Jingle Bells Charm Making

I start with a plate of brass 0.7 mm thick

I start doming it with a 17 mm ball punch.

When the dome starts to form, the metal distorts on the sides.

I use an old engine valve, that I turned flat at the front, to flatten the distorted sides.

The bottom of the bell is finished being domed.

The dome is quite deep.

For this one I am going to make a silver top, just because.

I also make them with copper tops.

I cut out a circle of metal 0.7 mm thick and dome it to the 17 mm dome.

The silver domed.

I drill a hole in the center for expansion, and then solder the silver dome into the brass one.

I cut two slots into the bottom done with a cutoff wheel and then drill a 2 mm hole at the bottom of each slot.

For this bell I made a brass hanger out of a 3 mm piece of rod.

Mostly, though, I just use a jump ring and solder it directly on the top dome.

Then I finish this one off.

For the 'clapper', I cut a 3 mm piece off a 3 mm sacrificial Allen key with a cut-off wheel.

I pry one of the vanes apart a bit and then slip the piece of Allen key in.

Then I press the vane carefully back.

I make various different combinations of metals.

Each has a different ring, some lower in tone, some higher.

Different combinations of metals make for different sounds.