Project Credit: Bernzomatic Torchbearer Brittany Bailey
Directions
1. Use the pipe cutter to cut several rings (approximately 1/8″ thick) off the end of your copper pipe. You may need to cut several to get ones the same thickness.
2. Select the rings you wish to use for the necklace.
3. Use the metal file to file off any sharp edges on the copper rings
4. Sand the edges until they are smooth (I turned my power sander upside down in a clamping table and turned it on while holding the rings onto the sandpaper to speed the process of sanding.)
5. Start by laying two rings side-by-side.
6. Apply a generous amount of flux to each ring where you wish to join them.
7. Start your Bernzomatic ST2200T torch and heat the rings where you added the flux
8. As soon as the flux melts, touch the solder wire onto the spot where the flux was. (Make sure the rings are still touching. If not, nudge them back together with the pliers.) Hold the solder in place until it flows onto the copper rings.
9. Let the rings cool (or drop them in a container of cold water.)
10. Solder the next ring by following the steps above (add flux, heat, and solder.) If you mess up, you can reheat the solder to remove it and start over.
11. Curl a piece of copper wire to form a circle.
12. Cut off the copper circle.
13. Open the circle slightly. Add flux to the wire ends and the copper ring where you want to join them. Heat the area, let the flux melt and touch the solder to the ends of the copper wire. (This step may prove a little difficult to control the solder. If you are having trouble, try to add the solder to the copper ring, then guide the wire into the molten solder. Hold the wire in place with pliers until the solder hardens.)
14. To hide the shiny silver solder, use copper Rub n’ Buff on the joints. Or coat the entire necklace pendant with gold Rub n’ Buff for gold jewelry.
15. Feed a chain through the loop or sew some suede leather cord to the loops, then sew clasps to the other end.