Barrel Bails

I recently spent some time playing with designs for barrel shaped bails that would sit behind and on top of small geometric pendants I had been creating.  They were all part of a small series that I wanted to keep unified, so I needed a versatile design that would fit the varying shapes, while staying visually cohesive.  For these pieces, I began by rolling out a sheet of metal clay 3 cards thick.  I cut it into a long rectangle, wrapped it around a straw I had rubbed with olive oil and sealed it's seam.  I let it stiffen up for just a few minutes before beginning to slice it on the straw.  I held my knife in place and rolled the straw to get an even cut.  I then spaced out each of the pieces and set them to dry in place on the straw.  Once they were bone dry, I gently slid them off and sanded them before attaching them to my dried pendants with slip.  Starting with the longer piece and cutting it apart allowed me to make several pieces at once and vary their sizes to fit the individual pendants they would be attached to.  It was important to cut them on the straw in order for the clay to stay supported and not collapse under the pressure of the knife due to its hollow center.

Hidden Bails in Metal Clay

For the largest pieces in this series, I decided I did not want the bail to become a decorative element.  It was important for these pieces to maintain their simplicity and that meant building hidden bails for them.  I rolled out my clay and decided an elongated oval would be the best shape and cut it to the length of the entire back.  I chose to wrap it around a straw and made sure it had been rubbed with olive oil to prevent the clay from sticking.  After cutting the oval, I slid my pin tool under one end and gently lifted the piece off my working mat.  I draped it over the straw and gave it a moment to set up.  I wet the back of my piece and placed pasted where the two ends of the bail would come into contact with the pendant.  I lifted the straw and placed the bail, gently pressing each end to secure it and cleaned up around its edges.  Once the piece began to dry enough so it would hold its form, I gently twisted the straw as I pulled it out.  I didn't want to wait until it was completely dry because I was concerned it would shrink too tight around the straw.