A Tale of Two Toggles

Monday was for chores, but Tuesday was for Toggles!

These are a variation on a project in Kate Richbourg's book Simple Soldering and while they're not perfect, I think I will use them for some future items. Here's a little look at how they went together. I apologize that I didn't photograph every step. I was caught up in the process and forgot about doing a blog post. Really have to get better at that. 

First I cut 1 inch lengths of some 4mm flat sterling silver wire, then filed the ends smooth. Next I made and cut two rings from 14 gauge wire. The book calls for 16 gauge wire so that's what I used for the little half circles jump rings to attach the clasp to the bracelet or necklace. They get hammered flat and then the ends are filed to fit what they will solder to. Flat ends for the T section, beveled or angled for the O section. I don't have any photos of me making that end (doh!), but I do of the other. It requires careful measuring for placement and a third hand.

I see there that I should have cleaned up a little, but it took so many tries to get it set reasonably well that I just left it. Going forward I'll be neater and straighter!! Here it is after soldering.

A little messy, but not really awful. I used medium solder and concentrated the flame on the larger piece of metal. Solder flows toward the heat and since I'd put the solder on the jump ring and it's such a small part compared to the other, that's the way it should go to avoid melting it.

The O end of the clasp lies flat on the charcoal brick and it's a bit fiddly to place the jump ring as well. I used medium paste solder for that join since I used hard solder to make the ring itself. The solder pallion should be really tiny even with 14-gauge wire - less than 1 mm square since even with some that size I had a little mess to clean up. 

Here they are cleaned up after pickling. I just use a brass bristle brush in the sink with a little water.

And here they are after an hour in the tumbler and some polishing with the Foredom.

I'll probably touch them up more before I use them, but they are decent enough and I'm so relieved! It took far less time for me to make the second than the first so I'm definitely getting better at this. Woo hoo!