Faux Bone and fine silver bangle
Get to grips with Faux Bone™ (PVC sheet) and Art Clay Silver with this stunning mixed media bangle.
By Emma Baird
Robert Dancik’s Faux Bone™ is a relatively new product here in the UK. It is a lightweight but an incredibly strong material which makes it perfect for a piece of jewellery prone to a lot of stress or wear. This tutorial will introduce you to the basics of working with this versatile material, with a particular emphasis on filing. Fine silver accents made from Art Clay Silver are riveted in place to give the bangle added detail and interest whilst also allowing you to practice your riveting skills.
To find out more about Faux Bone™ see www.robertdancik.com.
designer tips
- preferred a contrast in my bangle between the white and the silver, but if you want more detail simply scribe into the surface with a carving tool. Sand, rub in acrylic paint, and sand again for extra depth in your carvings
- Experiment! Alter the shape of your bangle and the shapes of your fine silver embellishments. Try different texture sheets with your metal clay for a totally different look
Tools & Materials
- Faux Bone™ sheet – 6.5mm thick
- Jewellers saw and medium Faux Bone™ saw blade
- Fine tip marker
- Compass
- Bench block
- File 2-cut half round
- Dust mask
- Ball-peen hammer
- Length of 2mm Sterling silver wire
- Wet/dry sandpapers various grits
- 20g Art Clay Silver
- Work mat
- Texture sheet
- 1mm spacers
- Roller
- Cling film
- Olive oil or badger balm
- Water and paintbrush
- Rubber block
- 2mm drill bit and hand drill
- Craft knife
- Sponge backed sanding pads
- Drying mesh
- Kiln or kitchen torch and firing brick
- Liver of sulphur
- Polishing papers
- Polishing cloth
Step 1
Using a jeweller’s saw and a Faux Bone™ blade, cut out a 5.5 x 5.5 inch square of Faux Bone™. Use a ruler and fine tip marker to make diagonal lines from each corner to corner. The point where the lines meet in the middle of the square is the centre. Place the compass there and open it to 1 ¼ inch and draw a circle. Open it a further 2cm and draw another circle.
Step 2
Position the Faux Bone™ on a bench pin and drill through the sheet just within the inner circle. Slide the blade through the hole, reinsert into the frame and tighten it ensuring the teeth of the blade face down away from the handle. The blade should be taut. Now saw out the inner circle. Put on the dust mask and with the file, smooth the inside of the circle with the round side of the file.
Step 3
Check that it fits over your hand. If it is only a little too small, file it evenly to fit. If it is very small saw out a slightly larger circle. Repeat until it fits over the hand. Cut out the outer circle supporting the Faux Bone™ on the bench pin. Use the flat part of the file to remove any excess material or rough areas from the bangles outer edge. To be sure not to round the bangle off at this point, take care to keep the file at a right angle to the edge.
Step 4
Use your compass to draw a circle approximately 10mm in from the bangles outer edge. To find a centre point use the inner circle of the bangle to draw a circle, fold it in half, then in half again. Open it back up and the point where the folds meet are the centre point where you should put the compass point. Repeat the circle on both sides of the bangle.
Step 5
Use a clay pick or craft knife to remove the excess clay. When using a clay pick, hold the cut at a 90° angle to the surface. This will give an even edge all the way around the piece. Once again allow this to thoroughly dry.
Step 6
File and taper the outside edge of the bangle. Put the bangle on the bench peg, and use the flat side of your 2-cut file to bevel the edge. File away from you towards the centre of the bangle angling the file gradually up to the guideline circle you drew on the bangles face. Continue all the way around and on the other side. Work slowly, keep assessing the angle as you file.
Step 7
Draw a guideline for the cut out section using your marker and a ruler. Mine measures 1cm at the inner bangle and 2cm at the outer edge of the bangle. Steady the bangle on the bench pin and use the saw and Faux Bone™ blade to saw through along your guidelines. Remove any excess Faux Bone™ with the file. Sand and polish the entire bangle. Wet-sand through the 320, 400 and 600 grit papers, then rub vigorously with the reverse side of the 600 sandpaper. Dry, rub the bangle on the palm of your hand and buff with a soft cloth.
Step 8
Prepare your texture sheet and work mat with olive oil. Place two playing cards under two 1mm spacers. Roll your clay out. Remove the cards, place the spacers on top of your texture mat and roll out your clay. Remove and place the clay texture up onto your mat. Hold the bangle over the clay and use its outer edge as a guide to cut your clay with a craft knife into a curve mirroring that of the bangle.
Step 9
Place the clay on the bangle aligning the curve of the clay with the line of your bangle where the outer edge starts to taper. Use your craft knife to trim the excess clay off, leaving about 1mm over the edge of the inside of the bangle. Trim the sides of the clay to mirror the sharp angle of the cutout in the bangle. Dry, and then use this dry clay as a template for 3 more textured art clay curves. Dry all pieces thoroughly.
Step 10
Refine the clay with a rubber block and sanding pads. Fire in a kiln at 800°C for at least ten minutes. Brush all the silver strips with a soft brass brush. Place against the bangle and with the round part of the file, file away any silver that protrudes past the bangles inner edge. Tumble the silver for several hours or polish by hand. Now mix a few drops of liver of sulphur in hot water, wash the silver in a paste of bicarbonate of soda, rinse, and place in the solution. Use a polishing cloth to buff them back to silver.
Step 11
Sandwich your bangle with two aligned pieces of silver on either side. Take a drill with a 2mm drill bit and drill through the three layers approximately 3mm from the edge of each strip of silver. Repeat until you have drilled 4 holes. Take a short length of 2mm Sterling silver round wire. If necessary sand it to a taper so it fits in the hole. On a steel block gently hammer the wire right through the piece. File the wire on each side of the bangle so it protrudes about 1mm.
Step 12
With the bangle on a steel block strike the outer edges of the wire lightly with the rounded part of a ball-peen hammer. Starting at the outer edges of the wire will cause the wire to gently mushroom out. Turn the piece over and repeat for the other side. Assess to see that your rivet heads are similar in size and continue until they are. You are aiming for a doomed head on the rivet rather than a flat head, which will result in a weaker join. Give the bangle one last buff up with a soft clean cloth.
fashion tips
For a chic Italian look wear this bracelet with a leather tailored jacket. Look for one with plenty of detail, shaped seams, padded shoulders and finished with metal welt zippers. Team the jacket with tapered jeans, black leather gloves and stilettos
Jacket £55, jeans £25, t-shirt £12 Dorothy Perkins
Silver drop earrings £18 Evans
Leather gloves £35 Marks & Spencer
resources
All Art Clay Silver & tools: www.artclayscotland Faux Bone™ & related tools: www.robertdancik.com