Cuff bracelets

©2019 Barry Smith - Silver-plated cuff bracelet on polishing cloth with small corrosion spot

I recently sold my last cuff bracelet made from high quality silver-plate that i usually cut from vintage silver-plated placemats if I have them in my metal stash.

With judicious cutting I can  get 4 bracelet blanks with good pattern out of such a placemat. Sometimes salt has been spilt on the placemat and that erodes the silver. This placemat was pretty good - just a couple of small corrosion spots.

©2019 Barry Smith  - Backs of blanks marked ready for bending

©2019 Barry Smith - Front of blanks - couple of corrosion spots evident

I used my new vice bending tool to get really accurate bends.

©2019 Barry Smith  - Four blanks bent to 90 degrees

To reduce the hammer marks on the pattern I covered the metal with duct tap and did all the heavier hammering with the tape on.

©2019 Barry Smith  - Blanks gently folded in the vice - covered in duct tape

©2019 Barry Smith  - Fold forming finished on the anvil using a soft nylon mallet

©2019 Barry Smith  - Unfolded and then set on the anvil

The forms were bent over a 50mm aluminium pipe held in the vice; and the final hammering and polishing was done gently. With the gently hammering and adjusting three really good cuffs were made and one other that has a couple of small corrosion spots.

©2019 Barry Smith  - Ground, polished and ready for bending into bracelet shape

©2019 Barry Smith  - Bent and given another polish on the workbench

©2019 Barry Smith  - One of the best - no corrosion spots

©2019 Barry Smith - Trio of cuffs on the workbench

It is good to have a few of these classic simple cuff bracelets back in stock.