SED 10: Making
May. 10th, 2015 10:46 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
kerravonsenToday I started, and almost finished, a necklace I had been planning for a while. It needed careful planning because it was chainmaille in graduating sizes; that is, it was the same weave, but every section had rings that were bigger (or smaller) than the previous section.
Then when I'd put allllll the links together, I put the chain in the wash with my clothes (inside a bag, though). This tip is brought to you by... someone I forget, but it was either on the M.A.I.L. forums or the T.R.L. forums. Washing your maille with your clothes, and drying it with them in your dryer, actually makes it come up all shiny, because not only is it being washed, but in the dryer it is being buffed, as the rings knock against each other. So that's pretty cool. Though of course, being copper, it will tarnish. The most common advice in that regard seems to be "live with it". Because trying to put a coating on is a pain, and the coating will wear off anyway (and probably wear off unevenly, which will look really ugly). A couple of suggestions were to use Renaissance Wax, which is what they use in museums to preserve metal artefacts. Though that, too, will wear off in time.
I may have to just "live with it" anyway, because it isn't just copper. After it was washed and dried, I added some red agate charms to it... and while some things might be okay with copper, I don't know what they'd do to agate. Oh well, at least it looks nice and shiny for now.
All that needs to be done to it now is (a) add the clasps, (b) make up the matching earrings, (c) photograph it. But not tonight, because it is late.
Then when I'd put allllll the links together, I put the chain in the wash with my clothes (inside a bag, though). This tip is brought to you by... someone I forget, but it was either on the M.A.I.L. forums or the T.R.L. forums. Washing your maille with your clothes, and drying it with them in your dryer, actually makes it come up all shiny, because not only is it being washed, but in the dryer it is being buffed, as the rings knock against each other. So that's pretty cool. Though of course, being copper, it will tarnish. The most common advice in that regard seems to be "live with it". Because trying to put a coating on is a pain, and the coating will wear off anyway (and probably wear off unevenly, which will look really ugly). A couple of suggestions were to use Renaissance Wax, which is what they use in museums to preserve metal artefacts. Though that, too, will wear off in time.
I may have to just "live with it" anyway, because it isn't just copper. After it was washed and dried, I added some red agate charms to it... and while some things might be okay with copper, I don't know what they'd do to agate. Oh well, at least it looks nice and shiny for now.
All that needs to be done to it now is (a) add the clasps, (b) make up the matching earrings, (c) photograph it. But not tonight, because it is late.
