Spectrolite & Silver Key

[VapidLapid]

My building recently "upgraded" our intercom to have video cameras 2 int he lobby two out front one in the basement one on the roof and one in the elevator. I can only think they are trying to attract the more paranoid as future tenants. Along with this came a "keyless" entry. We now have these little plastic ovals emblazoned with the security company's name to attach to out key chains. We still have the option to use our traditional keys, but now all we need to is wave this plastic fob over the intercom and the door unlocks. Then do the same in the elevator and our floor unlocks. I am glad we can still use our keys to the same purpose. I remember all too well the blackout from Sandy and the one a few years before too. Analog will never go out of style!

In the mean time I didn't particularly like the look of the plastic thing, so I set to do something about it.

I cut this piece of spectrolite to fit just a little bigger than the plastic, then polished it. Next I made a silver setting with a bezel high enough to cover the plastic thing ans the stone together. Next, I popped the plastic in and the stone and burnished. Voila! A spectrolite key that to all appearances is an unusable fancy, a trivial thing of confoundedness as it shows it's function to no one. But one wave of my magic stone fob and the doors open.

 

[VapidLapid]

more

 

[iolitedreamer]

Now that is cool! I absolutely love it.

 

[tyty333]

Very Cool idea!

 

[chrono]

A sorcerer's stone! I want one too. That's such a fun and more interesting way to open doors.

 

[Circe]

This is the best idea I've seen in AGES. Well done, you!

 

[Kelli]

How cool is that?!

 

[ilovegemstones]

That is amazing! You are a magician. Like Harry Potter.

 

[kgizo]

Clever! You could make a business out of this. Many of us hate putting a dorky access badge on a nice outfit.

 

[minousbijoux]

Let me get this straight - you have a bezeled setting in which you have plopped their important spy plastic. Then, on top of it, in the same bezel, you add your spectrolite, correct? This means that looking at it on one side is the bottom of the metal bezel (I'm assuming sterling?) and on the other side is the spectrolite and sandwiched in between is the key card? And it can still read it even through the other material? All I know is that when I've had to get into places I've worked with key cards, they would not work for me unless they were in direct contact with the sensor - no backpacks or purses...

I do love the idea; I just needed clarification.

 

[periwinkle]

that's a nice looking piece of spectrolite is it hard to polish? that material seems to have a lot of 'cracks/lines'

it's a great idea - it looks so much cooler than that (rather ugly) plastic TARGET piece...

 

[minousbijoux]

Oh and it occurred to me to add: and you wonder why we love you?!! Who else, my friend, who else?

 

[JewelFreak]

You can do magic! Wait till the kids on the block see that!

--- Laurie

 

[pregcurious]

You should offer your services to your neighbors to raise funds for more stones!

 

[minousbijoux]

It really is an extraordinarily clever idea for a business.

 

[VapidLapid]

A few things.

Despite its faults I was kind of proud since this is my first bezel.

Spectrolite is a feldspar, so it is hard as moonstone. Very easy to polish.

I did some experiments before making the fob to see if the sensor would read it. The sensor could read it through my tightly clenched fist. Then I tried sandwiching it between two slabs of agate, each about 5 inches in diameter and a quarter of an inch thick. I was careful to keep the stack parallel to the sensor with the open edges facing away so it would have to read it through the stone. that worked too. My plan originally was to have a stone on both sides and just a bezel around, but I opted to to it this way to make it easier since it was, as I said, my first bezel. W e have been having problems with the system since day one and they have yet to get it fixed. The other day they were here and when they left the fobs didn't work, although some did still work but not as they should, eg. they opened the wrong floors in the elevator. They wont be back until thursday to fix it. meanwhile, with the bezel pushed over and burnished, the thing doesnt work. I drilled holes around the sides to let the waves in and it still didn't work. My next attempt will be to do the two stone method. I will make the stones thinner. This one I will grind 3 mm off from the back and make another to match. I am also considering making the back a thin piece of fancy figured hardwood instead of a stone, if that may be more radio transparent.

the silver I used is 999 fine, not sterling, though I doubt that makes a difference. It was rolled out to .8mm thickness. I may take that down to .5 and also am considering an open filigree-like treatment to the sides, a technological vinaigrette, if that will help.

 

[minousbijoux]

I'm sure you could call them and get the key sensor geek to explain it in great detail so that you could figure out what would work. But if it were me, I'd wait until the system was really running normally to test for whether your craftsmanship works; it seems a shame to tear apart your work when nothing might work because the system is just on the blink.