Magical Journeys

I’m pretty proud of the fact that in addition to being a jewelry artist, I’m a qualified bench jeweler. Which means I do a lot with the 3 R’s-
Repairs, Re-sizings & Restoration

This is actually where I started. My apprenticeship back in high school was with a bench jeweler who did a lot of repairs. So my training started with that perspective. Later on when I struck out on my own I was afraid with good reason. After the apprenticeship, right out of high school I ruined a friends ring. Mortifying. I still keep it and try to remember that incident when I get cocky.

But the 3Rs are about problem solving and I really enjoy that.
Rebuilding clasps that fell apart for some reason- can I do it better?

Taking out and resetting stones in a silver ring. Many jewelers won’t even repair or resize silver jewelry because it heats differently than gold. The whole piece needs to reach a very high temperature for solder to flow. That means you’ll ruin any stones left in place. So of course it takes more time taking out and resetting the stones in a silver piece, yeah it will cost more, but it’s not impossible.

When resizing a ring I enjoy trying to make the solder joints invisible, I succeed most of the time, too.

But chain repair, now there’s the mark of patience. Often a jeweler gets impatient and just solders the two ends together to form a small inflexible area where the break was. I hate that and only if I have exhausted all other options do I hand a chain back to a customer like that.

The trick is my “Little Torch” with it’s teeny tiny flame, substances like yellow ochre to control the solder from flowing where it’s not wanted and patience to rebuild the chain pattern the way it was and only solder the broken link. I often need magnification to get a good look at how the chain is made and the big challenge is to keep the repair from being noticed. I’m not a machine, but I pride myself on rebuilding things that were made by machines.

Restoration is something that can be a real challenge. Someone inherits a piece of jewelry they don’t like, but it has sentimental value. So we rework it, change the stones to something they like, make a ring into a pendant or vice versa. Or a customer buys a stone while on vacation, saving it until they decide what they would like.

It’s all about creative problem solving which is something you have to enjoy to be a bench jeweler, not the same as creating my own pieces, but I enjoy it.

Did you ever have one of those projects that seems to haunt you for years? My Dad had the “Roll Top Desk”. He bought the plans, the wood, started it, stalled, decided he needed to get a router and 30 years later, my family still jokes about it. The wood got used for other things, I don’t where the plans are.

I’ve felt that way about this project and I feel incredible that I can say I’ve finally kicked butt and got it done.

I was contacted by a potential customer in early 2004 to find out if I could make a locking pendant. He wanted to have a pendant that had a key, but didn’t want it to look like a lock, it was to look like a pendant. No one but he and she would know that it was locked on.

I loved the idea,. Yes I’ve seen locks as jewelry, but frankly they look like locks. And if you want it to be a secret that you are in alternative relationship where dominance/submission is part of your relationship, you either wear regular jewelry and pretend it’s locked…or you wear a lock.

I started the design process. I needed to learn how locks were made. I found a book about simple ancient Iranian lock designs. I spent months corresponding with the customer keeping him posted on progress. He was patient. We never met, but emailed and occasionally chatted online about the project.

Then I uprooted my life and moved to PA. The customer and his girlfriend broke up so there was no longer even the potential sale anymore, but I still liked the idea. And I felt that there were others who would be interested in it.

My small beginning prototype sat in a tiny plastic box and occasionally I would pull it out and spend a little time trying to figure out what to do about a spring. My gut told me I needed to learn more about non ferrous metals.

Last year I took a Blacksmithing course and at that point realized I was making things more complicated than they needed to be. I took some private lessons with a local blacksmith here in Philadelphia and my project with her was a lock. I acquired another book on locks, this time written for blacksmiths.

Riding the wave of productivity, I washed against the tiny plastic box again the other day like waves hitting the rocks. Damn it, this project has been floating around for 5 years, time to put it to bed. The springs were my hold up, but this time I decided to check Ganoksin about how to make small springs. I found out that music wire (piano wire or guitar wire) can be used to make springs. No worries about hardening/tempering.

And hey, I have a 12 string guitar laying around here I haven’t played in years. It has LOTS of strings. I leave out my Epiphone so it’s handy to play, but the 12 string is a pain, never in tune, etc. I started scavenging strings and as I was taking off the strings realized there was a set of new strings inside. So I took off all the strings I could use, took a few pictures and put it on Craigslist. I sold it for a few bucks and gave the money to the kid. (She’s saving for a new computer.)

The I sat down with my old drawings and worked out a new design with Illustrator. I looked through my stones, decided on a malachite and started over again.

The foremost problem is if the spring inside is heated up, as it would if I soldered the pendant, it loses it’s spring. My solution for that was to set a stone on the front of the lock. Get the whole thing soldered together, set the spring and then set the stone last.

I made the bezel and seat for the malachite, then a box the same shape as the malachite to house the lock under the stone. Then the connectors on either side. I choose a triquerta as the design element. A nice green stone like Malachite always looks good to me in a celtic design.

Then I cut out the mechanisms, the locking arm, the hook on the connector on the other side. Soldered one side connector in place.

As I began playing with springs I started to realize that using a silver shaft as the key wasn’t a good idea. It needed to be steel to be strong enough to push against the steel spring and not bend.
The springs and strength of the working components were the biggest issues I was working on over these years.
I used a nail and did some mini blacksmithing on my baby anvils to make the key. I also researched brazing (soldering) silver to the steel and found that was much easier than I anticipated. (I’m already dreaming of potential pieces using this idea.) Another Triquerta cut from sheet and voila! A Key. The key is very simple, just a straight piece of metal to put the locking lever back against the spring to release the connector. I’ll probably add a bail so it can be worn by who ever is holding the key.

Meanwhile, it took hours to determine the correct shape and size for the spring. The spring was the most challenging part of this project. Several times over the last few days I just stopped and walked away. Installing the spring, taking out the ones that didn’t work. I was at it for hours, it was an exercise in patience. I made at least a dozen different springs from the guitar wire.
In the end a coiled V spring (like the bottom of a safety pin) is what worked, but the coil had to be very tiny to fit in the area.
When the mechanism worked predictably, I soldered the completed bezel setting on top of the lock housing. Once it was in place there was a few more hours of playing with springs.
It finally all came together- and stayed that way. (locked)

And came apart when it was supposed to…(Unlocked)

Then I only had to set the stone and it’s done. I’m VERY happy to have finally solved this issue.

Now the fun part of figuring what kind of chain/choker to put on. The original customer wanted a handmade chain. (Cha-ching!) but I think this would look nice with a flat omega style smooth chain because it will be against the skin, or some kind of fabric or cord. In any case, until it finds it’s home it won’t be finished because I believe it should be fitted.

Yesterday it was time to finally tackle the paperwork mountain that builds up for Jack’s medical bills. This involves comparing EOBs from the insurance company, checking dates on bills to make sure the insurance has gone through, etc. Five and half hours later I was done. Then dinner out with friend/family. A wonderful time.

I had some old files from over 10 years ago that my sister had been storing. I didn’t want to get rid of them without at least going through them. Well I found the missing savings bond for Wendy. Since she decided to start saving for a computer this could help her out now. Now I have plenty of stuff for a bonfire in the cauldron with the discarded file. Too much to shred.

Then I sorted two trash bags of fabric scraps and ribbon. I consolidated what I was going to keep with the fabric I had and put it all in a big box.

Then it was time to make room for the big box in the storage area near my shop. Which meant cleaning, clearing and rearranging my shop. This was to make room in my shop as well to make room for the extra work bench for Wendy. In the process I decided that extra piece of linoleum would take up less room unrolled on my shop floor that standing up in the storage area near the shop.

Also this afternoon, David was looking for some files on CD and we came across my Complete Pressure Cooker Book archive CD. To my delight, I was able to import it into Adobe InDesign. Looks like I may be able to get that 2nd edition out in 2010, only about 10 years after the first edition. The original was in an old edition of QuarkXpress and I thought I would never see it on a screen again.

I stopped to make dinner and came back downstairs to finish the other custom ring order to match the one from a few days ago. I took pictures of the two rings together, took pictures of my picture setup and I’m now ready to call it a night and head to the hot tub.

My daughter Wendy joined me at the Hanukah event where I vended last weekend and I realized it’s time for her to start apprenticing for real.

She’s been around my jewelry work her whole life and seems to understand very well how things are made. In fact she had a very early interest in gemstones and still is quicker at identifying stones than I am. (”Damn it Jim! I’m a metalsmith, not a gemologist!”)

She had fun talking to people at Pagan Festivals telling them she wanted to be a gemologist or an astronaut. One fellow told me later that after she told him that, he asked what stone he was wearing. She didn’t even hesitate to tell him it was snowflake obsidian. Of course he had to run and tell me. She was all of about 9 or 10.

Back in 2004 she first learned to use the jewelers saw on old AOL CDs and made some interesting things then. So last week at the show, (in between customers- of which there were none) I gave her the saw and the lesson I was given on the first day of my apprenticeship. Cut Lincoln from the penny. With an 8/0 sawblade.

She did well only broke about 4 blades in the process and started on a second one before we had to go. So I promised her I would figure out a bench for her so we could work together in the shop. She’ll be 13 in two weeks, seems like a good time to start an apprenticeship.

I set up a portable workmate with the tabletop I made for pagan festivals when I set up my shop, set up a light, bench pin and a catch tray and I now have an apprentice in the shop.

It’s nice to have another person to talk to while I work. It’s nice to start passing on these skills. And to be perfectly honest, to my astonishment, the kid is a natural.

Tonight she was given a sheet of sterling silver. I explained how to figure ring size, had her do all the math and measurements. She practiced soldering with a old piece of ring stock I had laying around, I explained about seams, had her reading The Complete Metalsmith by McCreight and about 3 hours later she had a ring. The little butane torch I use for traveling is perfect for teaching soldering. I learned on oxygen acetylene and I remember how scary it was. She didn’t melt anything. I remember so much from my apprenticeship, I felt like everything I touched melted.

It ended up about a size too small. We discussed stretching, etc. But she wants to do it the right way and learn how to size the ring properly and put a piece in. That’s for tomorrow.

And I’m still getting work done. I’m on my second custom order this week and just being in the shop gives me more ideas. In between I have her watch me and then try it herself. Mostly trying it herself because she learns like me, by doing.

It’ll be fun checking off today’s homeschool hours. Science, math, geometry, safety. We covered a lot.

I am opening my home and studio to friends and family for a special event on Saturday December 12, 2009 from 3pm to 5pm.

This promises to be a fun event with a demonstration on how jewelry is made, tours of my studio, free jewelry cleaning and a showing of some of my latest work.

And while you are looking through your jewelry box for items that need to be cleaned, bring along any broken items. I will be happy to assess repairs that might be needed or undertake any ring resizing you might need. Look your best for the holidays wearing your favorite jewelry!

Bring a friend. And of course, goodies will be served!

Hope to see you there!

Yesterday I spent the morning filling a custom order and for a change I documented the process in photos. I did the initial layout in Adobe Illustrator, which I am still learning, but delighted with its capabilities so far. Most of the time the font is about 10 points and I usually play with spacing a little to control how the words will wind around the ring.

The ring is made of 18 gauge sterling silver sheet. I calculate the length of the ring based on the ring size and I layout what the words will be on the computer. This gets printed out and fastened to the sterling sheet using rubber cement.

Next I center punch where I need to drill a hole using a small pick I’ve sharpened and hardened for this purpose. I did this because a normal center punch would obscure half the letter in the sizes I work.

The drill bits are very tiny. I like sizes 70-77 or so. (I just go to the local neighborhood hardware store and have them rummage through the teeny bins for the one I want.) I can’t use the smallest ones that I need for rings in my drill press because it doesn’t tighten small enough and even when it does on the larger ones, it’s very hard to keep from breaking the bits. Not only is this bad because the bits are expensive (~$3.00 each in my local store) but the broken end gets embedded in the silver, which can ruin the piece. So I use the pin vice.

Then I just spin the pin vice in place while holding the metal. Dipping the end of the drill bit into a little bit of oil helps it work so much better and drill through the metal quicker.

When all the holes are drilled, I feed the jeweler’s saw blade through the holes and cut out the letters. When I do the layout I plan ahead for letters like Os and Ps to give the illusion of being connected but without cutting out the center space of the letter. Jewelers saw blades are sold by the dozen because they are very thin and break easily. I’ve been at this 27 years and I still break them on a regular basis. But I love the delicate look that can only be achieved with the smallest (8/0 size) sawblades.

When all the letters are cut out, I need to scrutinize the piercing work carefully. Once the ring is made round, I can not easily go back and refine a letter shape. I check it out in the light, cut around the edge and then remove the paper.

I get all the letters as smooth and uniform as possible and then it’s time to make it ring shaped. Using ring pliers and trying to avoid too many tool marks, I line up the two ends and solder.

It doesn’t need to be round at this point just lined up very well at the ends. Once it is soldered, then it gets placed on the ring mandrel and banged round with a rawhide mallet. Rawhide doesn’t leave tool marks.

Then it gets polished using abrasive papers and polish for the finished product.

I enjoy doing these. I’ve done wedding rings, elvish rings, name rings, initial rings, foreign languages and phrases in both gold and silver. The 18 gauge metal holds up very well to daily wear and it can be a very symbolic yet subtle reminder for the wearer.

So whenever I do a piece in gold I save the scraps. I label them and keep it very carefully. So carefully that until I was looking for something else over the weekend I had forgotten how much I actually had. I had a bit more 14K than I thought made an ingot and started rolling out some sheet. Time to make something new!

One design, I call Sinew, has sold very well in sterling so I wanted to see how it looked in gold. Not too shabby. And there is still more sheet to make something else. I’m sure I’ll have some ideas by the end of the weekend.

I’m actually finished everything for the Hanuhah Gift show I’m doing on Sunday which is a good thing because I’m taking off tomorrow and Saturday to go see Rowan and Charles Hughes at their Home Studio Pottery Show.

This is what my bench looked like last night. The four pierced pieces are all finished and are in the tumbler along with the ring which I straightened out and now have to re-black after polishing. I added a bail to the star of david on the left, the two heart designs have had bezel set mother of pearl cabochons and the tiny star of david has had a hexagon stone set in it. I think it’s a crystal, but I can’t remember because I bought it so long ago. I have to dig out the receipt before I price it.

This was a custom piece I actually created in two different sizes. I can tell that I’m only beginning to enjoy using Illustrator for my design work.

So the last 4 days I’ve spent at least 3 hours a day in the shop, with 8 and 10 hours yesterday and today.
We’ve managed to get coverage now for most of Jack’s care schedule. So although I am still the main caregiver in terms of making sure Jack’s needs are met, it’s now more of a management position rather than hands on.
And my soul is rejoicing. I’m spending more time and energy on my jewelry. More time and energy than I have for many years. I exhibited at a craft show on 10/31 that really got me energized although I didn’t sell anything.
I really needed that customer contact and lots of people took my cards, I got several decent leads on custom work and my display looked the best it ever has.
I have a Hanukah gift event on Sunday and another Holiday craft show scheduled for Dec 6.

Then I’m scheduling my own event here at the house for December 12. I want to invite people to bring their jewelry for a free cleaning, repair assessments and a brief demonstration on how jewelry is made and other information that will help make them a better jewelry customer as well as showing my work. This is the first phase of a new marketing model for my work utilizing home shows and I’m offering a free custom pierced piece for anyone who books a show.

I pulled out my casting log book and realized that I haven’t done any lost wax casting since September.

It was in October that I started getting distracted with hard metal (iron, etc) and blacksmithing. But I upgraded the equipment in my casting set up in October and haven’t had a chance to even try it out until this past week.

In December at Wendy’s birthday party, all her friends got to play with wax and make a small piece that I would cast in bronze. Two flasks worth.

Plus one small flask with some flower components that I plan to make in quantity for necklaces and bracelets. Once I have some nice originals I’ll create a rubber mold to make the waxes in quanitity.

The new vacuum/vibrating investment set up worked great. Now to rearrange the work area and set up my new burnout kiln.