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Not at the beginning no, I was annealing. The metal must be annealed as it is stretched and worked. Depletion guilding is typically done at the end right before polishing to bring out that fine silver as you said. Hope this helps.

@@randysmithfabrications2731 Goootcha, thank you so much! Gorgeous ring!

You’re welcome

No, it contains baking soda and water and it’s used to neutralize the pickling solution. It does strip surface copper away, which is why the water turns blue but that’s a good thing because it brightens up the silver.

This particular hammer doesn’t have interchangeable heads like you are describing, I bought it as is, but I know of which hammer you are talking about. I think I ordered my hammer on Amazon but I can’t remember exactly, sorry. The stippling I’m doing is actually not a Foredom attachment, it’s an old school metal engraver I got from my dad. It’s what he use to use to engrave our names and phone numbers on our bicycles when we were kids. Hope that helps, good luck.

Thanks very much!!

Thank you

Unfortunately, the antler is not strong enough to hold up on its own and even this ring with a 1 mm thick silver band eventually bent and broke. Now I make them with much stronger inner silver bands, so that they survive and last a long time. Yes I’ve used many different kinds of sawdust with CA glue, they make for a great insert.

Thank you

That’s what I did, I’ve extended the length of my dowels three times since I made this video as my plier collection grew. 👍

Brady actually lost this 😢 ring but I learned a new technique to add to my repertoire 😉 Thanks for the comment.

Thank you for the comment. Trying things out of my comfort zone is how I learned 😉

Thank you 🙏 I really appreciate that. I do sell these, I could make you one if you like. They are $150. You can email me at randysmithfabrications@yahoo.com, just reference your comment here in the email.

The end plates are 4” wide by 6.75” tall made out of 0.5” thick plexiglass. The 0.5” wooden dowels I used were recently upgraded and are now 14” long because my collection of pliers has grown, which is exactly why I designed it this way.

@@randysmithfabrications2731 thanks

I don’t remember exactly but shortly after this I began using copper powder to avoid dealing with the seam in the wire and achieved the same results.

You may have seen in other comments but I always warn everyone who says they want to try making one of these to make sure they use a thicker silver core than what I did. Antler is a very weak material so you have to make sure that the silver ring is strong so the ring won’t bend and break its bond to the antler. The silver core ring needs to be at least 1 1/2 to 2 mm thick or yours will break like mine did.

I have, but depending on what part of the antler you use you won’t see the matrix if it’s crushed. I’ve also used copper filings instead of wire so you don’t have a seam and it works great.

I used an engraver

Do you have any friends that hunt? I don’t hunt but I have a friend who hikes and collects shed antlers, and the tools you can get any number of places.

I don’t have a website or an Etsy page yet because I’m still working on my original products lineup that I will be offering. So yes my primary source of work currently is commissions, email me at randysmithfabrications@yahoo.com and let me know what you had in mind and I’ll see if I can’t help you out.

@@randysmithfabrications2731 Awesome! I definitely look forward to your lineup and shop, it’s apparent you know exactly what you’re doing. Full disclosure I’m 100% interested in a commission but it will be in 3-5 weeks when I get freed up and then I’d love to come up with a pendant or ring. Just basic stuff: I like serrated settings, twist wire and or beads, little bit of that liver of sulphor and buffed out, and maybe a couple decorative beads. Far as stones I dig Pilot mountain, Royston, most Kingman, Apache Blue, basically anything from a US mine.

@@trendkill1891 Sounds good, I could definitely do something like that for you. Just email me when you are ready to do it, and in the meantime see if if you can find a stone that you love and want made into something. Of course I can always try to find a stone for you too but I find that selection can be limited at times depending on where you source them and more importantly stones can be a very personal thing, some certain stones just speak to people in certain ways and when you find that perfect stone, you know it.

@@randysmithfabrications2731 Will do and beautifully put man, I completely agree! It is a super personal thing that has to speak to you when choosing a stone. Like love at first sight, I’ll keep my eye out for one, thank you🙏🏽

Hmm 🤔 that’s weird. Is it some kind of oil maybe? Is I affecting your work in any way? I would say, when in doubt pour it out. 🤷🏼‍♂️

@@randysmithfabrications2731 that's exactly what I'm doing pouring it out scrubbing it down and try try again I thought maybe I put too much of the pickling solution stuff in there whatever the heck that is lol I'm still new at this but I love it so no giving up. Can't even tell you the billions of things I've got going on creatively / craft wise.

I am having the same problem. Brown icky stuff around the top. Did you ever figure out what the cause was? I am wondering if it could be minerals in my water? I also use one of those small stainless steel baskets for small items and questioned if that could be the cause.

Ive had this brown sticky stuff in my pickle too. I just fished most of it out and the pickle was fine after. No idea what it is or where it came from.

I’ve since began using electrical tape on my mandrels. I use the dremel because I can get very rough grits and the rotation of the drum doubles it’s effectiveness turning against the rotation of my lathe without cranking up the speed. I usually only do this to knock down the larger clumps and then finish by hand.