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Post by liveoak on Oct 28, 2023 10:00:54 GMT -5
Heart Project OK, I'll admit it I can be a slow learner, so when I entered the benefit contest I knew I wanted to submit a heart - but I had to learn to make one first. Knowing that the Plasma agate was mixed hardness, I just grabbed any slab I had, that looked like I could learn something from. I made 11, before cutting my final entry. So 12 in all. Someone mentioned the term "making pots" which is all I could think of - but it worked. It seemed right to send zoo Ashley a thank you for her help with the bench project, and fitting to use one of my hearts. I'm planning to send her an extra one, unwrapped, for her to "seed" the "Ladmo" bag at the zoo, after the dust settles from the bench install. Hearts are difficult both to make & to wrap, certainly for me, and until quite recently (Thanks Tela) I never have seen a wrap I personally prefer. On this one, I made a soldered armature out of 3 heart shaped 18 gauge wires and then wove the border to it. Getting the armature the exact right size was tricky & took a couple of tries, and I did one of those "back myself in a corner" kind of thing on how to close up the back, as weaving onto the border after the cab was in place was pretty much impossible - but it finally came to me how to deal with it and in the end worked out pretty good. (or at least I'm happy with it)
Thanks for looking,
Patty
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Post by chris1956 on Oct 28, 2023 10:19:45 GMT -5
Those look great! How do you polish the indentation on the top? I have tried making a few but that is a hard area to get the polish right.
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Post by liveoak on Oct 28, 2023 10:27:25 GMT -5
Those look great! How do you polish the indentation on the top? I have tried making a few but that is a hard area to get the polish right. Thanks Chris -
With great difficulty 
Seriously the cleavage is a tough area and you have to use everything available- grind with diamond burs, polish with buffs on a flex shaft, diamond paste, edge of your wheels, etc - what ever works, and it depends on the size of the cab & the amount of cleavage.
I do save some time on the front end & cut my pre-forms on a bandsaw. But finishing it takes the time & you can't hide it if it ain't right. (DAMHIKT)
Patty
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dillonf
fully equipped rock polisher
Hounding and tumbling
Member since February 2022
Posts: 1,622
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Post by dillonf on Oct 28, 2023 11:05:06 GMT -5
They look beautiful, and that is very thoughtful.
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Post by rockjunquie on Oct 28, 2023 11:05:36 GMT -5
Patty- believe it or not- I have yet to cut a heart. Mostly because I don't like wrapping them. You, my friend, did a damn fine job and the pendant is to die for. It's simply gorgeous! The design is ingenious, the wrapping is flawless and the weaving is perfection! Super sweet! I know Ashley will love it. I love the idea of sending another heart for hiding.  |
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Post by liveoak on Oct 28, 2023 11:50:44 GMT -5
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Post by liveoak on Oct 28, 2023 11:53:03 GMT -5
Thank you Tela.  I just hope Ashley likes it as much as you seem to 
Patty
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Post by susand24224 on Oct 28, 2023 16:17:02 GMT -5
liveoak Patty, I'm usually not a big heart fan but you have definitely softened my opinion on that. Most of the ones I have seen have been gussy and irritating, but yours is perfection. Two things really caught my eye (I'm already used to your flawless weaving so that's not one of them). First, I am in awe that you had the perseverance to get those three base wires so perfect, and second, I love your creativity (which was also quite practical) in finishing on the back. I don't think it could have gotten any better, and I'm sure Ashley will wear it with pride and memories.
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Post by liveoak on Oct 28, 2023 17:23:40 GMT -5
Thank you Susan @susan24224. I can't agree more about gussy up hearts- which is what drove me to invent something that might work. I wanted to let the heart shape just speak for itself. For the armature wires, I actually made a plastic template of the exact cab shape, that I could bend the wires around - which was a starting point. But perseverance is right - as I found out making the inner wire a tiny bit too small hid too much of the cab, and the outer border wires too big & the whole thing look clumsy, and/or didn't hold the stone anymore. It was a trial and error & after 3 tries in very slightly different sizing, I was really glad it worked out at the end. 
I'm absolutely certain it could be better - but with any luck I leaned something which hopefully will help the next one along.
Thanks for your kind words. Patty |
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Post by hummingbirdstones on Oct 28, 2023 18:58:06 GMT -5
That is such a sweet pendant, Patty liveoak! You killed it. |
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Post by liveoak on Oct 28, 2023 19:42:20 GMT -5
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Post by victor1941 on Oct 29, 2023 9:51:13 GMT -5
Great wrap that is very professional.
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Post by liveoak on Oct 29, 2023 10:14:43 GMT -5
Thank you Victor, victor1941 . I was pretty happy with the way it came out. Thanks for looking & your kind words, Patty |
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Post by jasoninsd on Oct 29, 2023 11:52:17 GMT -5
Very thoughtful idea on that Patty!
I think this is one of your finest wraps (which I have seen) to date! It's gorgeous!
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Post by drocknut on Oct 30, 2023 9:35:18 GMT -5
Awesome wrap and awesome idea. Those hearts are beautiful. I'd say you succeeded in making a masterpiece and showed what a big heart you have. ♥️
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Post by liveoak on Oct 30, 2023 10:42:10 GMT -5
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iamchris
has rocks in the head
Member since June 2023
Posts: 722
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Post by iamchris on Oct 31, 2023 7:02:47 GMT -5
Props to you for all that preparation and practice! They all look really good. Phenomenal job on the wrapping!
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Post by liveoak on Oct 31, 2023 11:06:08 GMT -5
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... to the New Guys from The ChatBox V.2 Crew