Pipe Dreams
Jane Wynn

Class Description

My curiosity got the better of me one day while I was watching a plumber fix a leaky bathroom sink. He picked up a piece of pipe and simply attached it to another pipe using solder and a torch. Well, that was all I needed to see!!! I jumped out of my chair and ran to the studio and started playing around with copper and brass pipe. At the end of that day, I managed to create a gaggle of new and simply wonderful pieces of jewelry out of these common household items!

The focus of this workshop will be to create several original pieces of art to wear. Learn how to fashion a pipe bezel pendant, construct a bezel ring, and alter the surfaces using a variety of textural effect including the use of a rolling mill and a dapping block. Experiment with a butane torch and learn more about soldering metal, discover some tricks about pouring resin successfully, and have fun making chain links and wire connections.

Students Should Bring:

• Small pair of needle-nosed pliers
• Metal file for smoothing the edge of your pipe
• Pipe cutter (Harbor Freight makes a Ratcheting tubing cutter which is excellent)
• A small inexpensive hand drill or hole punch (Dremel works too)
• Drill bits (any standard hardware-store set)
• Smooth squishy Nail file sanding block (found in the nail-file section of the beauty isle)
• Tiny charms, pebbles, tiny starfish, beads, for inside your pipe. *Size: under an inch works best.
• Scrap papers for embellishment
• Small anvil or jewelers block

Optional:

• Salvaged old chains or junk jewelry parts
• Small bench vise if you need an extra hand

Class Kit includes:

• Brass and copper metal
• Copper pipe
• Plexi shapes cut to size
• SIlver Solder
• Vintage text sheet
• Steel, brass and copper wIre

Artist Bio