Tuesday, August 01, 2006

Windchimes for Everyone!

I've been wanting to make windchimes out of silverware for years. My dad has a set that I've always admired and I've been hoarding extra, unmatched pieces with the thought that I would one day follow through. Well, several months ago was over at my aunts house and she had her own silverware windchime. I talked with her about it and finally got the inspiration to make my own. When I found a set of silver knives at a flea market it was a sign for me to finally get it done. The trouble became finding the right drill bit to get through the thick knife handles. Using my cordless drill I was able to get two done until the drill bit broke and pieces of metal flew through the garage. I bought another complete set of bits (they're cheap...hence the breakability) and went about trying to get a couple more holes drilled. When those bits broke almost immediately it dawned on me that I needed to make a more substantial investment in this enterprise. So, I drove out to one of those big home supply stores and bought 2 bits for the price I had been paying for 12. I was nervous that these bits would be just as fragile as the others but they worked like champs. They cut through the silver and steel like buttah. With the holes drilled I set about completing the bending of forks before I could string the pieces up with glass and silver beads on fishing line. I was so proud of these things that I drove all over town showing them off to friends and family. Now I'm on a mission to find more abandoned silverware for more windchimes. Windchimes for everyone!


4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Excellent work! Next you'll be touring with Kreskin!

Anonymous said...

Those are GREAT! I love that you bent the fork to make the top of it. Can I ask how much you paid for the knife set?

Laura said...

I can't remember exactly how much these knives were. I think it was about $1 a knife.

Anonymous said...

Did it take some heat to bend the fork?