More chains

Chains

Cutting process

Here is what it looks like with some of the rings cut out. Almost there!

All cut out

My tree ring outline all cut out.  I marked the lines that will be cut out and the ones that won't. Then I punched divets where I will drill so I can thread the saw blade through.

Starting my amulet/chain project

The picture is bad but I drew out the shape of my tree rings and have started to cut out the outline.

All done

Before picking I drilled a hole for the keychain. After pickling I had to take a tiny sliver of sandpaper and carefully sanded the raised/non etched part. Now I have a finished product to give to the new mother and father!

Finished product

Without the tape and etched.  I'll cut out both peices, pickle them, sand them, and put them in liver of sulfur to make them stand out.

Keychain process

Boiled water with ice to bring down the temp to warm.

Battery pack with wires attached.

Wires attached to a peice of copper and the keychain. Let it sit till etched as much as you desire.

Key chains!

I have my stickers all cut out and the metal all ready to go to but in the salt water etch.

How to Etch

1. Deside what you want to do and sand down your metal you want to use so it's clean

2. Cut out your design and tape it to your copper

3. Tape a long peice of metal onto the back of you peice 

4. tape any part you don't want to be etched

5. Pour a 1/5 ratio of warm water and salt into a container

6. Bend the long metal over the container where your peice is completely submerged

7. Hook a separate copper wire on the oposite side from your metal

8. Hook up your battery and clamps

9. Clamp both prices of metal hanging outside the water 

10. Turn on battery and leave until your work is as etched as you would like

Etching

Ideas for etching!

Options

There are two options that I have been fiddling around with for my tree amulet. I plan on having the tree rings to be negative space(so they would be cutout individually). The only problem with cutting them all out is that I would have to find a way to attach them all to each other. So I have two options. The first would be to have a rotten space or cracks that go throughout the amulet and connect all the rings. The second is to have small spots that connect each ring to each other.

Tree Ring Amulet

My idea will be based on a tree slice with the rings showing. I might possibly incorporate branches and leaves, bark, and as well as the cracks and rotten areas that occur within the slice itself.

Ideas for chain amulet!

Rivets

Tube Rivets.

Now that I have both plates the next step was to cut my tube rivets to attach the two pieces.  This part was simple.  I cut small Pieces of tube big enough that they where taller than the two sheets stacked on top.  Then I drilled holes in the brass so that the four tubes could fit into both the brass plate and the copper.  More steps to come!