Judy Larson's Broken  AKA Bits and Pieces Dish Jewelry, Metalwork. Filing, Finishing, Tumbling, Tumble, Tumbling Jewelry, Butane Torch, Soldering, Solder, Design. Not everyone has old crockery or china that can be broken into small pieces and set in jewelry.

Broken AKA Bits and Pieces Dish Jewelry

by Judy Larson
  • Category: Metalwork
  • Technique(s): Filing / Finishing, Tumbling, Butane Torch Techniques, Design
  • Skill Level: Intermediate
Not everyone has old crockery or china that can be broken into small pieces and set in jewelry....or can bring themselves to break Grandma's precious Sunday dishware.

Tumbled sea pottery pieces can be found on Etsy, and a piece of Grandma's Sunday dishware might be found on e-Bay. Using broken dishware in your creations is a great way to make one-of-a-kind pieces and/or pass along family memories!

Materials

28 Gauge 3/16" Fine Silver Bezel Wire
H9-28BZL
  • Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
  • Purchase Quantity: 1.00 5FT
  • Price: $49.98
  • Gold Club Price: $37.49
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24 Gauge Dead Soft Argentium Silver Sheet - 6 Inches
H19-24SM6
  • Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
  • Purchase Quantity: 1.00 1 Inch
  • Price: $38.02
  • Gold Club Price: $28.51
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18 Gauge Round Half Hard Argentium .940 Silver Wire
H19-18H
  • Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
  • Purchase Quantity: 1.00 1FT
  • Price: $4.77
  • Gold Club Price: $3.57
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14 Gauge Square Half Hard Argentium .940 Silver Wire
H19-14SQH
  • Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
  • Purchase Quantity: 1.00 1FT
  • Price: $16.42
  • Gold Club Price: $12.31
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3mm argentium jump rings
  • Lesson Quantity: 15.00 pieces
  • Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
3.5mm argentium jump rings
  • Lesson Quantity: 15.00 pieces
  • Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
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Tools

Basic Soldering Kit
G15-4
  • G15-4
  • Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
  • Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
  • Price: $58.95
  • Gold Club Price: $44.21
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Solderite Soldering Board 6 Inch by 12 Inch Soft
SOL-421.20
  • SOL-421.20
  • Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
  • Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
  • Price: $21.95
  • Gold Club Price: $16.46
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Silver Sheet Solder - Soft 65, 5 Pennyweights
SOL-858.10
  • SOL-858.10
  • Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
  • Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
  • Price: $13.95
  • Gold Club Price: $10.46
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Silver Solder Paste Hard SS75 - 1/4 T.O.
SOL-822.20
  • SOL-822.20
  • Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
  • Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
  • Price: $19.95
  • Gold Club Price: $14.96
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Silver Solder Paste Medium SS70 - 1/4 T.O.
SOL-822.15
  • SOL-822.15
  • Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
  • Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
  • Price: $18.95
  • Gold Club Price: $14.21
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Silver Solder Paste Soft SS65- 1/4 T.O.
SOL-822.10
  • SOL-822.10
  • Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
  • Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
  • Price: $16.95
  • Gold Club Price: $12.71
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Basic Sawing Kit
G15-7
  • G15-7
  • Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
  • Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
  • Price: $34.95
  • Gold Club Price: $26.21
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Cut Lube
BUR-180.00
  • BUR-180.00
  • Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
  • Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
  • Price: $9.95
  • Gold Club Price: $7.46
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Multi Angle Cutting Jig
VIS-512.00
  • VIS-512.00
  • Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
  • Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
  • Price: $84.95
  • Gold Club Price: $63.71
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WET/DRY PAPER 9 X 11 ASST- 20PC- 2EA GRIT 180-3000
ABR-500.90
  • ABR-500.90
  • Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
  • Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
  • Price: $24.95
  • Gold Club Price: $18.71
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10 Piece Diamond Needle Files - 140mm X 3mm
G14-8
  • G14-8
  • Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
  • Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
  • Price: $13.57
  • Gold Club Price: $10.18
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Multi-Size Wrap 'N' Tap Pliers, Large Barrels
PLR-746.03
  • PLR-746.03
  • Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
  • Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
  • Price: $29.95
  • Gold Club Price: $22.46
Add to Bag
Foredom K.2272 General Applications Kit
G22-K.2272
  • G22-K.2272
  • Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
  • Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
  • Price: $430.03
  • Gold Club Price: $322.52
Out of Stock
Thumlers Tumbler Model A-R12 Rock Tumbler
G34-130
  • G34-130
  • Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
  • Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
  • Price: $348.17
  • Gold Club Price: $261.13
Out of Stock
Stainless Steel Shot - 1 lb Bag
G24-4
  • G24-4
  • Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
  • Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
  • Price: $43.95
  • Gold Club Price: $32.96
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Single 3rd Hand with Tweezer and Base
HOL-165.00
  • HOL-165.00
  • Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
  • Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
  • Price: $18.97
  • Gold Club Price: $14.23
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Xuron Flush Cutter - Pack of 1
G2-504
  • G2-504
  • Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
  • Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
  • Price: $29.95
  • Gold Club Price: $22.46
Add to Bag
Steel Bench Block 4x4 Inch - Pack of 1
G17-10
  • G17-10
  • Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
  • Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
  • Price: $21.95
  • Gold Club Price: $16.46
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Instructions
Step 1
Read through the tutorial before starting the project. Follow all safety precautions for the space you are working in as well as all safety precautions pertaining to the tools and supplies you will be using to complete the project.

While I was slightly limited on where and how long I could work on jewelry after breaking my leg, I went down the Etsy rabbit hole. It did not take long before I discovered, ordered, and was playing around with beautiful tumbled sea pottery pieces.

Adding natural gemstones would be fun. Even a broken taillight found on a walk could be cut down to work into a design. Decisions, decisions. Deciding what to make and which pieces to use is the first step.
Judy Larson's Broken  AKA Bits and Pieces Dish Jewelry - , Metalwork, Filing, Finishing, Tumbling, Tumble, Tumbling Jewelry, Butane Torch, Soldering, Solder, Design, pottery shards
Judy Larson's Broken  AKA Bits and Pieces Dish Jewelry - , Metalwork, Filing, Finishing, Tumbling, Tumble, Tumbling Jewelry, Butane Torch, Soldering, Solder, Design, pottery shards
Step 2
Generally, broken china and pottery pieces will be different thicknesses. China, which is harder than pottery and stoneware, is thinner. All dishware has thinner and thicker sections.

Some pieces may be concave, while others are flat. No two will be alike in size and shape, but some will be close.

Even if tumbled, not all edges are rounded. Some dishware is denser than others. The sea pottery piece on the left is the same thickness (after grinding down) as the Corelle piece on the right. They are both relatively the same size but the Corelle weighs more.

The top edges of all dishware pieces will be subject to chipping during wear. A bezel will protect the pieces, especially the more fragile ones, so that is the setting method I chose.

Personally, I would only prong set pieces if they were to be used in earrings, and probably not even then as most jewelry is not treated gently. I want things I make to last.

All dishware chips or breaks, some more easily than others. During the whole thinning and shaping process, several pieces chipped.

They were ground back to remove that area. Only one piece out of the 72 pieces purchased was broken. This happened when a pliers slipped and dropped on it from a height of only 6 inches. A flat bastard file was used to shape the very soft broken piece. The file did not work on any of the Corelle pieces.
Judy Larson's Broken  AKA Bits and Pieces Dish Jewelry - , Metalwork, Filing, Finishing, Tumbling, Tumble, Tumbling Jewelry, Butane Torch, Soldering, Solder, Design, pottery shards
Judy Larson's Broken  AKA Bits and Pieces Dish Jewelry - , Metalwork, Filing, Finishing, Tumbling, Tumble, Tumbling Jewelry, Butane Torch, Soldering, Solder, Design, pottery shards
Judy Larson's Broken  AKA Bits and Pieces Dish Jewelry - , Metalwork, Filing, Finishing, Tumbling, Tumble, Tumbling Jewelry, Butane Torch, Soldering, Solder, Design, pottery shard
Step 3
The sea pottery pieces needed to be ground thinner to work with my bezel wire. Use a piece of bezel wire to mark the sides of the piece to show how much material needs to be removed.

To save a lot of time, I used an old grindstone in my woodshop instead of a file. A coarse griding disc or sanding disc will also work. The important thing to remember is to always wear eye and breathing protection. You are risking your health if you don't.

My personal preference was to have straighter sides with just a bit of rounding on the pieces, so those needed to be changed on several of the pieces. A stained glass grinder would be a perfect tool to accomplish this task.
Judy Larson's Broken  AKA Bits and Pieces Dish Jewelry - , Metalwork, Filing, Finishing, Tumbling, Tumble, Tumbling Jewelry, Butane Torch, Soldering, Solder, Design, pottery shards
Judy Larson's Broken  AKA Bits and Pieces Dish Jewelry - , Metalwork, Filing, Finishing, Tumbling, Tumble, Tumbling Jewelry, Butane Torch, Soldering, Solder, Design, pottery shards
Step 4
Make bezels for each piece. Because the green piece does not have straight 90-degree sides, the finished link will not look like the others. Since I wanted it to match as well as have a cleaner look, I straightened the sides and remade the bezel.

Make sure the bottom of the bezel is flat. If the top of the dishware piece is not just shy of the top of the bezel or is not level, a piece of craft foam will help raise and/or level it. Craft foam may be particularly helpful to cushion the dishware piece if it is much thinner in one area than another, especially the center where a gentle push could crack the piece.
Judy Larson's Broken  AKA Bits and Pieces Dish Jewelry - , Metalwork, Filing, Finishing, Tumbling, Tumble, Tumbling Jewelry, Butane Torch, Soldering, Solder, Design, bezel set pottery
Judy Larson's Broken  AKA Bits and Pieces Dish Jewelry - , Metalwork, Filing, Finishing, Tumbling, Tumble, Tumbling Jewelry, Butane Torch, Soldering, Solder, Design, measuring bezels for pottery pieces
Judy Larson's Broken  AKA Bits and Pieces Dish Jewelry - , Metalwork, Filing, Finishing, Tumbling, Tumble, Tumbling Jewelry, Butane Torch, Soldering, Solder, Design, pottery shard jewelry
Step 5
The ball embellishments do not need to be perfectly matched in size so a 3/8" length marked on my finger worked well as a measurement to cut 18-gauge wire.

Space the wires out on a soldering surface. Heat until they ball up. Allow them to cool before rolling them into a bowl. Make a few more than you think you will need. I was not sure how many I would need so made 200 and still did not have enough!
Judy Larson's Broken  AKA Bits and Pieces Dish Jewelry - , Metalwork, Filing, Finishing, Tumbling, Tumble, Tumbling Jewelry, Butane Torch, Soldering, Solder, Design, making silver balls
Judy Larson's Broken  AKA Bits and Pieces Dish Jewelry - , Metalwork, Filing, Finishing, Tumbling, Tumble, Tumbling Jewelry, Butane Torch, Soldering, Solder, Design, making silver balls
Step 6
Cut and flatten a piece of 24-gauge sheet metal for each link. Make sure it is flat and clean.

Number the back of the sea pottery pieces with an ultra-fine point Sharpie. Scratch that number in the center of the sheet metal before placing the corresponding bezel on it.

Place medium paste solder around the bottom inside edge of each bezel. Center the bezel on the back plate and press into place. Use an ultra-fine point retractable Sharpie to mark the back plate where ring loops could be placed to connect the links.
Judy Larson's Broken  AKA Bits and Pieces Dish Jewelry - , Metalwork, Filing, Finishing, Tumbling, Tumble, Tumbling Jewelry, Butane Torch, Soldering, Solder, Design, cut sheet for back plates
Step 7
Do not be concerned about using too much medium paste solder when placing balls around the bezels, avoiding the areas where ring loops could be placed to connect the links. It is up to you how many balls to use and where to place them.
Judy Larson's Broken  AKA Bits and Pieces Dish Jewelry - , Metalwork, Filing, Finishing, Tumbling, Tumble, Tumbling Jewelry, Butane Torch, Soldering, Solder, Design, place balls on the back plate
Step 8
Place a link on a soldering surface and heat until the solder flows. Use a solder pick to push any balls that move back into place against the bezel. Allow the piece to cool. Repeat the process with the other links.
Step 9
Keeping labeled parts separate will save frustration later, especially when working on several different projects at the same time.
Judy Larson's Broken  AKA Bits and Pieces Dish Jewelry - , Metalwork, Filing, Finishing, Tumbling, Tumble, Tumbling Jewelry, Butane Torch, Soldering, Solder, Design, sorting parts of a bracelet
Step 10
Purchase or make 20-gauge 3mm ID jump rings, two for each link and one for the "O" ring.

Use the following method to cut jump rings into a ring loops exactly the same size. Place a jump ring with the seam facing out in a miter jig and vice. Slide a long straight pin (a quilting pin was used here) into the ring. Push the jump ring and pin against the vise. Tighten the jump ring in place. Remove the pin.

Cut away most of the jump ring protruding from the vise. File the ends of the jump ring smooth, even with the face of the vise. Each finished ring loop will be exactly the same size!

Note: A t-pin is much thicker than a pin used in sewing. If a t-pin is used the finished ring loop will be much shallower and two jump rings cannot be used to connect the links-see Step 30.
Judy Larson's Broken  AKA Bits and Pieces Dish Jewelry - , Metalwork, Filing, Finishing, Tumbling, Tumble, Tumbling Jewelry, Butane Torch, Soldering, Solder, Design, place jump ring in jig
Judy Larson's Broken  AKA Bits and Pieces Dish Jewelry - , Metalwork, Filing, Finishing, Tumbling, Tumble, Tumbling Jewelry, Butane Torch, Soldering, Solder, Design, place a pin inside the jump ring on the jig
Judy Larson's Broken  AKA Bits and Pieces Dish Jewelry - , Metalwork, Filing, Finishing, Tumbling, Tumble, Tumbling Jewelry, Butane Torch, Soldering, Solder, Design, cut off half the jump ring and file smooth
Step 11
Slightly flatten one side of each ring loop by running it over 320 grit sandpaper on a bench block.
Judy Larson's Broken  AKA Bits and Pieces Dish Jewelry - , Metalwork, Filing, Finishing, Tumbling, Tumble, Tumbling Jewelry, Butane Torch, Soldering, Solder, Design, flatten the ends on sandpaper
Step 12
Line the links up and measure how long a finished bracelet might be if a toggle is added. Switch the orientation of the links to achieve the desired length.

Even knowing how much space the link loops and connecting jump rings take up, I still had to replace the rust colored end link later with a smaller one to make sure the bracelet was not too long.

Use an ultra-fine point Sharpie to mark where the ring loops are to be placed on the backplates of each link.
Pro Tip: Cut narrow strips of scrap sheet metal. Using a previously made bracelet using the same size jump rings, cut lengths that approximates the distance between two links.

Using these between the links will help determine the length of the bracelet so adjustments can be made, such as replacing a link with a different size or making the "O" ring loop longer, etc.
Judy Larson's Broken  AKA Bits and Pieces Dish Jewelry - , Metalwork, Filing, Finishing, Tumbling, Tumble, Tumbling Jewelry, Butane Torch, Soldering, Solder, Design, line up the links
Judy Larson's Broken  AKA Bits and Pieces Dish Jewelry - , Metalwork, Filing, Finishing, Tumbling, Tumble, Tumbling Jewelry, Butane Torch, Soldering, Solder, Design, cut small strips of metal
Judy Larson's Broken  AKA Bits and Pieces Dish Jewelry - , Metalwork, Filing, Finishing, Tumbling, Tumble, Tumbling Jewelry, Butane Torch, Soldering, Solder, Design, use the strips to approximate the spaces between the links
Judy Larson's Broken  AKA Bits and Pieces Dish Jewelry - , Metalwork, Filing, Finishing, Tumbling, Tumble, Tumbling Jewelry, Butane Torch, Soldering, Solder, Design, use the strips to approximate the distance between links
Judy Larson's Broken  AKA Bits and Pieces Dish Jewelry - , Metalwork, Filing, Finishing, Tumbling, Tumble, Tumbling Jewelry, Butane Torch, Soldering, Solder, Design, adjust links for the right fit
Step 13
As with adding the balls around the bezels, do not worry about using too much medium paste solder to attach the ring loops to the back plates and bezels.

Also, during this process, it is OK to change where to attach the ring loops to make the piece flow better in relation to the others.
Judy Larson's Broken  AKA Bits and Pieces Dish Jewelry - , Metalwork, Filing, Finishing, Tumbling, Tumble, Tumbling Jewelry, Butane Torch, Soldering, Solder, Design, determine where the links fit best
Step 14
Place a link on a soldering surface and heat until the solder flows. Use a solder pick to push any ring loops that move back into place against the bezel.

Allow the piece to cool. Repeat the process with the other links.
Step 15
Cut away the excess back plate. Use a 1.8mm punch to make holes in the ring loops.

File and refine the edges of each link. Use a round and a half round small file to enlarge and refine the ring loop hole. Store each finished link with the corresponding dishware piece.
Judy Larson's Broken  AKA Bits and Pieces Dish Jewelry - , Metalwork, Filing, Finishing, Tumbling, Tumble, Tumbling Jewelry, Butane Torch, Soldering, Solder, Design, cut away excess back plate
Step 16
It is EXTREMELY helpful to have a photograph to refer to when assembling bracelet pieces.

Laying the pieces out will help determine the size to make a toggle. Of course, a toggle is not necessary. A lobster claw closure is usually more secure.
Judy Larson's Broken  AKA Bits and Pieces Dish Jewelry - , Metalwork, Filing, Finishing, Tumbling, Tumble, Tumbling Jewelry, Butane Torch, Soldering, Solder, Design, a photograph helps with assembling the bracelet
Step 17
The balls added to the sides of the T-bar of the toggle will make this toggle a very secure closure.

Make bezels for very small dishware pieces for each toggle. The finished bracelets in Step 35 show the dishware piece size difference used in the toggle as compared to the links.

Cut a 1¾" to 2" long piece of 14-gauge square wire. Form the square wire into a "U" shape on the largest section of a small Wrap N Tap pliers.

Bend the sides out to fit tightly to the sides of a bezel with the dishware piece inserted. The distance between the bezel and the inside of the "U" should be approximately 5/16", but not as much as 3/8" or as little as ¼".
Judy Larson's Broken  AKA Bits and Pieces Dish Jewelry - , Metalwork, Filing, Finishing, Tumbling, Tumble, Tumbling Jewelry, Butane Torch, Soldering, Solder, Design, cut wire for the toggle clasp
Step 18
Shape the square wire around the bezel so there will be more than a small point of contact to solder the pieces together. Remove the dishware piece.

Place medium paste solder under the contact points between the square wire and the bezel. Place the toggle "O" ring on a soldering surface.

Heat until the solder flows. Cool the piece before continuing.
Judy Larson's Broken  AKA Bits and Pieces Dish Jewelry - , Metalwork, Filing, Finishing, Tumbling, Tumble, Tumbling Jewelry, Butane Torch, Soldering, Solder, Design, solder the wire to the bezel
Step 19
Trim excess wire from the "O" ring assembly. File and refine the square wire ends.

This does not need to be perfect. Balls will cover the wire ends. Run the assembly over 320 grit sandpaper on a bench block to make sure the back is flat.
Judy Larson's Broken  AKA Bits and Pieces Dish Jewelry - , Metalwork, Filing, Finishing, Tumbling, Tumble, Tumbling Jewelry, Butane Torch, Soldering, Solder, Design, trim excess wire
Step 20
Cut and flatten a piece of 24-gauge sheet metal for each "O" ring. Make sure it is flat and clean and place it on a soldering surface.

Place medium paste solder around the bottom inside edge of the bezel and on the square wire where it will connect to the back plate. Place the bezel assembly on the back plate, leaving most of the "O" ring open.

To make sure the square wire stays level, place a scrap of back plate material under the end of it. Do not be concerned about using too much medium paste solder when placing balls around the bezels, avoiding the areas where rings could be placed to connect the links.

It is up to you how many and where to place the balls. Use medium paste solder to secure a prepared ring loop in place.

Heat the assembly until the solder flows. Use a solder pick to push any balls and the ring loop back into place against the bezel if they move. Cool the piece before continuing.
Judy Larson's Broken  AKA Bits and Pieces Dish Jewelry - , Metalwork, Filing, Finishing, Tumbling, Tumble, Tumbling Jewelry, Butane Torch, Soldering, Solder, Design, place on a back plate and solder
Step 21
Cut away the excess back plate. Use a 1.8mm punch to make holes in the ring loops.

File and refine the edges of the "O" ring. Use a round and a half round small file to enlarge and refine the ring loop hole.

Use a half round file to refine the inside of the "O" ring opening. Smooth the transition of the back plate from the bezel to the square wire using files and sanding pads.
Judy Larson's Broken  AKA Bits and Pieces Dish Jewelry - , Metalwork, Filing, Finishing, Tumbling, Tumble, Tumbling Jewelry, Butane Torch, Soldering, Solder, Design, cut away excess back plate
Step 22
Cut and straighten a 1¼" piece of 14-gauge square wire. Use medium paste solder to attach it to a piece of scrap 24- or 26-gauge sheet.

Determine the center of the wire. Use medium paste solder to add balls at that point. Outer balls should be no more than 3/16" away from the center ones.

Place the T-bar on a soldering surface. Heat until the solder flows. If needed, use a solder pick to nudge the balls back into place against the square wire. Allow the T-bar to cool.
Judy Larson's Broken  AKA Bits and Pieces Dish Jewelry - , Metalwork, Filing, Finishing, Tumbling, Tumble, Tumbling Jewelry, Butane Torch, Soldering, Solder, Design, nake the t bar for the toggle
Step 23
Cut away the excess back plate. File and refine the edges of the T-bar. DO NOT cut it shorter yet.
Judy Larson's Broken  AKA Bits and Pieces Dish Jewelry - , Metalwork, Filing, Finishing, Tumbling, Tumble, Tumbling Jewelry, Butane Torch, Soldering, Solder, Design, cut away excess back plate
Step 24
Open an 18-gauge 3mm ID jump ring. Straighten the ends. Secure in a miter jig and vise. File the ends flat.

Nestle the T-bar in a crack in a Solderite board or carve out a place for it to sit flat and level. Place medium paste solder over the center, lengthwise. Heat the until the solder flows. Use a third hand to position the 18-gauge loop with flat ends against the center of the T-bar.

Since it may be difficult to see when the solder flows, it is OK to add just a touch of paste solder inside the loop at one of the wire loop ends. Heat until the solder flows. Allow the T-bar to cool for 30 seconds or so before removing the third hand.
Judy Larson's Broken  AKA Bits and Pieces Dish Jewelry - , Metalwork, Filing, Finishing, Tumbling, Tumble, Tumbling Jewelry, Butane Torch, Soldering, Solder, Design, make a half loop with a jump ring
Judy Larson's Broken  AKA Bits and Pieces Dish Jewelry - , Metalwork, Filing, Finishing, Tumbling, Tumble, Tumbling Jewelry, Butane Torch, Soldering, Solder, Design, solder the loop to the t bar
Step 25
I made three different T-bars. They all fit through the "O" ring openings and sit properly but check before continuing. The outer ball in the sets of three can always be removed.

The T-bar does not need to be as long as the 1¼" long square wire but must fit the opening so as to not easily slip out. Measure the greatest distance across the "O" ring. This measurement is not from the center out.

Place the T-bar in the opening and rotate it to fit the widest section-see the sketch. Use an ultra-fine point Sharpie to mark the outer edge of the "O" ring on the back of the T-bar. Repeat on the other end of the T-bar.
Judy Larson's Broken  AKA Bits and Pieces Dish Jewelry - , Metalwork, Filing, Finishing, Tumbling, Tumble, Tumbling Jewelry, Butane Torch, Soldering, Solder, Design, 3 types of t bars
Judy Larson's Broken  AKA Bits and Pieces Dish Jewelry - , Metalwork, Filing, Finishing, Tumbling, Tumble, Tumbling Jewelry, Butane Torch, Soldering, Solder, Design, make sure the t bar fits through the toggle
Judy Larson's Broken  AKA Bits and Pieces Dish Jewelry - , Metalwork, Filing, Finishing, Tumbling, Tumble, Tumbling Jewelry, Butane Torch, Soldering, Solder, Design, make sure the t bar fits through the toggle
Step 26
Draw a line straight across the T-bar just outside the drawn line. Trim excess length away.

Use files and sanding past to round and refine the ends of the T-bar.

Note: When bracelets are a looser fit, it is easier for the T-bar to slip out of the "O" ring. It the bracelet is looser, make the T-bar longer.
Judy Larson's Broken  AKA Bits and Pieces Dish Jewelry - , Metalwork, Filing, Finishing, Tumbling, Tumble, Tumbling Jewelry, Butane Torch, Soldering, Solder, Design, cut the t bar to the right length
Judy Larson's Broken  AKA Bits and Pieces Dish Jewelry - , Metalwork, Filing, Finishing, Tumbling, Tumble, Tumbling Jewelry, Butane Torch, Soldering, Solder, Design, cut the t bar to the right length
Step 27
Make sure the bezel tops of each link and "O" ring are flat. Check each piece to make sure the connections are good and no further refining is needed.
Step 28
Pickle the pieces. Rinse the pieces well after removing them from the pickle. Tumble the pieces for several hours. Rinse and dry the pieces.
Step 29
When the links are connected they need to move freely on the jump ring. The ends of the ring loops should not touch inside the jump ring.

I used one 18-gauge 3mm ID jump ring to connect the pieces and then checked the length on a bracelet cone.

If the length is too short, go up one size jump ring to 3.5mm ID. It the bracelet is too long, go back to 3mm.

They can be made into a slight oval shape after soldering, which will add a bit of length. I tend to use the shortest chain possible when adding a T-bar. Of course, this is a perfect place to add length.
Pro Tip: If a "breakaway" section is desired, use at least two half- or full-hard jump rings between two links.
Judy Larson's Broken  AKA Bits and Pieces Dish Jewelry - , Metalwork, Filing, Finishing, Tumbling, Tumble, Tumbling Jewelry, Butane Torch, Soldering, Solder, Design, attach with jump rings
Judy Larson's Broken  AKA Bits and Pieces Dish Jewelry - , Metalwork, Filing, Finishing, Tumbling, Tumble, Tumbling Jewelry, Butane Torch, Soldering, Solder, Design, attach links with jump rings
Judy Larson's Broken  AKA Bits and Pieces Dish Jewelry - , Metalwork, Filing, Finishing, Tumbling, Tumble, Tumbling Jewelry, Butane Torch, Soldering, Solder, Design, adjust bracelet length with smaller or larger jump rings
Step 30
Use easy chip solder to pick solder each jump ring closed. Remember to flux the jump ring to make sure the solder flows.
Pro Tip: I put a bit of paste solder on the soldering surface, heat it and pick it up the solder ball with my pick. There is no longer any flux in it after it balls up so the jump ring should be fluxed for the solder to flow.

Add another jump ring to each section and solder closed using easy solder. Only the rings that will show when the toggle is closed need to be doubled to blend with the rest of the bracelet.
Judy Larson's Broken  AKA Bits and Pieces Dish Jewelry - , Metalwork, Filing, Finishing, Tumbling, Tumble, Tumbling Jewelry, Butane Torch, Soldering, Solder, Design, solder the jump rings closed
Judy Larson's Broken  AKA Bits and Pieces Dish Jewelry - , Metalwork, Filing, Finishing, Tumbling, Tumble, Tumbling Jewelry, Butane Torch, Soldering, Solder, Design, add a second jump ring
Step 31
Clean and refine the solder joins.
Step 32
Pickle jewelry piece. Rinse after removing it from the pickle. Tumble the jewelry piece for several hours, and then rinse and dry it.
Judy Larson's Broken  AKA Bits and Pieces Dish Jewelry - , Metalwork, Filing, Finishing, Tumbling, Tumble, Tumbling Jewelry, Butane Torch, Soldering, Solder, Design, tumble the bracelet
Step 33
Decide if the piece is to be patinated. Removing the patina from the raised areas will leave the bracelet with a satin finish.

If a higher shine is desired, tumble it for 20 to thirty minutes to bring back the shine while still keeping the patina in place.
Step 34
Set the dishware pieces. If the backs are uneven from grinding them down in thickness, add E-6000 to the bottom of the bezel to cushion the piece.

The top of the dishware piece should be just a hair lower than the bezel. The top of the bezel should be able to just cover the edge of the dishware piece.

When the sides of the pieces are rounded out, the bezel will fit but appear larger than needed. Be very careful as the pieces can easily chip during this process. If this happens, alcohol inks, ultra-fine point markers, and watercolors can color the chipped area.

Matching is difficult so use a contrasting color that blends with the design in the dishware piece or other links in the bracelet.
Judy Larson's Broken  AKA Bits and Pieces Dish Jewelry - , Metalwork, Filing, Finishing, Tumbling, Tumble, Tumbling Jewelry, Butane Torch, Soldering, Solder, Design, set the pottery shards into the bezels
Step 35
These bracelets are for a small wrist. Squishing the 18-gauge connecting rings into ovals a bit at a time may adjust the length enough to add up to 3/8".
Judy Larson's Broken  AKA Bits and Pieces Dish Jewelry - , Metalwork, Filing, Finishing, Tumbling, Tumble, Tumbling Jewelry, Butane Torch, Soldering, Solder, Design, adjusting length
Step 36
Originally, I thought I could not use the broken Corelle dishware pieces picked up on the street just before I broke my leg. Nothing I tried would smooth the deeply scratched tops.

With nothing to lose after completing the sea pottery bracelets, I ran a diamond grinding bit over the tops of the broken pieces. The scratches disappeared giving the pieces a soft, worn denim look. Since the pieces were thin and not curved, only the sides had to be smoothed out to ready them for bezels.
Judy Larson's Broken  AKA Bits and Pieces Dish Jewelry - , Metalwork, Filing, Finishing, Tumbling, Tumble, Tumbling Jewelry, Butane Torch, Soldering, Solder, Design, using Corelle shards
Judy Larson's Broken  AKA Bits and Pieces Dish Jewelry - , Metalwork, Filing, Finishing, Tumbling, Tumble, Tumbling Jewelry, Butane Torch, Soldering, Solder, Design, using Corelle shards
Judy Larson's Broken  AKA Bits and Pieces Dish Jewelry - , Metalwork, Filing, Finishing, Tumbling, Tumble, Tumbling Jewelry, Butane Torch, Soldering, Solder, Design, using Corelle shards