Recent Online Features

Thanks so much to those who have recently featured my work online!

My piece Dowry Belt on the Ponoko blog and a as a Finalist in the World Championship Belt Buckle Competition

Money clip from my Etsy Shop with a vintage 1922 map of Paris in the Etsy Treasury fine art by Ksusha

Money clip from my Etsy Shop with a 1919 map of Richmond, Virginia in the Etsy Treasury dreaming of the River! by imacheetahrar

Photo Etching Process

A lot of my work involves the process of photo etching. Many jewelry artists use photo etching to incorporate images and textures into their work. Here's the process I use:

Generating an Image to Etch


Step One: I select a photograph taken by me. I especially like to use travel photography. This is a photo I took of Michaelangelo’s dome in the Vatican.

Step Two: I convert the image to grayscale.

Step Three: I carefully adjust the image in Photoshop to create a black-and-white-only image. No gray can be present.

Step Four: The image is then saved as a bitmap file, which only allows for black pixels on a blank background. Sometimes I invert the image for a better etch.

Etching the Image into the Metal


Step One: The bitmap image is printed off.

Step Two: The image is photocopied onto a special paper called Press-n-Peel, or PnP, that can be transferred onto metal. It is commonly used to create circuit boards.

Step Three: The PnP is burnished onto the metal using heat to release the emulsion.

Step Four: The emulsion that has been burnished onto the metal acts as a resist. The metal is then placed into an acid bath that eats away any exposed metal.

Step Five: The final piece is fabricated using the etched metal.

How They're Made | Money Clips by Jess Todd

Customers have been dying to know how my hand-forged money clips are made so here it is! Enjoy!

*Please note that this is not a tutorial. My money clips are made from an original design and process developed by me, and are therefore my intellectual property. They are not meant for reproduction by others and any deliberate reproductions will be treated as copyright infringement. Thank you!*

Each money clip begins as a 1"x4" rectangle of 18 gauge metal. I most frequently use nickel silver, a nickel alloy, but this one is made from brass.

The metal is sanded with a heavy grit sandpaper to remove scratches, dirt and oils.

Pumice is used to remove any residual oils.

The metal is clean and ready for the image to be transferred.

Press-n-Peel (PnP) is an image transfer paper most commonly used to create circuit boards. Learn more about the photo transfer process here.

A hot plate is used to transfer the emulsion onto the metal, which will act as a resist for the acid.

The image appears through the back when it has been fully transferred.

The PnP is peeled off of the metal, leaving the emulsion behind.

Any gaps or errors are filled in with Dykem Steel Blue, a layout fluid also used to resist the acid. 

Packaging tape is applied to the back of the metal to protect it while in the acid.

The acid Ferric Chloride is used to etch into the metal in the areas where the resist has not been applied.

Acetone removes the PnP and Dykem. The etched image is revealed.

The edges are filed and sanded and the corners are rounded.

The metal is sanded again, this time with a finer grit sandpaper.

The center is determined with a ruler and a square is used to ensure the money clip is bent at a  perfect angle.

A bending brake and steel stake are used to make the first two bends.

The metal is annealed, or heated for malleability, where the final curve will be forged.

Pickle, an acid used to clean metal, removes the oxides caused from heating.

The final signature curve is carefully forged into the metal.

A patina is applied to create contrast for the design.

The finest grit sandpaper is used to sand the top surface and create a vintage feel.

A high quality wax polish called Renaissance Wax is applied to keep the surface protected from oxidation and damage.

The money clip is ready for you to use and enjoy!