Video: How to Attach Rivets and Eyelets to Create Metal Jewelry

Check out this instructional video on how to attach rivets and eyelets to metal, and how to attach a glue pad to a ring blank:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3i5SXJDUrFg&feature=channel_video_title

Have fun creating!

Liz

It's Time to Get Serious About Tumbling Your Metal

Tumbling is a method of polishing your metal with much less effort than hand sanding and polishing.  

It involves adding media to a machine that rotates or vibrates to create a polished finish.

It is well worth the time and money to invest in a LARGE quality tumbler 

if you're serious about metal stamping.

MY FAVORITE TUMBLER

The Thumler Tumbler High Speed Tumbler.  

The best price I've found is through Buffalo Arms.  

Here's the link:

http://www.buffaloarms.com/Thumblers_Tumbler_it-164290.aspx?TERM=tumbler

SHOT

Shot - stainless steel balls that are added to your tumbler to polish your metal.  

You'll want to buy STAINLESS STEEL elipse shot 

(NOT the jewelers mix, it will scratch the aluminum).  

I purchase my shot through Rio Grande Jewelry Supply.  

You'll need 10 pounds of shot for the Thumler Tumbler.  

Here's the link:

http://www.riogrande.com/Product/Stainless-Steel-Shots-5-32-Ellipse/339091?pos=4

H20

Use only COLD water to tumble.   

Warm or hot water will expand with the soap 

and crack the metal welds in the tumbler barrel.  

***Soft water is best if you have it.

***Fill the barrel a little over 3/4 of the way full.

Soap

I have tried many different soap and solutions, but Palmolive Lavender Dish Soap 

is the best I've found for tumbling aluminum.  

Aluminum is very sensitive to drying.

Harsh soaps which are antibacterial like Dawn

 would kill the shiny finish.

I use at least 1/2 cup of soap each time I tumble.  

Best to err on the side of too much soap 

because it keeps things from getting scratched up in the barrel.

How many pieces?

35  or less - small discs or blanks (1" or smaller)

30 - 1/4" cuffs

20 - 3/8" and 1/2" cuffs

Only 1 - 1" cuffs or larger need to be tumbled alone or they will scratch each other up.

You can experiment with more soap and maybe you'll be able to add more.

How long do I need to tumble?

45 minutes per load with the high speed tumbler is usually enough.

Strain

Use a large strainer to dump the contents of the tumbler to separate the shot from the water.  

We found a very strong Farberware strainer at Target.

RINSE

Rinse the shot with high pressure water.  

The tumbling breaks off small flecks of metal that can scratch your blanks.  

***Use clean water and well rinsed shot for each tumble load.

Dry Quickly

Rinse  and then dry quickly so the metal doesn't get water spots.  

We use old kitchen and bath towels.

HAPPY TUMBLING!!!

Let me know if you need any help or have any more questions.

ENJOY CREATING!

Liz :-)

Visit our ETSY store for Food Safe Aluminum Blanks 

http://www.etsy.com/shop/gottagettadeal

Setting a Grommet

I ran across this very informative video on how to set a grommet.  Hope this helps!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OmRps_2MCM8

Check out my Etsy shop gottagettadeal to find grommets and other great tools and supplies.

Enjoy creating!
Liz

www.foodsafemetal.com

http://www.etsy.com/shop/gottagettadeal

Beautiful Texture!!!!

Texture can add a beautiful finish to your Pure Food Safe Aluminum Jewelry Piece.

Monica Crosby Donohoe  of Birmingham, Alabama

Has used a hammered finish using a ball peen hammer.

The beauty of the hammered finish is that you don't need to tumble your pieces of metal.

Hammer your blank with the rounded side of the ball peen hammer.  

Remember to also hammer around the edges of the piece.

THE COMBINATION OF THE PEARLS AND THE RUGGED HAMMERED FINISH 

CREATE A PIECE WITH A BEAUTIFUL CONTRAST.

What a beautiful option.

You can find ball peen hammers at your local home improvement store or you can also pick one of these up at gottagettadeal on ETSY.

Have fun and enjoy creating!
Liz ;-)

How to Use a Bracelet Bender - Video

Check out this video on how to use a bracelet bender:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l2OXDDwohjs

Have fun creating,
Liz

Not Allergic to Food Safe Aluminum

Great message from one of my Etsy - GottaGettaDeal customers: Love these (food safe aluminum bracelet blanks), they stamp sooo nice, and my sister who is allergic to so many metals, can wear this no problems.

Have fun and enjoy creating,
Liz

GottaGettaDeal on ETSY

Food Safe Aluminum Blanks for Metal Stamping and other Jewelry Needs.

Soft or Hard Temper.... a dilemma in the studio!!!!

The dilemma........

As a new metal supplier
we have struggled with 

which kind of metal we should offer out customers

 HARD OR SOFT TEMPER 
METAL

****

SOFT TEMPER - Soft temper aluminum is 

easy to bend and shape,

has a nicer shine when tumbled

and does not break after repeated bends.

HARD TEMPER - Hard temper 

will not bend out of shape easily, 

requires much more labor to get a clean shiny finish, 

and will break after about 5 back and forth bend.

Our First Plan

All blanks and cuffs were made 

of SOFT TEMPER Pure Food Safe Aluminum.

ISSUES

We found that the discs and blanks 

needed to be stronger and more stable.

We had complaints that the blanks were too soft and flimsy.

**************

Our Second Plan

All blanks and cuffs were made 

of HARD TEMPER

A Solution Found

The HARD TEMPER was a perfect fit for the discs and blanks.

ISSUES

Reports of cuffs breaking.

Trouble using the WRAP 'N TAP and BRACELET BENDER 

to bend the thicker ring blanks and cuffs.

**************

Our Current Plan

All blanks and discs will continue to be made 

of HARD TEMPER Pure Food Safe Aluminum.

All cuffs and ring blanks will be made 

of the SOFT TEMPER Pure Food Safe Aluminum

*************

***You may request that your cuffs or ring blanks are made of 

Hard Temper Pure Food Safe Aluminum.  

This adds a lot of time to our processing to change metal.  

There will be a $20 CUSTOM CUT METAL FEE with a $50 minimum order.

*************

      OUR GOAL is to give our customers 

the highest quality metal

at the lowest possible price

 with reasonable wait times for processing 

*****

As we establish systems 

and purchase more equipment to handle the larger number of orders, 

you should notice a shorter wait time on your orders.

*******

      This has been a stressful, but also very exciting time 

for EAR IN THE ENVELOPE Inc.  

Our little shop on ETSY has become a GLOBAL PHENOMENA. 

 We appreciate your support, encouragement and suggestions over the past year!

Stay tuned for the next chapter of EAR IN THE ENVELOPE.......

as we move into a warehouse 

near the River Front in Downtown Peoria, IL 

between Christmas and the New Year.

Thanks and Enjoy Creating!
Liz :-)

gottagettadeal on ETSY

hotglass@sbcglobal.net

www.foodsafemetal.com

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Ear in the Envelope, Inc.