Unit 5 - Bezel Resin Pendant

Process Steps
  1. Draw a design on Shrinky Dink Template.  Shrink your design at 350 degrees for 3 minutes.  Wait for Shrinky Dink design to lay flat.  Remove from toaster over and let cool.  
  2. Measure the circumference of the Shrinky Dink plastic with masking tape.  
  3. Find a scrap piece of sheet metal about the length of your tape.  Place tape on length of sheet metal. Cut the metal strip with French Shears if need be.  
  4. Run metal through the rolling mill.  Once through the flat roller, then once more through the line roller.
  5. Cut thin strip for bezel wall.  Be sure the ends of metal strip are cut square.
  6. With two needle-nose pliers, bend the thin bezel wall end to end.  Work metal back and forth, pushing and pulling until ends of strip are flush.
  7. Using hard wire solder, solder the ends together.  With a tweezer stand, hold and clamp the bezel wall strip so that the seem is on the bottom.  Apply a length (same length as bezel wall is tall) of hard wire solder on top of seem with flux.  Solder ends in place.  No need for pickle, yet.  
  8. Next, with a ring mandrel or mandrel anvil, tap the bezel wall into a round shape.  Be sure it matches the roundness of your Shrinky Dink design.  Check for size.  Your Shrinky Dink design should fit inside the bezel wall.
  9. Trace the outer edge of the bezel wall onto a second piece of sheet metal.  Solder the bezel wall onto the base sheet metal with medium wire solder along the inside edge of the bezel wall and sheet metal base.  Use enough solder along the inside edge of the bezel wall so that no open gaps appear between the bezel wall and base.  No need for pickle, yet.  
  10. With a jewelers saw, cut off the extra metal from around the bezel wall.  
  11. Next, design a bail loop by cutting a jump ring in half or bend a small strip of sheet metal into a bail loop.  Using easy sheet solder, solder the bail loop onto the top or top back of your bezel wall pendant.  
  12. Pickle your bezel resin cup.  File, sand, polish to shine.  Place Shrinky Dink inside bezel cup. 
  13. Finally, mix and pour resin to the brim of the cup.  Heat with heat gun to help remove air bubbles.  Let stand over night.