Surface Textures for Anodised Jewellery

Texture techniques is such an important part of my work and I am forever looking for new alternatives to add to the uniqueness of my pieces.

Specially made texture hammers are a great product on the market, I enjoy the challenge of making as many patterns from the one texture by transferring the texture in different angles, and combining one texture with another. Add a stamped letter or number into the texture for a one-of-a-kind look.

I have fun experimenting with my rolling mill, which is a much quicker and definitely quieter method – one that I’m sure my neighbours prefer. One of my favourite textures made with the rolling mill is putting the metal through the wire rollers where raised lines of different thicknesses are formed. Lace and wire netting is also a popular material I use either in the rolling mill or using a hammer to force the creation of the texture.

My latest pieces -


Anodised Aluminium Earrings


Anodised Aluminium Rings


Anodised Aluminium Cuffs


Anodised Aluminium Cuffs

Some of the Best Tools are Handmade

I am addicted to tools and am like a kid in a candy store when I find myself in a Hardware department. However, I have found that some of the utensils I use the most are simple tools I have fashioned myself.

When making raised floral lampwork beads I like to give each floral petal a crease down the centre to give that realistic touch. I have bought a tool with which to do this with but was never happy with it. I had several hobby knives laying around, so I cut a piece of brass sheet metal and sharpened the end on an electric grinding wheel to give a reasonably sharp edge, and replaced the knife cutter with the piece of brass. I've used this simple tool for years and it does a wonderful job.



Petal Creaser


If I'm working on a piece of sterling silver jewellery, I quite often like to add texture to the metal. I bought an inexpensive hammer from 'Cheap as Chips' for about $3.00 and then using an engraving bit in my dremmel, cut into the hammer head with a wavy design. I hammer the silver pieces with this to give a textured surface. Simple!



Textured Hammer


I need to add my silverwork to a pickle mixture after the soldering process to clean the silver. You don't need to buy a pickling pot specifically for this stage. I bought a second hand electric frying pan, place the pickling mixture into an old casserole dish, that then sits in the frypan and keeps the mixture hot.
I can also utilise the frying pan in my lampworking area. If I am working on a bead that requires elements to be made first and kept heated, I lay them in the warm frying pan in the lead up to attaching the pieces.



Pickle Pot


When making my woven pieces I need very few tools. I weave the piece held securely with u-pins, on a portion of foam board. Couldn't be any easier than that.



Foam Workboard

U-pin


Not all my tools are made by myself, I have some really cute hammers I bought from Roma Zone on Ebay. When I received them I thought, wow they are so small what use will they be, and now I find I'm reaching for them more than my other regular hammers, I think they're great for working on silver wire.



Hammers


This tool I must confess I don't have. Ever since I began silversmithing years ago I have lusted over a rolling mill, but alas they are far too expensive here in Australia and will remain on my wish list. I have read that a pasta machine can work with thin sterling silver to add texture. You just roll it through (obviously not through the shredding section), as you would with a rolling mill. I'm still on the lookout for one, and hopefully in the not so far future I will be able to test this idea out myself.



Pasta Maker


If you have any great tools to share, please feel free to do so.