Here's something new...a 3D EPR (Ed's Poly Resin) Bug with a “jeweled†stainless steel base. The “bug†is a hand-made fishing fly encased in clear resin...see the hook?
The real key is to jig the setup in a way that each swirl is done precisely, so I've recently been using the Oneway Drill Wizard and my lathe's indexing feature, which works really well. Anyone interested in a how-to video?
Here are a couple more Bugs that just fell off my lathe:
I have tried this jewelling technique on plated stopper bases and the plating will not hold up...the swirls cut right through to the base metal (looks like a copper alloy), which I suspect will corrode easily. So I only jewel the solid stainless stopper bases, available from Ruth Niles and Arizona Silhouette.