Friday, November 9, 2007

I want to learn to solder so badly and also be able to make silver headpins with little balls on them. I have asked for a propane torch for Xmas but my darling husband tells me that no way he could conscience giving me one, due to my propensity toward absentmindedness.

I've read that you can use a gas stove. By just holding the wire in the flame (with TONGS of course), the end of the wire should ball up. Then you can pop it in a glass of water to cool down.

Well, unfortunately, I don't have a gas stove. I have an electric range. Would that work? No, I found that the damn wires wouldn't ball up on my electric range.

Oh yes. Desperate times drive us to desperate measures.

This afternoon I just HAD to have some headpins. No torch. No gas stove. (Oh, and I also tried to use matches. but that just didn't work. The only thing that got me was some blackened wire.)

But suddenly I realized, WE HAVE A GAS GRILL. Got my silver wire, matches, metal tongs, a glass of water, and perseverence. The gas grill worked great. Wow, those silver wires heat up and ball up quickly. Now I have head pins but NO HAIR on my fingers.

LOL.

Oh, it was GLORIOUS.

3 Comments:

  1. femputer said...
    Funny post! I was trying to brainstorm what gas resources I have at my house while I was reading it! :D ...but then I remembered that we have a soldering torch we use for plumbing!
    Blakeney said...
    Hello,

    I stumbled upon your etsy site, when I was looking for a comparison of etsy and yessy sites.

    Seeing your site and reading your blog is sort of like seeing into my own thoughts...like you, I started and bead stringing and progressed to wire, I've been making wire jewelry for about 4 years, and like you, I have a fondness for spiral shapes in my jewelry.

    Also, I have been dying to get a tumbler but put it off because the "professional" versions are so expensive. I had no idea you could get your jewelry to look that great with a "Michaels"-type tumbler!

    Lastly, I also want to learn to solder but am terrified because of the danger factor (also I live in an apartment and blowing out the windows in a gas explosion might constitute violating my lease ;)

    I understand they have butane torches (like the kind you light your stove with) that can be used for soldering - just an FYI. Good luck to you - your stuff is beautiful!

    Donna
    Kathryn Durham said...
    These are great stories! I was thinking about my gas logs while I was reading; I don't have a torch yet either :-) Your jewelry is beautiful!

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