Jewelry Cleanup after Casting

The Raw Casting

After a ring is cast into metal it has this casting skin on it that prevents the metal from shining. Also the surface is semi smooth for smooth waxes and a little more rough for waxes that were not that smooth before casting. The color is also a little different. Just after casting the metal is a bit oxidized which means it’s black on the surface with a hint of the metal color mixed in. It needs to be “pickled” or put into some acid that will get rid of the black surface and make the metal a nicer color. For silver that is a dull white and for 14k yellow gold it’s a dull yellow. Now it’s ready to go to the cleanup process where the casting skin can be taken off.

Just after casting. The ring is now ready to go into the “pickle” or acid to get the black surface to a clean surface.

These silver castings have already been pickled to a dull white color. Some of them have been cut off the tree.

The cleanup process

Cleaning up the jewelry after casting can be a lot of work, but it’s rewarding. Bands are probably the easiest to clean up. Some engagement rings can be very difficult and time consuming. So let me explain the process so you can have a better idea. I’ll go through the general idea.

After a ring is cast the sprue has to be cut off which is where the metal was poured into the impression of the ring (see the image above). You do that by grinding it off until smooth with the rings surface. I usually will get it as close as I can, but not quite all the way. I can then use a finer grinder or even a file to help file it down. Then sand paper at various grits can be used to get the surface super smooth. This is the general idea. I’ll go over wedding bands and engagement rings in the next parts.

Sanding the sides of a ring after it had been blackened.

Wedding Bands

So wedding bands are usually simple and straight forward. Again, once cut off it has to be grind down so that it’s non existent. As you get close to the actual ring surface while grinding you have to slow down and take your time and use less aggressive methods. Then the whole ring has to be done in this way to get every surface clean and smooth as possible. Now it’s ready for polishing.

Silver rings that have been blackened and a light satin finish applied. Ready for polishing.

Engagement Rings

Engagement rings are sometimes a bit trickier to clean up. For these more difficult rings you need to used small files or even a small amount of sand paper wrapped around the tip of a mini file to smooth hard to reach areas. Also using a rubber wheel can help out a lot. This is attached to your flex shaft. It spins very fast and can speed things up if you are careful. Leaving it too long in one spot can dig into the surface and ruin it. So be careful and take your time. There are times you even need to use dental floss with polish on it to polish up hard to reach areas. Although there are some places you can’t get to there is a solution to at least brighten it up. Using a magnetic tumbler with tinny steel needle like pieces are used to tumble the ring and get those non accessible areas. Once the ring is cleaned up to the best of your ability and as smooth as it can be it’s ready for polishing.

Rendering of a platinum engagement ring I designed many years ago.

Conclusion

Cleanup after casting a ring is a very important process to go through. This will determine how much easier the next step of polishing will become. It makes the ring clean and free of blemishes and rough surfaces getting it ready for polishing. I have to say that I don’t think many people know what’s involved in getting a ring ready for final viewing. Usually it’s seen as a highly polished and perfect piece of jewelry, but it wasn’t always like that. It is quite the process that takes progressive steps along the way until its shine goes through. I hope this explanation helps a little bit to visualize the process and maybe think about the craftsmanship that goes into making a finished jewelry piece.

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Lost Wax Casting

What is lost wax casting? I’m glad you asked because I’d love to explain what this is. It’s a process in which you take a wax, invest it and then cast metal into where the wax was. This is the most simple explanation. I’ll go into more depth in just a minute.

So I’ve been casting my own silver for a long time now. I enjoy it very much. I feel it helps me fell more complete as an artist. This is because I am able to do the whole process myself. I design something in my head or on paper and then can build it in CAD without having to rely on someone else’s ideas or influence the design. I also don’t have to micromanage a designer to pull out what’s in my head. I can then get a precision wax made of what I built in CAD. From there the wax is sprued up into a wax tree. This tree can then be weighed and covered in a metal flask. The investment is then mixed and poured into the flask. Once dried the rubber bottom is then removed and you’ll see the wax sitting there. You put that part face down inside the kiln. During this process the wax melts out and leaved the impression of the art piece. Once it finishes an 8 hour cycle and brought down to the proper temperature, the flask is removed and placed on the vacuum cast machine. There are other types of casting machines, but vacuum casting is the method I use. I then take silver and heat it up to the proper temperature and then pour it into the flask where the wax once was. The silver solidifies and cools off. I can then quench it in a bucket of water and remove the silver casting. If everything worked as it should, the jewelry item is with all the details the wax had. Then the sprues (which are the wax rods that connect the opening where the silver is poured in to the jewelry item) are cut off and the jewelry item can be cleaned up and finished. It’s a lengthy process that is very rewarding as an artist. I do not cast gold even though I could and have before. This is because it’s a bit costly for me right now. Maybe in the future I can. Anyway, that is the process of the lost wax casting. I hope you enjoy the process.

A little update on life

So the holidays were great! It’s a wonderful time of year where we can all enjoy good spirits and family. Now that the new year has started I have hopes that life will continue to grow and expand and mature as the year goes on. I will go through what my plans are for this year.

First off Dana Arts will be posting a new design every month for this year. Keep an eye out for these new and exciting designs. I love designing and want to keep the flow of creativity going through the year. This means creating new design even when there are so many other things I have to take care of in life and in the business. I hope you will be as excited as I am to see each new design as the become available. I’ll try and promote each one through the month so you can have a look at it. I hope to grow Dana Arts this year as much as possible. I need your help to spread the word and continue buying rings that you love. Every bit helps when you are a small business like me with no employees.

American Flag Star ring with and eagle on the inside.

The Garden House. Well the plans were submitted on December 8th. I called today and it has gone through various steps and it’s in the actual plan review stage. They say it will now take another 30-40 business days. Really? They blame it on the holidays and being backed up. They say they are a week ahead and we should have them reviewed by the end of February. That’s a total of 3 months. Wow! I really hope there are no revisions that have to be done because each revision will take another 2 weeks for them to review and hopefully I won’t need weeks to make the changes, but it’s possible. I’m starting to have the feeling the house will not be completed before my son returns from El Salvador in November. I was trying so hard to make that happen, but it will be close. I’m so tired of waiting. Once the plans are approved I know things will move forward and wont' worry so much.

The Garden at the Garden House. Well I have finished the second strip of garden box. They are both 5ft by 15ft. The next ones will be a little longer. I need to pull weeds and then start mixing the dirt. I would like to get a few more done before spring planting. The new Home Depot just opened here in San Tan Valley so I can make shorter trips for the things I need. for building, so that is a plus.

The driveway. We need to be working on this. I have a friend that will come help me cut some 23” pipe that will hopefully go in at the front of the driveway. I need to destroy a little of the old cement of the old spot for the pipe so this new one can go in it’s place. I then would like to brick lay the end of it and then fill the top with cement. The top cement layer will be thin as this pipe is in reality too big and should be smaller, but that is what size is there and our wonderful neighbor is so kind and generous to give us that pipe. So I’m humbly thankful for their generosity. Once the driveway is fixed we can get rid of all the trash that is on the property. It will feel good to have it cleaned up a bit more. Each new stage is challenging and I am up for it. This is where I want to live and improving the land is a way to make life happier.

We all need something in life that keeps us going and keeps us happy. For me it’s believing in God and Jesus Christ and all they do for me as I strive to follow the gospel that has been taught. My family and the joy they bring to me everyday. My work that to me isn’t really work, but play time. My new home where I can create a place of peace and beauty for my family and I. A place of safety where we can all grow together. This is what life is all about. With this we can also then think about serving and helping others the best we can and know how to. We are all here on this journey through life and it’s wonderful to serve and help others the best we can. It only lifts our souls and make life that much easier and joyful. I hope this year that we all can progress together on this journey of life to live it to it’s fullest.

Always a little progress is good

Things are moving along slowly, but to me any progress is good. I was able to figure out where some of the electricity is going. I got electricity working in the shed I want to tare down and possibly rebuild. I also got a telephone pole that has a light on it working. It had extra wires I disconnected that I have no idea where they go and are not live. I also would like to redo some wiring because it all looks so old and falling apart. Probably not very safe. There is one light near the shop that I tore down and need new wiring and a new light. That will be done soon.

The guy I’m going to hire to use machinery to help clean up the land has cancelled our scheduled date. It should be happening again next weekend. Until then I’ll continue working at it one day at a time cleaning up as much as I can. For now I’ve included an image to show you the vision I have for the property.

I haven’t had any sales this past month so I’m taking advantage of the time to polish up some designs I had cast months ago. This gives me the time to work in other areas of my business that need work on. So expect to see some new designs come out soon. That is always good. :) It’s been hard to find all the little miscellaneous things I need to work smoothly. For example I want to take pictures of some new designs and I can’t find my white box that I made to do that. My lighting is also not easily accessed. I now have to find a new way or make and find a new spot to do my jewelry photography. It’s those little things that sometimes can be big and make a difference. It’s a lot like life in general sometimes. My new goals are to do as I’m doing along with trying to find new ways to promote my designs. Not sure how yet, but as I try and figure it out, my hopes are that my mind will be enlightened with ideas as to how I should proceed. I see it all the time that people quit their jobs and start their own businesses and manage to survive. I’ve been doing this for well over 20 years and I still can’t manage to survive (good thing I’m not surviving off it). I think the one main difference is not product or design, but promotion. I can design and make beautiful things, but I don’t know how to promote myself. That is the main issue. Once I push my boundaries in that area and find a way to put myself out there, I will probably then find a way to survive. Let’s hope I can do that sooner than later. I don’t want to be a huge business, just one that I can make a living from. Anyway, I am thankful for all of those people that have supported my over the years by buying my art. Each sale is so important to me and I am thankful for each and every one of you. Thank you!

My Personal Jewelry Design Favorites

I have so many favorites that it’s hard to choose my top favorites, but I’ll give it a try. Some of the ones that I choose may not be the popular ones that I sell so it does not reflect on sales or what you as a customer may or may not like. This will just go over a few of my personal likes.

The first one on my list is this round silver ring with a very intricate knot that is broken up by a bud like pattern. I love how the bud or flowering bud breaks out and sits in the middle of the Celtic Knot. The simple pattern stands out from the highly detailed weave that the knot creates. The next cool thing I like about it is the inner edges of the ring and how the simple grooved twist adds to the overall design and look of the ring. Although hidden when worn, it’s the idea of knowing it’s there and how cool it makes the ring be. This ring I named Celtic Pride because I feel the emerging or flowering bud represents a sense of pride coming out with the roots of Celtic culture and way of life at it’s deep roots base from the inside out.

Celtic Knot Bud Ring — Celtic Knot silver band with decorative inside

This one is another favorite that I love. Yes, another Celtic knot ring. This is so basic. To me it has a clean look. The knot comes out form the ring a little bit so you can feel the knot on your finger. It doesn’t hurt, but reminds you of why you wanted to have this ring in the first place. A wedding ring that reminds you you are married. How about that. It’s a wide ring which also shows off the pattern very well. The knot also has a U shape profile so the black in the ring is a more gradual faded look. I like the old world look and this gives a nice feel to it. Just something I’d enjoy wearing allowing others to see my choice in style.

Intricate Celtic Knot silver ring — Sterling Silver Celtic Knot Wedding Band or Everyday Ring

Another ring I love is this really wide Laotion inspired ring. It’s probably the widest ring I’ve made, but very comfortable. It’s comfort fit and feels so smooth to slip on. It looks thin from the edges, but packs a lot of details into it. The buds are a traditional design element that I’ve seen so many times in textiles and building, etc. while I lived over in Laos. I wanted to incorporate it into a ring that could be worn. I feel this does justice to show off this really neat pattern with the most 3d effect I could give it. The black background really make the design pop. It’s just one of my favorite designs.

wide Lao comfort fit ring design — Laotion Inspired wide silver ring

I can keep going on and on so I’ll just do a few more. This really is so hard since I love so many. I made this with the idea of pressing leaves into the metal. Although I did not use actual leaves to make the impressions technology has allowed me to still express myself in new ways. I was able to use computer software to take a leaf image and press it into the CAD design file. I then am able to make a wax from it and cast it into this beautiful ring. The leaves also flow to the inside of the ring which makes this design so unique. I love all those leaves and how down to earth it makes me feel. One with nature all the way. :)

Impressed leaves of nature silver ring — Silver leaf impressions ring

Here is another really cools ring. I call this the quadrilateral ring. It’s got these shapes that are all different all the way around the ring. They are not repeated and the unique pattern is so cool. The square rings are so comfortable to wear. I also love the corners of the inside and edges of the ring. The pattern there also gives this ring an overall great look. This one was fun to design.

Paradise California has a special place in my heart. I grew up there and it saddens me to think of the disaster of the Camp Fire that literally wiped the town away. Although I don’t live there anymore, I have family still there that went through all the pain of the fire. Even for those still there it can’t be easy with nothing around or the constant reminder of what happened or no friends or places to visit, or the way of life as you knew it all gone. The rest of my family will soon move away from there, but I’ll still in my heart be connected. When i go visit Chico California to visit more family I think I’ll always make a trip back to Paradise to see the progress of what the New Paradise will become.

This Pendant is of the sign as you entered into the town. I designed wings lifting it up as this has so much meaning to it. I love this piece of jewelry and wear it often. So not only do I like the design it has personal meaning behind it too.

Paradise Californa Pendant — Paradise California Medallion pendant in Sterling Silver

So like I’ve said, I can go on and on. I have too many favorites. So I would suggest just browsing my collections to choose your favorites. I am a small company as it’s just me doing all the work from end to end so if you like my designs and work then please spread the word. That is the biggest help I could get as I try and grow. Thank you for reading this and I hope you have all enjoyed a little more explanation about some of these designs I create. I sure love it and do my best to create quality work and design.

And Happy Thanksgiving to everyone! I hope you enjoy some family time. I’m sure I will. Chau

So Many Patterns

Over the years I have been building up a library of patterned rings. I first started out doing these because I felt it was safe and cheaper than working with large diamonds that I could not afford. As time went on I have continued building these rings and have found a real joy in making them. I get inspired in many different ways and try to create a variety of styles hoping to have a little something for everyone. Although I’m not very known and have a long way to go, it doesn’t stop me from continuing to create what I love. Owning a variety of rings is fun and brings a different feel for different occasions.

Ok so lets get into passion. My hope is that other people will also develop a passion for this type of wearable art. When I create a pattern that works it uplifts me and makes me admire the beauty. I could say the same about any art out there. I guess if you are an art lover you can appreciate the talent, inspiration and hard work that goes into making a piece. I like to mention again wearable art. I love this concept because it means that you are able to keep it with you and enjoy it on the go. It doesn’t have to be something that just sits at home, but can be enjoyed in those small moments when you glance down and see the art right at your hands. I don’t just love what I do or create. I also love all those talented people out there that have their own passion whether it be music, art, crafts, engineering, gardening, or anything out there that someone just loves and has a passion for. When someone has a passion for something you can see and feel the affects of it reflect in their work. The attention to detail and the way it all flows together is magical and just uplifts the spirits.

As an artist it’s not always all that wow and powerful inspiration that explodes out and creates these wonderful works. More times than not I’m looking for inspiration and there are many days when you have to work hard for it and even then it goes no where. That is when all the hard work comes in because as I struggle to find what works the journey carries me to find something that finally flows together and it beautiful. Those are the moments when I feel the best. When I can look back and be happy with what I’ve done. Now there are times too when I look back at old pieces I’ve created and really don’t like what I’ve done anymore. I have to also admit that there are pieces of art that I’ve created that I’m not all that satisfied with, but I put it out there and move on from it. Interestingly sometimes other people find those pieces as something they like and are inspired to gravitate towards. Or I feel like this is the one and I so love it, but other people don’t seam to care for it. So I guess the best thing is to keep trying and trying. And that is what I’ve been doing over the years. As you can see I have developed a wide variety of patterns. Some are better than others, but when I look at this image and see the diversity in them I can’t help but to feel a sense of wow. Look at that. In those days of grinding and making I at times loose that sense of what I’m doing and when I look back I can now see it is mounting up to something.

I don’t know the future and don’t know if I’ll ever be successful at being able to do what I love full time on my own. I do know that I have a passion and that drive to keep going. So even if I keep going til the end of my life I’ll be satisfied with the knowledge that I at least tried and never gave up. That may be bad business practice, but as most artists this is more than a business. It’s my passion and I can’t stop and will always find a way to create some form of art that can be worn or shared with others. Inspiring and uplifting to the soul.

More about me

So I wanted to share a little more about who I am as a person and business. I grew up in Paradise California. It was a great place to grow up. I had a small creek behind my house where I play in a lot. I had friends within walking distance. Hills and trees everywhere making it a beautiful place to be. Early on I was interested in art. I remember going to Johnny apple seed day as a kid. I loved seeing the floats go down Sky Way and seeing vendors with handmade crafted items. I have always made little things out of leather or bracelets out of string. As I grew older I ventured into even more. In college I studied art and loved learning new techniques and new ideas to be more creative. I love camping too. I moved to Arizona to work at Anasazi Foundation which is a wilderness survival treatment program for youth. This is where I learned not only to help youth to see and hopefully find the right path in life, but to grow myself in new amazing ways. I also learned a lot more about primitive survival and crafts as a way of life along with leather working, pottery, bow making, flint napping, and survival.

When I got married to my beautiful wife I moved into jewelry making. I have never looked back. It’s fun and creative. I now design in CAD software where I’m allowed to be free to create anything and have it made into reality. I would love to turn my hobbies into a business, but I have never really had the time to make that work out. Lots of these crafts take up so much time that they really are not valued as they should be.

I have been making jewelry for over 20 years and still love it. For years I’ve wanted to make an about video to explain about me and my business. I’ve always wanted it to be more than just jewelry as I love so many crafts. I hope to share some of what I like and for you to get to know what I like. This way you might be able to understand me better as an artist. I did not include everything, but hopefully it captures a little something interesting about me. Enjoy!

Get to know me - Dana Arts

Ring Design

I recently had someone at the Arizona Bridal Show ask me what inspires my designs. I love designing rings. There are many ways to create or come up with a new design. Personally I go through stages and work with different methods to get ideas or to just jump in and design. I’ll try and explain a few of these stages I go though.

Lately I have not looked for ideas or inspiration and just open up something like sketchbook pro (which is now free to everyone) where I then turn on symmetry and sketch out a pattern. Unfortunately most of my drawings look better as a sketch than turned into 3d. Once in 3d though I can see it and make changes as needed as I develop the idea. This method is fun and my mind can be free. Most patterns sketched in this method just come from my head. There is no other way to put it. My ideas are inspired by more ideas as I just start sketching patterns.

So that leads me to sometimes just opening up my CAD (computer aided design) program and pull out a blank band to just start playing with ideas. This method takes longer at times. I sometimes just take old patterns and change them up and start to put them on the ring. From there things just start happening and I guess each object that I add develops into the next one until its done. This I feel I have lots of freedom to push and pull to my satisfaction. Zbrush is another program that I use to sculpt and am allowed to be free with my ideas.
Another method is to browse the internet. I love just looking at nature patterns. Some ideas come from floral wood carvings. Sculpture and other crafts that have great talented people. Lots of times these large pattern I see inspire me to make something similar, but on a smaller and more simplified way. you can only pack so much detail into such a small thing such as a ring.
Sometimes inspiration comes from just being with family or going out. As I see a pattern on someones clothing or I see a rug with a cool pattern, or a cool pattern in the tree bark. So many ways to come up with ideas. I will usually just try out and play with the ideas that jump out at me. That is called inspiration. I get excited and that is when I start to experiment with those ideas. From there it leads to one of the methods above like sketches or just jumping into CAD.

So there you have it. Those are some ways I design when inspired to create. Here are some rings that I will be adding to my site soon. I just need to photograph them and add them to my site. This does take a while, but then that gives you something to look forward to, right?

Some New Designs I have not fully added to my website yet.

Bridal Show and Craft Fairs

So I’m always trying to improve. I am always pushing and pushing to grow my business and most of the time feels like I’m having fun even if it’s not really growing. As long as I’m enjoying the ride, I think that is what’s important.

So I’ve decided to try something new. For those that have never seen my art in person, now’s your chance. December 21st 2019 I will be in a 10 x 10 booth over at the Queen Creek Family Market. 21802 S Ellsworth Rd., Queen Creek, AZ 85142 which is outside the Queen Creek Library. Come and enjoy looking around and pass by if you’d like to see some of my rings and other crafts on display. It’s open from 9am to 2pm and it’s a Saturday.

I will have some new makeup bags or whatever you want to put in them bags available along with many other products. I so wish I had more time to make more, but I’ll bring what I can. :)

Also I will be going to a bridal show over in the Phoenix Convention Center. This will be January of 2020 on the 11th and 12th. I’m in booth #644. Come by if you’d like to see or try on some rings. It will be a fun time. Mark your calendars. I think it’s $12 to get in.

This is something new to me and I don’t have it all figured out yet. This is one way I’m pushing myself to grow. I could use your support if you will be around during those busy times of year. I’ll post about this again as it gets closer to the event, but I just wanted to get this out early on so you can plan for it. :)

Beads and Necklaces

I just love old trade beads. There is something about them that makes me inspired and excited to start creating. I have not done so in a very long time. I pulled out a few beads and it’s starting again. I am wanting to start creating more necklaces with my beads. Some past chokers that I use also have inspired me to make more of them too. Let’s hope it’s enough to push me into action. lol. It’s so relaxing to make them though. I have, off and on, been making beaded necklaces since high school around 30 years ago. It’s more of a hobby, but I can only make so many for myself, right? So as start up again, I’ll start to add them to my site so if you don’t feel up to making them you can just buy them. :)

There are so many cool beads out there. I do my best to make a strong and durable product. I think over the years making jewelry for a living has really helped me develop my skill set as a craftsman. I feel I don’t have to worry so much about the tools and how to go about it. It’s now more about that I have the skill set so what do I create? Anything is possible as long as I have the supplies and imagination. As I’ve gone through my beads I feel that I really don’t have that many. At least not as many as I wish I had. They are quite expensive, but it’s like a bug. I could spend money on beads just because they look cool to me and never use them for anything. So terrible! Well I hope I can start creating something with what I have so it’s not sitting around anymore and so I can go out and buy more. :)

Here are some of the chokers. The first two in the image are mine from years and years back. I love wearing them even though I get a few strange looks around town. The blurred one in the background is a four strand brass bead, bone and leather choker. I strung it with real sinew cordage that I made. It’s very nice. I hope to vary these up and make a bunch more. These are fun to make and they last a very very long time. Soon I’ll have some available for purchase. Let me know if you have any ideas on a choker that you may like and I’ll see what I can do. That’s it for this month. Just trying to find time to create. Life gets in the way sometimes and it’s hard to get the time I need to be creative. I guess a little here and there is better than nothing. :)