Guaah!! Monumental waste of time.

[puerco-bellies]

Aside from reading my posts. Spent way too much time making this bracelet. Every conceivable problem came up, and just as I was setting the last coral cab I split the bezel. I don't know if I want to repair it. Chances are I will melt the bezel table, and even if I don't I would have to pull all the stones before attempting a fix. :banghead:

[Midlodemocrat]

1. My God, that is absolutely gorgeous! Is it for sale?

How much? Series. I LOVE that.

[puerco-bellies]

2. Umm, sure.. but first look at the upper right coral stone.

The bezel is split. The stone is secure, but if I want to sell it for a reasonable profit I'll have to tear it down and see if I can solder the split.

[Midlodemocrat]

4. PM me with your price.

I LOVE it.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

3. My dear puerco-bellies!

That is absolutely stunning!

Isn't there some way to repair w/out having to pull all the stones?

It's really gorgeous!

Or ...could you sell it as is?

And take a lower price for it?

I'm guessing not, though...

[puerco-bellies]

6. Hi C-P!

Thanks for the complement. I would have to pull the stones. The only way to repair a tear in the silver is to solder it. Heat destroys coral and turquoise so I would have to take it apart. I could sell it, but I would have to let the customer know the defect, and could not get the price I planned on asking ($225).

[Midlodemocrat]

7. If you wish to repair it, I will buy it for that price.

Let me know.

If you don't wish to repair it, let me know that, too. I may take it, as is. I think it is stunning.

[puerco-bellies]

11. If you want it I'll attempt a repair.

It is 5 3/4 inches long with a 1 inch gap. This will fit an approximately med to small womens wrist. Take a tape measurer and if you wrist is 5 1/2 to 6 inches around it would probably fit.

[Midlodemocrat]

12. My wrist is about 5 3/4 inches.

I would LOVE to buy it. PM me an address, but don't stress about fixing it right away. I can wait.

Thanks!!!

[puerco-bellies]

17. Cool. PM me you addy and I will send it when I've repaired it

Try it on and if all is well then we can settle up.

Here are side and back views.

[Midlodemocrat]

18. It is simply stunning.

[jeff30997]

8. Hello !

How are you CaliforniaPeggy ?

Stunning indeed! Just like you. :)

[CaliforniaPeggy]

9. My dear jeff30997...

I'm fine!

Me? Stunning? Thanks, but hardly...:blush:

[jeff30997]

16. You're too modest.

You're a great person.

Maybe the kindest person on DU.

(Now that I think of it I would remove the word Maybe)

:hi:

[stuntcat]

5. it's so beautiful!

I know what to do- Take some time from it, finish a small piece or two, then go back to it. It could take weeks, but this is what I have to do with the stained glass pieces I make. The arts when they're finished are nice but getting them done is kind of a stress because of so many little things that can go wrong and blow all the work I've done.

It really is so beautiful though!! I for one appreciate imperfections, especially in handmade arts.

[puerco-bellies]

22. That's what I've been doing.

I have several projects that I shelved to go work on others. Now I just have my "problem children" left. Before I start anything else I really need to clear my bench. BTW I dig stained glass. Do you have one of those taurus ring saws?

[stuntcat]

31. is it the same as a band saw?

I have a band saw but I haven't used it too much (my nerves, the glass..) I've mostly just worked with pieces I can cut and grind without the saw.
The only word I can think of for this kind of stuff is "unnerving".. there's always the chance of a big piece cracking and just the threat of that makes me put off working on the arts. Hopefully soon I'll get a kiln, then I can put all my cracked pieces to use :headbang:

This bracelet is so beautiful, I know you'll do something with it. It just feels horrible when one thing goes wrong and sets it all back, it's a great TEST x(

[puerco-bellies]

33. Here's the poop on the taurus ring saw.

If I see one on the cheap at the same time I have a little cash I'm grabbing it.

http://store.allstainedglass.com/taurus3ringsaw.html

As for the kilns I got a ok deal on Craig's List.

[stuntcat]

35. Thanks for this poop!

It says cutting underwater keeps the glass from heating as it's cutting. That's how I've popped a lot of pieces, being so careful but the heat got me anyway :(
I'm saving this, I will be replacing my saw someday I think.

[hippywife]

10. So sorry, sweetie!

It's a great looking piece, tho. Can you just remove the one stone to fix it somehow? probably not or you would have thought of that already, huh?

Hope you and Ali are doing well otherwise. :hi:

[puerco-bellies]

15. Hi HW!

Thanks, we are doing well. Going to a comedy club tomorrow night. Other then that we are kinda taking it easy for now. I tore a ligament last December so we haven't been surfing or kayaking since then. Ali hates cold water so she isn't going on her own.

[hippywife]

20. Enjoy your weekend!

Winter is a good time for taking it easy, isn't it? I don't blame Ali for not wanting to face the chilly water. Brrrr!

[Stuart G]

13. I really don't know much...but it is really beautiful

.Frankly, I do not see the flaws that you discuss. It is absolutely beautiful ..Congratulations..

[puerco-bellies]

23. Thank you.

All anyone has to know is if they like it or not.
:hi:

[Debi]

14. that is lovely!

I wouldn't have noticed the split until you pointed it out. Beautiful work!

[puerco-bellies]

26. Thank you.

I've noticed that most people don't see the flaws till later. I don't want people to be disappointed in my work so I try to produce as good a piece as I am able.

A friend of mine, who is an Apache (Mescalero Apache) silversmith once related that the work we (Native Americans) leave behind may someday be all that is left of us. That really hit me, and I don't want to leave behind something that wasn't worthy of my people (Chiricahua Apache) if at all possible.

[FloridaJudy]

19. That is gorgeous!

Couldn't you sell it with the usual disclaimer? You know "Slight irregularities are part of the hand-made process...blah, blah, blah". I'm sure that minor flaw is much more obvious to you than to the rest of us.

If I had $200 dollars to spare, I'd buy it.

[puerco-bellies]

27. Thanks

That is kind of you to say. One of these days I will put up my long awaited website and you could find a piece that you like in your price range.

[Tindalos]

21. Nice piece.

It might be possible to remove the corals and make the bezel edges scalloped to hide the split. You'd still have to remove all the corals but at least you wouldn't have to solder it, and so wouldn't have to remove the turquoise. It's too bad. It's a nice piece. Although by the looks of things, you have customers lined up already.

[puerco-bellies]

28. That's a good idea.

The problem with that is that if I serrate one bezel I would have to do them all. I think I'll take my chances with the torch.

[redqueen]

24. Heh... coolness... I now know what a 'bezel' is.

:D

[puerco-bellies]

29. Coolness indeed

:hi:

[VenusRising]

25. It's still quite stunning, puerco-bellies.

I'm so impressed by your work.

Keep posting your lovely creations.

:hi:

[puerco-bellies]

30. I working on a set for a friend of mine.

I'm way behind schedule on this one but when it's done, and if I can pull it off, it will be the best work to date. You can bet I'll post pictures if I do.
:hi:

[ThomCat]

32. I think it's a clear concensus

that you do excellent work.

Yes, that one bezel is a weak spot that is going to get worse over time if it isn't repaired. :(

Clearly you have the skill to repair it even if it is a bit inconvenient. And congratulation on the sale. :)

[puerco-bellies]

34. Hi TC

Just the fact that it is there bugs me, but your right about just leaving as is. Normal wear could cause the split to spread and the loss of a stone.

Umm, I really not trying to spam DU. Honest Injun. :shrug:

[RetroLounge]

36. God, that is GORGEOUS!

You my friend are an artisan AND an artist.

:applause:

RL

[Redstone]

37. Can you try a slightly smaller stone so you can roll the bezel a bit tighter and close

the gap?

Or - what I used to do in that kind of situation, but it's probably not a good idea, healthwise: After removing that one cab, take a piece of asbestos tape (that's why it's not a good idea), soak it in water, and wrap it around the rest of the stones as a heat shield, then touch up the split bezel with some low-temperature solder.

Damn, I remember "losing it" right at the end of contructing a piece. Especially with flush-setting little diamonds (where you used a chisel-like tool to gouge tiny strips out of the metal and curl them over the edge of the stone).

Good luck with your repairs. You do damn nice work.

Redstone