Blog

Jun 20, 2022

This may be a common sense thing, I'm not sure (yours truly isn't filled with common sense), but here's something I discovered...

When filing/grinding/etc small objecs using my flexshaft or dremel (any handheld rotary tool), I get a much steadier action if I connect my two hands (see video below).

 

Jun 20, 2022

Let's see how long I can keep this up.  I'm a fan of New Year's Resolutions.  I'm a fan of starting anything.  I love starting projects!  It's so exciting with the potential and the expectations, the lists, the organizing, the research, etc.

What I'm not overly brilliant at is the follow through.  Therefore, I go into this thinking I'll be providing a couple weeks (months if I'm amazing) of these weekly posts.  But time will tell.

I have a very dear friend who tries…

Jun 20, 2022

I say "simple" because I don't know what these are really called and they aren't anything fancy.  Just don't want anyone getting the wrong idea about this blog post.  I'm going to show you how to make a set of chasing tools in a graduating range of sizes.  I use these CONSTANTLY in my workshop.  Hope you find this post useful.

First I got this inexpensive set of pin punches from Harbor Freight (…

Jun 20, 2022

Okay, I'll admit right off the bat that today's blog post is a bunch of blathering.  In case you haven't noticed, a lot (if not most) of these are just my own internal dialogues.  Then again, why shouldn't they be?  Isn't a blog the modern day journal?

Yes, sometimes I try to pass along useful info, but sometimes I just need a sounding board or place to vent or maybe just a place to compose my thoughts.

Today is a "compose my thoughts" day.  This commentary is probably a…

Jun 20, 2022

In today's blog post I want to share some of my latest creations.

I spent about 16 years never using Labradorite (no, I have no good reason for that).  And I seem to have embraced it all and once in binge-style.

Here are some pieces I made in the last month.

It started with this piece.  I never even got finished photos of it because it sold before I had a chance.  The back had rolling mill leaf texture on it, and of course it came with a chain.

Jun 20, 2022

One day late i 2016 I was perusing Facebook when I saw a thread (probably in a metalsmithing group) about the Tucson show.  (schedule)

This is one of the biggest and most well-known shows in the jewelry-making industry. Days and days and miles and miles of workshops, vendors, buyers, sellers, stones, jewelry components…