Friction & Bayonet Lids for Containers - Part 1
This weekly class will be part 1 of a 2-part series! Part 2 can be found by clicking HERE.
Let’s make boxes and containers with the most perfect little friction and bayonet lids you've ever seen! Round, square, irregular - oh my, so many options! In this demo-focused virtual class, the instructor will show students how to pull a seemingly inconspicuous group of materials and with just a bit of solder set-up, different solder seams, and some tips and trick along the way, turn them into beautiful little containers - just like magic!
To ensure every students learns exactly to the aesthetic they wish to achieve, templates will be provided for them to pick their own style of container. Once the boxes have been fabricated and made to perfection, they will of course need a lid! A friction fit lid is a great starting place for those who have yet to become lid extraordinaries, and it can be applied to any form quite easily. In part one of this workshop series, multiple approaches to the friction lid will be approached, covering round and rectangular fits, interior and exterior. Once you’ve gotten the friction fit under your belt in Part one, we’ll move onto a bayonet lid in Part two.
Meet the instructor
Jennifer Wells is a studio artist and educator originally from the U.S but currently living in Italy. She holds an MFA, in Metalsmithing & Jewelry Design and has completed artist-in- residencies at: Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts in Gatlinburg, TN, Pocosin Arts in Columbia, NC and the Jentel Foundation near Banner, WY. She has worked for several U.S based Craft Schools, in a variety of roles.
As an educator, Jennifer has taught for and been a visiting Artist at Universities throughout the U.S and for study abroad programs based in Italy. She serves on the Board of Vita Institute and teaches short workshops on various enameling and metalsmithing techniques throughout Europe and the U.S. In recent years she has curated multiple international exhibitions focused on jewelry and enameling.
Her works are in the collections of the Enamel Arts Foundation, Racine Museum, All Russian Museum of Decorative Arts, Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts, Yale University Art Gallery, Crocker Art Museum and Private Collections.
Materials & Tools
The following supplies will be used for course demonstrations and objectives. A suggested item and/or vendor has been provided below for reference. Click the vendor name to be redirected to a page where you can view the item. The quantities needed for each item are listed first. If ordering, please be aware that some items may come in larger quantities than needed for this class. We recommend not opening an item's packaging until the day of the workshop. Student participation during or in-between class sessions is not required - observers are welcome.
Metal/raw materials (NOTE one sheet is enough for roughly one conainer):
-
6"x6" x copper sheet - 20g (Rio Grande)
-
2 x copper end caps - 1/2" to 2" (Home Depot)
Torch setup:
-
1 x fireproof area - steel sheet, tiles, etc. (Amazon or Home Depot)
-
1 x Solderite™ pad / pan with pumice (Rio Grande or Rio Grande)
-
1 x torch - Smith mini, Silversmith, or butane (Rio Grande or Rio Grande)
-
1 x #0 or #1 torch tip - if getting Silversmith (Rio Grande)
-
1 x striker or lighter - Silversmith system has one (Rio Grande)
-
1 x soldering tweezers (Rio Grande)
-
1 x soldering pick (Rio Grande)
-
1 x 3rd arm (Rio Grande)
-
1 x cross lock tweezers (Rio Grande)
-
1 x paste flux (Rio Grande)
-
1 x copper tongs - for pickle (Rio Grande)
-
1 x 6” silver solder - hard (Rio Grande)
-
1 x 6” silver solder - medium (Rio Grande)
-
1 x 6” silver solder - easy (Rio Grande)
-
1 x pickle - sodium bisulfate or citric acid (Rio Grande or Amazon)
-
1 x brass bristle brush (Rio Grande)
-
1 x crock pot or lidded glass container (Rio Grande or Amazon)
-
1 x L square (Contenti)
-
1 x chasing liner tool (Rio Grande)
-
1 x tempered glass container or sink - for quenching and rinsing
-
1 x small brush - for flux
-
1 x liquid hand soap - for cleaning metal
-
additional soft ceramic fire bricks - don't need to be new
Hand tools:
-
1 x round nose pliers (Rio Grande)
-
1 x chain nose pliers (Rio Grande)
-
1 x flat nose pliers (Rio Grande)
-
1 x snips / flush cutters (Rio Grande)
-
1 x jewelers saw (Rio Grande)
-
1 x pack saw blades - 2/0 and 4/0 (Rio Grande)
-
1 x burlife / bee's wax (Rio Grande)
-
1 x bench pin (Rio Grande)
-
1 x half round hand file - #2 cut (Rio Grande)
-
1 x rotary tool - flex shaft, micro motor, etc. (Rio Grande)
-
1 x set of needle files - #2 cut (Rio Grande)
-
1 x scribe (Rio Grande)
-
1 x ring clamp (Rio Grande)
-
1 x rawhide / plastic mallet (Rio Grande)
-
1 x chasing hammer (Rio Grande)
-
1 x steel block / steel surface (Rio Grande)
-
1 x small steel ruler (Rio Grande)
-
1 x sheet of sand paper - 220 to 600 grits (Amazon)
-
1 x sanding sticks - 1 per grit
-
1 x calipers (Amazon)
-
1 x dividers (Rio Grande)
-
1 x sanding sticks (Rio Grande)
-
1 x parallel pliers (Rio Grande)
-
1 x triangular three-square needle file -#2 cut (Rio Grande)
Other/miscellaneous items:
-
hard work surface
-
fan and open window - or ventilation system
-
safety glasses
-
pencil, Sharpie, notebook
-
rags/towels
-
masking tape
-
smooth surface to tape sandpaper sheets to