Making Steel Chain with 'S' Links


Artful Gathering http://artfulgatheringfest.ning.com has some great classes and some of you know I am taking Keith lo Bue’s class.  http://artfulgatheringfest.ning.com/group/steeling-beauty-with-keith-lo-bue 
I guess I needed a short break from my polymer clay so yesterday and today I made the ‘s’ link chain and continued to make it into a necklace.  My beautiful Crazy Lace bead gives a nice contrast to the wire and will lay asymmetrical on the chain.  The chain is long enough to fit over my head but if I needed to take it apart I can.  The jump ring at the stone slips past the partial ‘s’ component that is glued into the bead hole.
 
I still need to work on making better jump rings that come together exactly.  
Lots of my new knowledge will transfer to my techniques of using brass, silver and copper wire for my jewelry pieces.  That’s what is so great about taking an online class!  I can watch the video until I really ‘get it’ and then experiment with the knowledge.  And if I forget something or need to see the technique again, the DVD goes back into the computer.  This class does have a DVD available and I would recommend that to any instructor giving a class. 
 Keith also suggests making a photocopy of the components in case we need to duplicate or remember how we did a piece.  I’m thinking that would be a good habit to get into for many projects.

The next chain I’m making uses ‘U’ links and when that is finished, I’ll share it.  In the meantime, I have to get back to button making with polymer clay.  Buttons are selling!!








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  1. UnknownAugust 3, 2012 at 7:12 AM

    I love the industrial look the steel gives next to the warm, earthy feel of the bead. This is a nice combination, and I love the idea of recording ideas that way. Genius!

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  2. Linda Britt DesignAugust 3, 2012 at 8:25 AM

    Working with steel requires a different set of tools than finer wire. Steel wire is messier and could ruin good jewelry tools. I'm finding that most of the tools are stuff I had in the garage. The only special tools I needed to get are long nose pliers and a wider bench pin. And a lot of the tools could come from 2nd hand shops. They can be 'used'. I was amazed when I went to Lowe's to buy a pair of large round nose pliers. They consider them 'specialty tools' and said I'd be better off at a second hand or antique store. LOL

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