Lockets and hinges [oh, my]

 

Master of Hinges - work by Bronwen Tyler Jones

When I was at art college, doing my foundation degree, I had a thing for hinges.

This odd little crush is reasserting itself somewhat now that there’s no one else around in the studio to tell me to get over it and make some proper jewellery. And so, after recieving a book on the subject for Christmas (an out of print book I might add – somehow scavenged from the ‘net in mysterious circumstances by Mr W) I  have set out to learn to make them properly.

It’s complex, but I’m enjoying the challenge of actually crafting a lot of small elements and fitting them into a whole …

Cut your pieces

Fit the edge to the dome

Solder the dome/edge

Add in a rim

Solder in the rim

File your grooves

Wiring it together …

A careful solder …

Et Voila – hinge!

 

Et Voila - hinge!

… there’s an extra set of knuckles in here that I didn’t remember to photograph. Bacially, the outer tube holds the rotating hinge sections in and prevents them opening full. It’s fiddly, but very neat once it’s all done.

Portholes …

An idea I’m playing with …

Porthole Locket Experiment

Mineral Watch Glass

Creating the Setting

Soldering the setting

Porthole Locket Experiment