Cold Connections and New Work

Cold connections. This means that fire/heating is not used for joining metals. Many metalsmiths have a love/hate relationship with cold connections. Some cold connections are easy. You make a hole in each piece of metal that you want to put together and then just run a material like wire, or leather, around and around. One can also use tiny screws and nuts. Rivets and eyelets may be the most commonly used by metal workers.

This wall art has cold connections all over it. From the wire holding the opal in place to the leather holding two large pieces of copper in place. ("Grandmother's Medicine Bag" by Lisa Kewish)

 Another form of cold connection vexes many a metalsmith. Rivets. This means that a wire is fitted between two holes and the size of the holes must be just right. If the holes aren't the right size, the entire process fails and you have to start over. Bonus points, the wire you are using is about the size of this "l" !!! Ok, maybe a tad longer and a bit rounder.

There IS a rivet in there somewhere. On the right. The tiny silver circle. That is a rivet holding a bezel with a stone in place! (Lisa's class project on connecting with rivets)

And then there are eyelets. Eyelets are basically metal tubes that are round and finished around the edge.

Lots of hearts with cold connections using eyelets! Josh has been working diligently on making these very cool hearts!

 Meanwhile, while Josh has been working away at cold connections, Lisa has been putting together earrings!

Sterling silver on copper hoops with beaded dangles! Ear wires are nickel free!

And last, an experiment! I was given a roll of thin copper. It is too thin to use on it's own...however, by fusing pieces together with sterling silver, I was able to create small sheets that I then could shape. I made earrings!

Sterling silver fused on to copper. Hand painted.

Sterling silver fused on to copper. Hand painted.

All these items will make their debut at High Hand's Art Fest on June 23 and 24th! More information on that next week!