Metal pin???

[julief]

My sister recently asked me to duplicate a pin she lost a couple of years ago.  She found someone who had one like it and gave me a xerox copy of it.  It is the 3 wise men, camels and the star.  It is about 2-1/2 inches long and maybe an inch and a quarter tall, so you can imagine how tiny the cuts are.

What type of metal and how thick would you use?  Some of the cuts will be so tiny that I don't think I can sandwich them in wood.  It needs to be durable enough not to bend during wear.  I have cut brass and copper before to use on other projects, but I don't think it was thick enough for wear - too soft.  I may cut one out of a CD just to see if it will be wearable, but I still want to try a metal. 

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

[jim stiek]

sounds like you might have to fashion a jig that will sandwich a heavy piece of metal like a piece of brass door kick plate and clamp it tight with a hole in the center so you can see exactly what you are cutting, much like a coin holder used for cutting coins.

[mrsn]

you will have much better results if you can sandwich the metal. Metal bends and catches the blade going up and down. If you are worried about overall thickness, use 1/8" plywood, otherwise I like 1/4" better for stability. I cut aluminum frequently for jewelry I also use some steel. Other nicer metals are fun but get more expensive to play with. I have a couple of jewelry supply sources at home, I know you can get a variety of types of metals in small sheets for metalworking jewelry projects. I won't be home for a few days, but I'll look into a source. Some craft stores have a small selection of metal options. Are you looking for a silivery metal? Are each of the elements cut out individually and stuck together, or from one piece?
I personally prefere wood jewelry, and make alot of it. Is the a reason wood won't work?

[julief]

Thanks Katie.  It is a silouette and is all one piece.  It would be too delicate in wood to survive any use.  The original was a brushed silver metal.  I haven't done a whole lot of research yet to see what else I could use.  I was hoping someone already had the answer. 

[GrayBeard]

Julie ... any chance of getting a pic or sketch of the general idea?

~~~GB~~~

[Gabby]

I would recommend jewelers silver sheet, soft enough to cut easy and thick enough to hold it's shape. I'll bet your local jeweler would sell you a piece (by weight) if they do repair work. Copper, brass, and aluminum can transfer to the skin especially for some folks that have very acidic perspiration. That's why most jewelery is of silver or gold. I wear a silver Navajo shadow box ring my wife gave me and it has never needed polishing, tarnish never has a chance to build up as long as I keep wearing it.
Gabby

[julief]

GB - I'd love to.  I have all the tools - just not the know-how.  If I get a chance, I will scan it and try to attach it.  You know me - Computer illiterate.

[mrsn]

Below are a couple of the metal sources that I have considered doing business with. I haven?t actually ordered any sheet metal from any of these places, but have ordered other supplies from Rio Grande.
http://www.jewelrysupply.com/wire_chain_metal/sheet_copper_brass_nickelsilver.html
http://www.metalliferous.com/basemetal.php
http://www.contenti.com/products/metals/sheet-stock.html
http://www.riogrande.com/MemberArea/SearchPage.aspx?category%7Ccategory_root%7C104=Metals
You will want to stay away from any metal described as dead soft.  It is really soft (like use your fingers to bend it) These websites have a variety of types of metals you can get. If it was my project I would likely use one of the nickel types. It gives you the really shiny silvery color without the price tag of actual silver. I am too cheap to buy real silver, even if it was for my sister, I am afraid of screwing up on expensive materials.
I would also be curious to see what your project looks like, if you can get it scanned in please share.
I make a lot of jewelry, if you have any questions I could answer let me know. I am happy to help
Katie