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Exped Advice

Testyour metal
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Electroformingis easier than you think and allows you to make your own metal components.
,r Shorri Haab
,, $h.i rs.l.(rron)rDring ]. n!$ rr l l i l c e t r o i o r n r i nig sthc proccss,rf h r i l d l n g u p r r c h r i r c l r t h i e kh v e r o i r n e t , rrln a r r n . n r e n l l r c{ r . i r c r . \ h n \ \r,r1li,hi(ers . r r c\ u i r r h l r t o r e l c . r n , t o r m i n c .S m a l it o v s , g h s s berds. rntl o\r ., isr f\.,nplcs. f i n c c ( n r e \ . r r ie l.lceri,iofnrins is sinrilxr io cl.erro plutineo , nlr elccrropl.rtim gd s I r h i n rd coitins ot nlrr.rl(r'.r i nrcr.illi{ cr f i e c . hlcctirtorninr.rpplics r r r c t r lk r p l . r s t i c , s l . s s .o r ( ) r r r n i . o h i c c N .f , , r i n \ i i n e c . \ i r h e l r c ( r . f . , 1 n i n sr. t r . r N i l c Icrf h . c o D r . \, r d ' , r i h l c f i e e r , , 1j c w r l r y . ( i t p r c i s t h c m c t r l o f e h o i c et o r el..rr(t('nr)ing i(\(lr\ .l'Inf oncn(\. I t p r o r i d c sr s r r r D sh r s c r h r r c a n t h c n h c p l r r e t l s n h * r i t e r n r c t r l ss r c h . r s s r l r c ro r p o l d -F l c e t r o i o r m i n iF sJrirtr h ) . r nc l . e r r i c . l . u r . . n t t h i r . t r u \ c s e o p p e ri o n r t o n r r r c l r o m r h c r n r c Lr furc.o|fer rntc.r tu rhr errhorlf rh(nLrh i r h co b j c . r r o b c c l c e r ( ' f o n r e d ) r n e l c c t r o lti e c l c e t r c i o r n r i ns go l u t i o r . s . . n t . , r n p h e . r ( e dB ?r n i . f I l c i r n c J t r h r r r l l t h r x er v o r l s n c r n t , c l c c t n r h , n D n gs ( m t r l s c . r r r r d , ' \ ( ^ r h c l d l i n s . l h r n n r t c r g i n c e rh r s b r n J . t ) r n , t l c s r g n cr J microprccess,) r r elc! ) lo lodrrng..rnd I w r \ s u r p r i s f (rl r h { n ! e . r \ rr $ . r \ f t ) u \ f . \ \ ' , r h i \ i r i r f l c s . r u p . r D d. b i t , , t p f u . t r . . , I r r n , r r o u n d e l . c r r o t , ) r n i i nc s\ c r \ d r n r g : .hrnns. n r i g s . . l r i c dl l o s c n . s e t r s h c l lIsr.r s I k e R u n ) t f l s r i h s k r r u n n i n $r m o k ! I q u i c k l vl r , u n dr h r t t l c c t r r r i L r r m i n is g .rr.\rrdittA \killi,,Ino\\ .\ r ic\?lfr x f t i s r ,p r o v i d r r r s i uIlrque $ r ) r { )c r l r r . 1 , , u .o M n r c h l . ( ' m f o n c n r s . The nrrn piece oi equrpnren ro ru will reed frr elecrroformingis a porver supply or rc.rificiI)in'smi.!, procesol. r h r [ : ] F t ( , . h , i s . n d r h e !o p r i o n . Thr rrtvantase of thn prciuct is ar it hrs

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r "brllin rhir kerls rh..urf(nr .r rh, \ c r t i n g\ v i r l n n r t dcsircd o\ef inrerv.n r i o n .l r ' sr l s o r c r v s n r i l l ,$ t r i e hi s h , 1 f . ior thc h{me studi(). R e g r r t t l e ro si t h c m r c h r r t c rou ehrr,. b l l o r v t h c ; t c p sl t k r w t o l , e g i n urrr cle!rrontrnring.re Jf nturrl

.l Applying sealer
t rrr I l i ' r r n g . r r'r' r gr r r r ' ' h ; e r r . ,n rhoroushlv d . i c dr f d l c J l l d p r i o r n ) .L.rF,h{nrinr. \lrrcriil\ lik( honc.,,: ' h e l l n r . r rs c e m r o n . p o r r u s ,b u t r h c r \ r l l l r c q u i r ! \ ( t 1 l i n Rl . h c \ c , r l ( rr v i l l $rtcrp(r,i illc rurl.r.c.1\ $ell.r\ k((f rh( obic.t r(nn hr(.rkins . r t . r r ro r r { ! r i.rnrlnxrirg rhcc[.r()n)rn, n)luti(,,. u I i e h n r . r rc h r n g r t h r p f l l c v c l . I t $ 1 t r k i r F\ i t h , r . o r A , r i t !o l , i ( ! r . e o . r ir b c . n t i f u ! u r t r . f ! v i r h. r l x v e r , ' i . r . f f l i c \ t . r l ( ( s u e h, r \ r \ x r c r ' h x s e d . , , r r i . B o r I l o d l ' ( s e .) ( ) ! e . u i l i , u s f l x r n i \ h . L . r r h c o b i e c td r r .

materials
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. (llrhL-r glov s and eyeprotectro. . snra Daslc.!t ass or o,ganic ob,ecl t ac'Y c sea-Ar of vam sh !r lh panlbrush llor arrorgancobje.lr ' cofdlclrle Drrnlwnr pahlb.ush . grass or plaslc beakeror gass o 8 g a l g ac o p p ew r r o. o . o , coppcrsheel, lo tt dsdc lreakor . 26 or 28.!la,! non coaled f s ! a t e d . o p p ew rorrr re . e e.lr.norm solrron.orcoDlror . panrny sp't vroode.clropsl|r:jks . povr r slppy. slch as a rectilrer or .6

@ For Shenfutop 5 tips on elsctrotorming and plating, seeher onlinearticlein our Resource Guido at BeadAndButton.com/resources.

A ' i $ , i , , n rI.n , f l i . \ . . , ,, J L " r , ' " t i , n i d i k . \ r h en r i i . e o i r h ( o b l e c r ! , ) r d u c r i r ( u r r h t e l e . t r o i l t r n r i np sr o . ( ' . T h c r ei r c n r i n l r ) t , f s o i c ( , f d u c r i \ r p.rirts, s u e hr s s i l r r r . e o p p r r . e r r p h i r . l i e q u . r - .r n d $ r i r r h r s e d .I u \ ! r l l \ . h , r N c B r x f h i t ep x i n r . s i r t ) ! ) f i d e s hish initiil condu.nyry. l ) r i n i . r l . r \ . r o t . ( { r d u . r i \r p r i . r w h . r e v e r\ o t r N r n i r o r d d . ( ' t l l e r . l h e p . t i n tm u s ts u r r o u n L tl h e p i r e ei n s o n r c $.rr or it $';llnor,ldherc.Il inrg in {,rArnic o b i ! c r ,c o i t t h e s c a l e d lavcr $ i r h c o n d u e n y .p r i n r .t c r r h . o b j e . r .rrr dn: lHc.rring ro rprcd rh. p.oces\ n , r y c r u s cb u b b l e s r n t h e s , r f r c e ,y , s l , ) $ a i r d r ! u s i s h ( s r . ) - \ p p l yr s e c { , r l J

4) Applying conductive paint

20

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t scrthcpuwcr !ufnlye currcnt ro low; a goodrulr of thumbis to start rvith about-50 rnilliamtsper square inch (mA/sqinch).Adjusrthe power sLrpply according ro rhemanufacturer's instructions to miintain thatcurrent. Checkth( obicctifter I5 minures to sccifli uniformcoating ofcoppcr is formingon rheob,e r. Ar this point, thecu.rert c.n bc incrcirscd to rround 100mtsq inch ro spced the process, objects. especially for larger Higher producc Cr atlng the anode currents r norc granulnr, less Lin th inside of a glass or plasiic shinysurface Also,sharpor texrurc. (alternatively, you canusca glass smallprotruding will cxpcrience beaker areas wirh i coilof 5o.8-sauge higher so you may see canning current densiry, i.t wire,or usea piece grainy, gfowrhs copp r of sheet crysralline in those areas. copp rfitr dig.inst rheinsidc w.rllof As rhecopperis deposircd, )ou may the beaker. This coppcrwill scrve.s norice vxri.rionsin rhc ctrrrent and from whichmetalionswill mayneed the anode to adjustyour powc supply Lenve some transfer to your object. accordinglyi the E.3-Efoln unit makes copper sricking strni8hr out of the iar. these adjustmcnts automitically. Depcnding on bow drickyou want Addlngihe solutlon to form the metal, electroforuring can Pourrhecleetrofornr solurioninro takeanywhere betwcen two and t0 the beakcr ro covcrthe copper coil or houn. Removc the objectwhenthe sheet,leaving somemet.l cxposed at desired memlthickness is achieved. rherop.Slipthc wirc conductor added in step3 between rwo prrtiallr split Fini8hlng (photob), nnd rvrip ir once chopsricks I renovedmy le.f.ftcr rhreehou.s or nvicearoundoneof thc chopsticks. {photod). Rinse rheobicd wirh distilled watcr, remove and the wi.e conducror, pat Suspendlng ths oblect dry. You can now usc ihe finished A +t lcodfrom copper-coated ro crcate 3 iewelry Lf Clipthered(posrn.c, objecr the powersupplyro thecopper or design, or you thc coil canelecrroplate sheer sticking out of the be:ker. Holding objecr wirh olhcr metals. o

copper rvire V Anacha non-coated to the objecrby rvrapping it aroundor loopingir rhroughthc obiectThe wire !vill conducr electricity duringelectrofornine andmusrbein contnct with the condrctive paint.Soneconductive paint onto thewire whcreit canbe brushed connects to the objectto ensurc that the *ire andobjectcondsct asone. Thewi.e canbeanyBauSer I wrapped wne rround a leaf 28-gauge copper stemin photoa. You canusehervier wire,or wrap heavy wire overthin wire to add bulk to the objectand kccpit from driftingor floatingwhcn in rheelectroform suspended solution. You canalsoelecroformmultiple objects of thesame sizeby attaching r lvire ro eich objecr ind bundling lhe wiresinto a single twhtedstem. make sure the objects dont touch Just anodcwh;le eachothcror thc coppcr

2 Attaching the conductor

thechopsricks, lowertheobiectinto the solurion. The objectshouldbecent red in rhebeaker so rharir does not tou h rhecopper coil or sbeet, and thechopshouldresracross sticks rhetop of the beake..When theobiectis properly suspended, tapcthe chopsricks together ro hold ir there. Connecr the black (neeative,) leadfrom the powersupply to the wire conductor whercir sticks (photoc). out ofthe chopsticks

the current 7 Introducing

Shetri Haab is a best-seing author of25 uaft booAs, She is a L,ell-knou" ifttructot, leadinq craft aid iepelrybqking wotkshops t'ltenatioka y, and liues with het fadily ii SPti"gui e, Utah, in the U.S. Contact het at shetti@shertihaab.con, or uisit her website, shettihaab.cont.

ww.BeadAndBunon.cdn Februarv 2011

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