04/19/2012 - Bike Firefly

I went into this project knowing what I wanted to do with this piece would not work. Grandma BJ gave me an old soldering kit that I have been determined to use for quite a while now. I knew that the stainless steel bike parts I wanted to use them on could not be soldered, but I just had to try it out anyway. Surprise, surprise, surprise, it didn't work. I have read in quite a few places this type of metal can only be welded. One of these days I will learn how to weld and have a lot of fun with metal.

Reclaimed Material: bicycle chain links and spoke
Other Material: none
Tools: metal clippers, vise, hammer, epoxy

How I did it: I put two chain links halfway into the vise and used the hammer to bend them in half -- at about a 45° angle. I then cut the spoke to 1.5" long using the notched end of the spoke that was in the center of the bicycle wheel. I used the epoxy to adhere the chain links to the spoke for the wings of the firefly to the spoke.

What I would do differently: I would much rather avoid using the epoxy, but again, I don't have any welding skills or equipment. Also, I should have added a little bead for the tail of the firefly.