2014 · Website Design Brisbane