As promised a few weeks ago, I am posting a tutorial on how to make your own soldering pic. I have been using a maple wood handled home made pic for a few years now and love how it feels in the hand while working, the slight bend in the branch fits so comfy in my hand. I'm fortunate to have both a maple and a cherry tree in my yard (which are nice hard woods to use).


~ First off here are the items that you will need.

1 - twig
1 - 3" casing nail (similar to a finishing nail but thicker & heavier)
3-5 tooth picks (not the round kind but the flat)
Drill and drill bit (the same diameter as your nail head)
file
optional ..
leather cording
copper piping


~ Start by cutting the branch down to size - the length is totally your decision. The one used in this tut was cut to 6 1/4" long and is an 8mm Dia. I use my jewelers saw with a #4 or #6 blade which cuts through the branch.
Sand down the end to give it a nice FLAT, smooth end.









~ Using a vice to hold it steady (I use a little scrap of leather in the vice to not mark up the branch) I use my punch to mark the center spot for the drill.










~ Using a drill bit the same size or just slightly larger than the head of your nail head, drill a hole 3/4-1" down the center of the branch...










~ Put your handle aside.
~ Using a file, file your nail tip to a point. This is where you can get as fine or as thick as you like. I like a fairly fine tip so I file mine long and fairly thin. You can always file it further after you have inserted it and used it to see how you like it. (Picture shows actual nail on the right and filed down on the left).










~ Take 4 or 5 of your tooth pics and sand the tapered part down. You want to make them a little thinner so you can use them as a shimmy.
~ Take your nail head and insert it into the hole and gently shimmy the tooth pics around the nail to secure the nail in the hole. This process will hold the "pic" tightly in the hole without any glue. You may want to gently tap the tooth pics down to get a really tight, snug fit. IF your wood cracks or splits due to forcing it, don't fret, stop forcing it .. I have a solution later for this :)
~ take your jewelry saw and gently cut away the tooth pic excess above the handle. This gives you a nice clean finish.










~ On the end of the handle I used my saw and sand paper to make a notch about 1" from the end. This is to secure a piece of leather cording if you want to hang the pic. I sanded down the end for a little design detail.













~ As I mentioned, if you crack you handle while using the tooth pic shimmies I saved my pic by cutting a piece of copper pipe (4mm long) that fit tight over the end of the wood which will prevent the handle from cracking further.
~ voila :)












I hope you enjoy this tut and use your creativity to create your own tools ..

Should you want to purchase a DiBA Cherry Wood hand made soldering pic, you can at my Etsy shop
www.diba.etsy.com

Tuesdays will fluctuate between Tool talk and Techno talk .. I will be talking about tools that we use in jewelry making and the technology tools of the jewelry business. It will switch up each week but I have to warn you, I may stay on the tool topic for Tuesdays to come as I am a self professed tool junkie :)

What is your favorite tool? Do you have just one? I have a few different fav's depending on if I'm working at my bench or at my work table. I think the one that I'm always reaching for when making my beaded jewelry is my battery operated electric bead reamer, this one would be very tough to live without. Hand reamers are available, I have one and never use it. I personally think they are a waste of money.
There's always that bead that isn't drilled quite large enough or is kind of ruff around the edges, this little tool quickly and easily takes care of the job. I keep it along side my selection of pliers, cutters and crimpers. I love the portability of the battery operated one but recently saw a plug in type that looks great for those jobs where you are reaming a lot at a time or for your a stationary work area. You can also use your Foredom or Dremel with a diamond bit or the reamer bit. You want to run your speed fairly low (600 rpm'ish). If you have no control over the speed I would recommend doing this under water or with lubrication, too high an rpm and will heat up your bead and shatter it, not to mention dull your bit real fast).

Tips in using the battery operated:

~ don't try to ram it in the bead, it will stop and get stuck (even with new batteries in it). you want to gently insert the tip into the hole. Before you get all the way snug, start the speed and gently move it in and out until you get the desired diameter. Once you use it a bit you will get used to the amount of pressure you need before it will get stuck.
~ If the tip gets stuck in the bead, gently try to pull it out straight or you will snap off the very tiny tip ending (don't throw this reamer out as you can still use it, just not in a tiny holed bead)
~ For short quick reams, I don't find it necessary to submerge the bead in water while using this tool. Actually I rarely submerge in water.


If you don't have one of these tools, I highly recommend getting one.
Happy reaming!

*** Next Tuesdays Tool talk - a tutorial on making your own maple handle soldering pic ***