I’ve Been Stuck In Trial And Error Hell

Concept #1

My first thought was clearly to place the sunshine again collectively utilizing the primary concept that I had after I simply assembled the lampshade rings a few weeks in the past. That first time, I used beading wire and screw-on crimp beads, each of that are used to make jewellery.

So I began off utilizing that course of to re-assemble all the rings as soon as I had all the painted spoons connected to the rings. However the extra rings I assembled, the much less assured I grew to become that the wire and crimp beads on the prime would maintain the burden of all the rings with the burden of the spoons added. I had about 5 rings assembled, beginning on the prime and dealing my approach down, after I determined to desert that concept and discover one thing sturdier to carry the lampshade rings collectively.

Concept #2

Since I had connected all the spoons to the lampshade rings utilizing bounce rings, and I had loads of these left over, I had the concept to make use of tiny jewellery chain and bounce rings to connect the rings to one another.

That appeared like a terrific thought, besides that I might get just a few chains/rings connected, after which a series would slip out of a bounce ring and the entire thing would go askew. I’d get that one put again on, just for one other chain to slide out of one other bounce ring, and the entire thing would go askew once more. The issue was clearly that the chain was too skinny, and I couldn’t get the bounce rings closed sufficient for the chain to cease slipping by the break within the bounce ring. So I wanted a brand new thought.

Concept #3

I wanted one thing easy, and my thoughts instantly went to S-hooks. How simple would that be?! I couldn’t think about something being simpler or quicker! Or so I believed. I headed to Dwelling Depot and acquired sufficient of those 1.25-inch S-hooks to assemble the entire thing. I had such excessive hopes.

I imply, simply take a look at how simple! Slip an S-hook onto two lampshade rings, use pliers to crimp the hooks in order that they’d clamp across the lampshade ring wire, and taa-daa! Achieved! Proper? It’s fast and easy!

Besides that it was too quick. It made every row of spoons cowl over the following row of spoons approach an excessive amount of in order that solely about half (or possibly much less) of the spoons on the following row confirmed.

And I acquired at about 5 lampshade rings assembled, second-guessing my resolution the complete time, earlier than making the choice that they have been simply too quick. So I then needed to disassemble all of these rings. And eradicating these S-hooks as soon as they have been crimped onto the lampshade rings wasn’t simple!

Concept #4

I simply wanted to give you a strategy to prolong the S-hook somewhat bit, so then I attempted extending it with a bounce ring. And I might have used a bounce ring on prime and on backside to increase it even additional.

However earlier than I acquired too far with that, I made a decision to desert the concept of bounce rings altogether. They’re nice for jewellery, and so they’re nice for holding every particular person (and really light-weight) spoon to the lampshade ring. However they’re simply not made for holding an excessive amount of weight. And I didn’t really feel assured sufficient in them to belief the meeting of the complete pendant gentle to small bounce rings made for jewellery making.

Concept #5

So I moved on to my subsequent thought — smaller S-hooks. I believed that these can be simpler to work with, and simpler to crimp onto the lampshade rings, than the larger 1.25-inch S-hooks.

So I put two of them collectively, and…

…not solely was it ugly, nevertheless it was too quick. After all, I ought to have recognized that. If the 1.25-inch S-hook was too quick, then two 3/4-inch S-hooks put collectively are going to be too quick since that’s actually the identical size. 😀

Concept #6

Then I attempted utilizing one 1.25-inch S-hook and one .75-inch S-hook. The size was good. I’d say it was excellent. However getting these S-hooks crimped to one another, after which crimped onto the lampshade rings was not simple, and so they simply didn’t look good. It appeared massive and ponderous, and I needed one thing smaller that wouldn’t look so cumbersome.

Concepts #7 and #8

So again to Dwelling Depot I went, and this time I purchased the smallest chain that they had with hyperlinks that may very well be pulled aside (i.e., I couldn’t use chain with the hyperlinks soldered closed). That is what that they had.

I had excessive hopes. However the issue is that if I used three hyperlinks, it was too lengthy…

And if I used two hyperlinks, it was too quick.

Two hyperlinks acquired me proper again to the identical size as one massive S-hook.

I actually wanted 2.5 of these hyperlinks. That may be the proper size, however I didn’t wish to lower these hyperlinks in half. Although it’s attainable to chop them in half due to how they’re made, and simply use 1/2 of a hyperlink, slicing it in half appeared ugly. I simply didn’t wish to try this. So I headed again to the drafting board.

Concept #9

I headed again to Michael’s one final take a look at any choices that they had, and I bought these cut up rings. Break up rings are like keychain rings, however these are for jewellery, so that they’re fairly small.

I had the concept that I might mainly create my very own chain out of cut up rings. And since no bounce rings can be used, and cut up rings are far more safe, I used to be positive this is able to work. So I purchased all that they had, and headed house. However I rapidly realized that this concept was a bust. I sat there for a very good 5 minutes simply making an attempt to get two cut up rings put collectively (and destroyed my fingernails within the course of), however the cut up rings have been so tight that I by no means even acquired two put collectively, a lot much less sufficient to type a series. So there’s no approach I used to be going to take a seat there and attempt to assemble sufficient to place the complete gentle collectively. I don’t suppose there’s any approach I might have gotten a type of cut up rings across the lampshade ring wire.

Concept #10 — THIS ONE WORKED!

Then it got here to me. The cut up rings have been concerning the dimension of 1/2 of a hyperlink of the small chain. And a couple of.5 hyperlinks of that chain can be the proper size. So I took two particular person hyperlinks of the chain, and assembled them with a cut up ring within the center, and that is what I had…

And…IT WORKED!!! Y’all, in case you heard the faint sound of somebody crying tears of pleasure and reduction round 5:30pm yesterday, that was me. It took me ten tries, however I lastly…FINALLY…discovered one thing that may work. It was robust, so there was no approach it was going to return aside on me. And it was the fitting size. It’s not the fitting colour, however that’s nothing {that a} small paint brush and a few liquid gold gilding can’t repair.

So I acquired 9 rings assembled to one another earlier than I went to mattress final evening, and as a substitute of attaching every ring to the following ring in 4 locations, I made a decision to do eight. It makes the entire thing a lot extra secure. I don’t have them lined up but as a result of I’m nonetheless assembling every thing. However as soon as I get the entire thing assembled, I’ll return and line every thing up excellent, after which begin placing the spoons in place.