Trailer Hitches and C Clamps

I love Home Depot and can literally spend hours there.  Today I had a few minutes in the afternoon and I went in to wander where I found some fun brass rounded tacks that will make a nice rivet.  I just need to figure out what drill bit is the same size. 

My big find though?  A trailer hitch and a c clamp.  Look what I put on the side of my bench.  This is a poor man's forming stake.  All in all it cost me about $10 to put this together instead of the 60 for the bracelet forming mandrel.  AWESOME.

The next thing I need to set up is my big torch so that I can anneal metal easier.  The micro torch is fantastic for quick projects, but it doesn't quite get things hot enough for heavy gauge wire which only means I hurt my hands.  Also I need a sturdier table and...  perhaps some more hammers and such. 

This is what I've made today --

 

The neck wire is made out of 10g copper tubing and filled with 12g copper wire which is extremely heavy and thick.  It's can be a bear to work with especially after you've spent a ton of time work hardening it with the trailer hitch and a ball peen hammer.  I may decide to wear the choker by itself or I might fashion a couple of removable pendants for it.  More to come.

 

Next I played with drilled river stones and riveting to copper.  I like them, but I'm not sure if I'm going to keep the stones like that.  I love those little earrings.  They're nice, swingy and light not to mention incredibly easy to create.  I might put something similar on Etsy, but include a little sparkle to them perhaps.