Bracelet With Copper Plate in Wood or in Leather

When I made some copper pendants (see link below) I wanted to combine them with a bracelet. The next question was whether the bracelet should be made of wood or leather. A difficult decision.... I couldn’t choose so I made both. In this instructable I will show you how. I am not a professional and this is the first time I bent a copper plate. I first did a leather bracelet and I was not satisfied with the camber of the copper plate (step 14) The second time (the copper plate on wooden bracelet) I succeeded much better “learning by doing” LOL. The third time I already felt experienced but if you have suggestions on how to improve this instructable, please feel free.

This will be a looooooong instructables so I will try to keep it to the point.

https://www.instructables.com/id/Create-a-copper-ne...

Some more pictures

Some more pictures.

1. Cut out your copper 0.04 inch (1mm) with a shears. (The dog is 2 inch x 0.8 inch, the bird 2.1 x 1.7 inch)

2 Use a rasp to smoothen the edges.

3 Glue the design on of the copperplate with wood glue. This makes it easy to remove the paper afterwards. Let dry. you can either draw your own design or find it on internet when you search on "free templates"

4 Before you start to drll: Make an indentation with a nail and a hammer to prevent the drill from slipping away.

5 When your design contains very small details you can drill some holes in advance. For example I drilled a few holes for the legs of the dog before I started. This will make it easier.

6 Drill a hole (0.08 inch) in the center of your design. You will get some burs on the backside, so smoothen with a rasp.

7 Prepare your jewelry saw (or jigsaw) and cut your design. I used a blade for metal number 3

8 Remove the picture after wetting. When you’re done and use a rasp to smoothen the edges.

1 Make an indentation at both ends with a nail and a hammer to prevent the drill from slipping away.

2 Drill two holes, I used an 0.08 inch drill. This size depends on the size of the rivets you will use (the size of the cylindrical shaft). You will get some burs on the backside so smoothen with a rasp.

3 Sand your copper plate. I started with 600 grits and ended with 1600 grits.

I buff the copper plates with a cloth-wheel and buffing compound, to get rid of the scratches and to get a shiny surface. I have used a buffing machine (Sorry I do not know the name in English) but you can also use your Dremel. Wear safety glasses and use pliers when you use a buffing machine. If necessary clean with alcohol or dish with soap and hot water.

The copper plate is quit soft so I used a piece of wood to support the copper plate while buffing.

I will show you first how to make the wooden bracelet.

The form is an ellipse and is 6.7 inch (17cm) circumference/outline, 2.4 inch (6 cm) x 2 inch (5 cm) and1.6 inch (4cm) high. I attached a bit plywood at the bottom so that you can clamp it in the workbench. This gives you free hands to work with the bending of the wood.

I applied a fabric strap. This strap is sewed in cotton and has Velcro so that you can easily fasten the strap. When placing the veneer around the form you can use the strap to bend the veneer snugly around the form.

Cover the form and the inside of the strap with adhesive plastic to prevent that the veneer will fasten on the form.

I have been using the form several times and find it very practical.

1 Cut the veneer I used 1.6 inch (4 cm) 7.9 (20 cm) long. I used four short
pieces veneer but you can also cut one long strip and after applying glue wrap it around a form without a strap (link below)

2 To be honest I don’t know what type of wood my veneer is, this veneer was dry, old and porous so I decided to lay it in very hot water for 20 minutes.

3 Meanwhile place your form in the workbench.

4 Dry the veneer with paper tissue and apply wood glue, lay the four layers on top of each other.

5 Bend the 4 layers veneer by hand around the form and pull the strap tight around the veneer and place a clamp in order to get the ends of the bracelet as narrow to the form as possible.

6 Let the glue dry (two days), take away the strap and let it dry one more day.

7 Remove the bracelet from the form.

There are lots of other ways to make a bend bracelet check out these instructables

https://www.instructables.com/id/Bend-Lamination-Br...

https://www.instructables.com/id/The-Abacus-Bracele...

http://lumberjocks.com/projects/92899

1 Now you have to adjust the opening so that you can get the bracelet on your wrist. I used my disc sander, you can also saw a bit on both ends.

2 Sand the inside. I used my pillar drill.

3 Apply furniture polish and........ o no I hadn't sand enough so I needed to sand some further......

4 Apply furniture polish and wax, polish afterwards.

1 Put the bracelet back on the form.

2 Fasten the copper plate with tape on the bracelet.

3 Bend both ends of the copperplate down on the bracelet while you still press the center of the copper plate on the bracelet with your thumb.

4 Close the strap tight over the bracelet.

5 The copper plate is stiff and will not smoothly follow the bracelet. Use a hammer to adjust the curvature.

1 Untighten the strap and drill holes on both sides of the copper plate in the
bracelet.

2 Polish your copper plate once more you can use a Dremel.

3 Place the copper plate on the bracelet and place the rivets in the holes.

4 Cut off the extra length. You should leave 3/4 of the diameter of the rivet.

5 Use anvil tools to clinch your rivets.

6 Put the head of the rivet on the tool in the anvil. I placed a piece of thin fabric between the tool and the rivet to prevent marks on the copper plate.

7 Flatten the rivet with a hammer and smoothen afterwards with a rasp if needed.

Yes you're done with your wooden cuff copper plate bracelet. Congratulations!

Do you want to learn more about how to fasten rivets? Amourkris made an instructables, see link below.

https://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-peen-a-rive...

1 Measure your wrist. The leather band should be one inch longer for overlap of the bracelet with the fastening. Take care that you have some extra space as you don’t want to have your bracelet to tight.

2 Cut the leather at the right length. You can use a leather belt or cut the bracelet from another piece of leather. Once I did a bracelet of the leather from the back of an old chair which would be disposed. My wrist measures 6.3 inch (16 cm) and I cut the bracelet with the length of 7.7 inch (19.5 cm). It is 0.8 inch (2 cm) wide.

1 Make a hole. I used a hollow punch tool. You can also drill your holes with a drill or use or a leather hole punch. The size dependents on your Press fasteners.

Fasten your Press fasteners on both sides. How you should fasten your fasteners is depending on which brand you have chosen. If you feel unsure than look on the internet there are loads of instruction videos which show you how to fasten just your type of fasteners. Or look on the pictures above to get some help if you use the same press fasteners.

I bought my Press fasteners here:

http://www.slojd-detaljer.se/kategorier/textil-lad...

You maybe wonder the bracelet in the pictures above is wider ……. yes
indeed my first bracelet was 1.2 inch wide (last picture) but I didn’t liked it and did another one.

I found this the most difficult part. To get a slightly bent you can bend
the copper with your hands but that wasn't enough for the curviture of the bracelet. So I used a ball pin hammer and the tool in picture above I am sorry I don't know the name and can't find it on the web. If you will help me please feel free ; ) You can also use a depression in a block of wood.

But it is easier to do it the other way shown in the next step in this instructable.

1 Put the copper plate on the bracelet and mark the center of the
bracelet.

2 Make a holder. This will make it easier to bend the copper plate. Close the bracelet and draw the circumference of the inside of the bracelet on a block of wood.

3 Saw and sand.

4 Put your bracelet on the holder and close it. Now you have the right curvature to bend the copper plate.

5 Open the bracelet. Put the copper plate in the center. Lay a piece of paper and a strap on top of the copper plate and clamp it all together. Difficult to explain but the pictures might help.

6 Bend both ends of the copperplate down on the bracelet while the center of the copper plate is clamped on the bracelet.

7 Pull the strap tight over the bracelet and use a hammer to adjust the curvature.

1 Attatch the copper plate with duplex tape on the bracelet while the
bracelet is still on the holder.

2 Mark the holes on your bracelet with a bodkin, use your copper plate as a

template. Take off the copper plate.

3 Drill the holes with a pillar drill or punch tool, leather hole punch, whatever you like.......

4 Place the copper plate back on the bracelet and place the rivets in the holes.

5 Cut off the extra length. You should leave 3/4 of the diameter of the rivet. Place a washer on each rivet.

6 (See step 11) Use anvil tools to clinch your rivets.

7 Put the head of the rivet on the tool in the anvil. I placed a piece of thin fabric between the tool and the rivet to prevent marks on the copper plate.

8 Flatten the rivet with a hammer and smoothen afterwards with a rasp if necessary.

Yes you're done with your leather cuff copper plate bracelet. Congratulations!

We all know that the copper plate will lose its shiny surface. Some of you may not care but others may want the shiny surface all the time. There are many remedies on the internet but I want to end this instructable with the wise words of jacq01uk.

"Whenever you take your jewelry off if you give it a wipe with a soft cloth to remove grease/ sweat etc. store it in little bag out of the air and you shouldn't have a problem. You can buy jewelry wax although this is very expensive, I like to use a small amount of liquid car wax to give it a protective coating, keeps the bright color and also prevents the 'green' color transfer. I re-coat as necessary (prob every 6mnth or so)".

I hope you liked this instructable. It competes in the bracelet challenge. Have a nice day, Amaries.