Cut out the disks. Use dividers to mark two 25mm (1-in.)-diameter disks on 20-gauge (0.8mm) sterling silver. Repeat on 26-gauge (0.4mm) sterling silver. Use a disk cutter or a jeweler’s saw to cut out the disks.

Dome the two 20-gauge (0.8mm) disks. Start with a shallow hollow on a wooden dapping block. Move around the edges of the disk with the wooden dapping punch, spiraling toward the center of the disk. Continue to dome the disks by moving to deeper hollows on the wooden dapping block. A wooden dapping block is great to use with textured metal, since it will not mar the texture. The patterns on this sterling silver were created using roll-printing. Ganoksin is sponsored by Ganoksin is sponsored by

Use 220-grit sandpaper on a flat surface to sand the edges of the domed disks. Use figure 8 motions with a steady pressure to keep the domed disk level. Make the bearing plates. Set your dividers to 3mm (1/8 in.) to scribe a border on each of the 26-gauge (0.4mm) flat disks. Use a disk cutter or a jeweler’s saw to remove the interior of each flat disk. Smooth the interior edge of each with sandpaper. These flat disks, called “bearing plates,” will reinforce the hinge and provide an interior lip to hold a photo in place. Make the hinge knuckles. Use a tube-cutting jig to cut three 3mm (1/8 in.) pieces of 1.0mm inside-diameter (ID) tubing. Hinge knuckles work best in odd numbers and must be flush against each other when placed end to end.

Make the two sides of the locket case. Sweat medium solder onto one side of each bearing plate. Place a bearing plate, solder side up, on a tripod stand. Place a dome on top of the bearing plate. Solder the pieces, heating evenly from below and above using a large, soft flame. Repeat with the other pair. These pieces are the two sides of the locket case. Prepare the locket case for a hinge. Use masking tape to tape the locket-case pieces together. Using the edge of a square or triangular needle file, start an 8-9mm ( 5/16 -23/64-in.) long groove where the two locket-case pieces meet. Once the groove is established, switch to a 1.5mm round needle file or a diamond-core drill to make the groove even. Make the groove only wide and long enough to fit the hinge knuckles. Remove the masking tape once the groove is the correct size and shape. Carefully paint the areas you do not want to solder with correction fluid, including the bearing plates. The benefit of correction fluid as an anti-flux over more traditional ocher is that correction fluid does not dissolve with the application of flux, preventing contamination. Allow the anti-flux to dry completely, and then clamp the locket-case pieces together with binding wire. Make sure the groove for the hinge is lined up and straight.

Solder the hinge in place. Use a third hand to hold the locket case steady on your soldering pad, hinge side up. Flux all the metal parts and lay the hinge knuckles in place. The hinge knuckles must be straight, level, and tightly fitted against each other to yield a good working hinge. Thread a piece of iron binding wire inside the knuckles to help keep them straight. The wire acts as a slight heat sink and may also block solder from flowing inside the hinge. Lightly fan the assembly with a soft flame to speed the drying of the flux. Once the flux has dried to a white crust, check to make sure all of the hinge knuckles are solidly in the groove. Place pallions of medium solder so that they touch both the locket case and the knuckles. The top and bottom knuckles will be soldered to the back of the locket case, while the center knuckle will be soldered to the front. Heat the entire assembly with a large, soft flame. When the flux goes clear, the piece is reaching the temperature for the solder to flow. Focus the heat on the knuckles on one side of the locket until the solder flows, then concentrate the heat on the other side of the locket to solder the other knuckle. Ganoksin is sponsored by Ganoksin is sponsored by Quench the locket in water, and remove the binding wire. Pry the locket case apart, and test the strength of your knuckle joins with a fingernail. If any of the knuckles are not securely soldered, repeat step 5 until all the knuckles are securely attached.

Once you have successfully attached the hinge to the locket case, run a wire through the hinge to test the alignment of your locket. A finished locket is pictured to show the orientation of the hinge to where the bail loop and friction-clasp pin will need to be installed. File and sand the edges of the closed locket smooth and even.

Install a bail loop. Mark a point on the top center of the back piece of the locket case. Separate the locket case, and set the front piece aside. At the mark on the top of the back piece, file a small groove perpendicular to the back piece where the bail loop will go. Place the back piece, flat side down, on your soldering pad. Place a 3mm ID jump ring into the groove, and solder with easy solder. Quench, pickle, and rinse it. Install a friction-clasp pin. On the bearing plate of the back piece, directly opposite the hinge, mark a point halfway between the inside edge of the bearing plate and the outer edge. At that point, drill a 1.0mm hole through the bearing plate only. Sweat a small bit of easy solder onto the end of 18-gauge (1.0mm) sterling silver wire. Cut off a 5mm (3/16-in.) piece. Use flatnose pliers to force the soldered end into the hole until it touches the inside of the dome. Hold the back piece in cross-locking tweezers. Flux and heat it with a large, soft flame until the solder on the wire flows. Quench the back piece, check your solder joins for security, and pickle.

Install the hinge pin. The hinge pin will last longer if it is straight and made from a tougher metal than silver. Brass, nickel, and 14k white gold wire are optional material choices that all work well as hinge pins. The hinge pin should be as tight in the hinge as possible, as wear will loosen the hinge. File the ends of the outer knuckles to follow the contour of the locket. Clamp the hinge pin in a bench vise, and use a cross-peen hammer to flare one end. Put the locket-case pieces together, and thread the hinge pin through the hinge. If the hinge pin is tight enough, you might need pliers to pull the pin completely through. Use wire cutters to clip off extra hinge-pin wire. To set the hinge pin, hold the flared end of the hinge pin against a bench anvil, and tap the other end with the cross-peen hammer. Sand off any stray tool marks.