More Hardware Jewelry

by Carol wofford.
(Halifax, VA)

I’m completely self taught and wanted to practice a couple new skills that I’m trying to perfect – riveting and texturing with a chasing hammer.

So I thought I’d try it on some hardware I picked up at a yard sale.

I really like working with copper pipe because it takes the texture so well.

I composed these two bracelets. The first one I actually used some E6000 on parts of it, but the second one is completely riveted.

They have a substantial weight due to the materials used and feel good on the wrist, not flimsy.

I used steel, brass and copper washers of various sizes, 1/2″ copper pipe cut and beaten flat, brass escutcheon pins, 16 gauge brass wire, 20 gauge copper wire and some small rivets.

Once I got the design I liked I made each link completely then connected them together. I made all the jump rings.

Once complete I dipped it in a patina bath then hand polished and buffed. I coated it with a satin finish polyacrylic so it won’t turn my wrist green, then I lightly buffed it with extra fine steel wool to knock off some of the gloss.

Carol Wofford