Tension-set Sterling and Copper Bead
Solderless, hollow metal bead.
by Maurice K. Sanders

Photo of finished piece by Frank DeSantis; all other photos courtesy of the author.

Have you ever considered a project of making a hollow silver and copper bead without soldering? Making a solderless bead is a form of fabrication that will expand your skills in creating jewelry. To do this, you need to learn how to create a tension-set bead, one of many techniques of riveting. The tension of the rivet holds the bead together eliminating the need for soldering the components together, which opens up new opportunities in the creation of artistic metal beads.

Preparing the components.
You will need to either punch, cut, saw, or purchase pre-cut: Two 1" diameter 22-gauge sterling discs, one 7/8" diameter 22-gauge sterling disc, two 7/8" diameter 22-gauge copper discs, two 1/2" diameter 22-gauge copper discs.

Remove any burrs. Mark the center on all the discs. Drill or punch center holes 5/32" diameter into the two 1" diameter sterling silver discs. Drill or punch center holes 3/16" diameter into the remaining sterling and copper discs. Remove any burrs.

Forming the domes/end caps.
Place the 1" diameter sterling disc into the 44mm diameter die of the dapping block. Using a No. 36 (25mm diameter) dapping punch and the leather mallet, moderately, but firmly, tap the punch on the sides of the disc to the sides of the die to form it into a dome shape. Tap the center of the dome only on the last punch. Repeat with the other 1" diameter sterling silver disc.

Place one of the domes into the 30mm diameter die of the dapping block. Using a No. 36 (25mm diameter) dapping punch repeat the same process as above. Repeat with the second dome. Place one of the domes into the 24mm diameter die of the dapping block. Using a No. 31 (21mm diameter) dapping punch, repeat the same process as above. Repeat with the second dome.

Place one of the domes into the 21mm diameter die of the dapping block. Using a No. 29 (19mm diameter) dapping punch repeat the same process as above. Repeat with the second dome. You now have two domed bead halves. Remove all burrs and make sure the two domed halves have a level flat edge so they fit flush against each other. I hold the domed bead halves face down on the 120-grit sandpaper and use small circular motions sand it to a smooth and level edge.

Place the 1/2" diameter copper discs into the 21mm diameter die of the dapping block. Using a No. 29 (20mm diameter) dapping punch repeat the same process as above. Repeat this process with second 1/2" diameter copper disc.

Making the rivet.
Take a rod of 1/4" outside diameter (OD) silver tubing and assemble the bead components onto the silver tubing to make a determination of the length of tubing to cut. Put one copper end cap on, then one of the domed silver pieces, then a flat copper disc, a flat silver disc, a flat copper disc, the other domed silver piece, and the remaining copper end cap. You will need to have about 1mm �| 1-1/2 mm of silver tubing extending beyond the end caps. Mark on the tubing where you need to cut, and using a small tube cutter, cut the tube. For this project, the length of the tube I used was 22mm. After the cut is made remove any burrs.

Assembling the bead.
With the cut piece of tubing you previously made, assemble the bead components on this tubing. The three flat discs should protrude slightly over the edges of the two domed halves. You will eliminate the protrusions during the clean-up and finish of the bead. During this process you need to be manipulating the components of the bead with your fingers to keep them as centered as possible. As you make the rivet, the tension of the rivet will start to tighten down on the components and will eventually get extremely tight.

Put the material on the steel block so that the tube is standing on end perpendicular to the block. Use an old plum bob or center punch and put in the open end of the tube. Strike the top end of plum bob or center punch with a hammer hard enough to cause the tubing to flare out the end just enough so that the components will not slide off of the tube.

Caution - Use care to strike the plum bob or center punch squarely so as not to slip off and hit your hand.

Turn over the entire bead so the flared end is now on the block. Flare out the new top end in the same manner. With both ends flared out, the components of the bead stay on the tube.

Continue to flare out the ends of the tube alternating back and forth until the tension of the expanding tube securely holds the bead together tightly. This is the key to holding the components of the bead together securely.

You will be using dapping punches from small diameters to larger diameters to flare out the tubing over the openings of the bead halves. Using a No. 5 (5mm diameter) dapping punch in the center of the opening of the tube while the tube and assembled components are on the steel block, strike the punch firmly about two or three times. Turn over the entire bead. Repeat the process.

Using a No. 8 (7mm diameter) dapping punch in the center of the opening of the tube while the tube and assembled components are on the steel block, strike the punch firmly about two or three times. This will flare out the top of the tube further. Turn over the entire bead. Repeat the process.

Using a No. 14 (10mm diameter) dapping punch in the center of the opening of the tube while the tube and assembled components are on the steel block, strike the punch firmly about two or three times. Turn over the entire bead. Repeat the process.

With extreme care not to strike the bead, use an a No. 14 (10mm diameter) dapping punch, place the bottom of the rounded dapping punch head on the flared edge of the rivet and tap it lightly to cause the silver rivet head to flatten out, continuing around the circular head of the rivet until the entire head of the rivet is flat to the surface of the bead. Repeat the process on the other end of the rivet.

Using the leather mallet, lightly tap the flattened out end of each end of the rivet to make it fairly flush. This will also apply a bit more tension in the bead.

Clean-up/finish.
The three center discs will extrude beyond the domed discs. Using a 150-grit grinder disc on a flex shaft, remove the excess of the flat discs protruding. Use a pumice wheel or silicon polisher wheel and smooth the surface where the three center discs were just ground down flush with the dome. Finish with the silicon fine polisher wheel.

Caution �\ Use care when operating the flex shaft. Use slow, light to moderate pressure so the bead won't get pulled out of your fingers, or so you don't grind or buff your fingertips. Also use care when holding the hand piece so you don't come in contact with the exposed moving parts that can cause abrasions.

Buff and polish the entire bead surface to the finish desired. Do not forget the inside of the tube. Using the flex shaft, insert 1/2 of a Q-Tip(R) into the hand piece, apply buffing compound to the tip, and clean out the inside of the tube of the bead.

Clean up the bead and you are finished, except now you have to think of design ideas for the next tension set bead, such as texture on the domes, designs engraved in the domes, cuts made, or holes drilled into the domes, use of different metals, and so on. You are limited only by your imagination. Happy bead making!