Boilermaker/Structural Steel Engineering and Fabrication, by trade here. Nothing fancy like jewelry though haha. I specialized in hand rails, guard rails, stairs, bollards and anything behind wall layers and concrete. Some of my best work will be hidden permantly from the world, other work you can fly into Canberra airport and see for yourself on the government buildings nearby. Spent near 3 years on the Brindabella Business Park fire stairs and window blades. M However my most prized fabrication was for the Stromlo Observatory that burned down years ago. There were 4 of us in the workshop, 2 tradesman, a welder and me as the apprentice. And we all looked at this drawing like WTF we ain't seen nothing like this before. It was a mess, a wreck of twisted steel. It turned out to be a masterpiece and fuck knows how we did it with the equipment we had. I wish now I'd had a camera when I was younger, just as proof or even gloating rights on the stuff I have achieved while in that trade. I believe I actually have a couple of pictures somewhere of the Observatory creation.. I do not know where they'd be and fear after more than a decade, they'll be white background when I do find them. I quit that trade the moment I finished it due to a bad diminishing eye condition.
I would love to have my work in plain sight! Knowing that I assisted in creating something seen widely would be like my little secret that would always make me smile.
Wow, what beautiful objets d'art! I sure hope you folks are going to list some of these items on our new Auction Site! We're hoping to go live at some point this weekend.
That sounds awesome, Skip! I have some metal and bone dread beads that I plan on making, and that just might be the place to list them!
Thanks Dancing, I'll post some pictures of the few pieces I made when I get time.....nothing like you and Jo King make.
Handy flux!...ya know I kept thinking Handy Flux, but thought that wasn't it. I asked someone and they swore that Handy Flux won't work. Thanks!!!! I looked it up and immediately recognized the container. I have to sit down and make up a list of supplies if my wife would quit finding things for me to do!
Okay this is all I got left: Copper bowl with brass stand. Etched copper and brass buckle. Copper dish. Start of copper and brass dragon for glasses case. Mandatory etched copper mug with brass handle. Pewter porringer. Start of 16 ga Silver ring. Everything is 40 years old, so pretty worn. I used to have some silver rings, pendants and bracelets, enameled ear rings and pendants, die hammered aluminum trays, tinplate sconces, lanterns, and such; and some blacksmith items, cast aluminum.....but all that is long gone. Bigger pictures in my gallery.
this is a very inspiring thread, I am a jewellery maker myself, and often feel alone in the world. Without access to a studio or bench it is hard to make the time or get motivated. Maybe, instead of enrolling in a class I will simply post pictures to this forum, maybe it will finally get me back proudcing...thanks for starting this tread!
Finally got my Handy Flux and Pickle solution. Cost more to ship than to buy. Then guess what...found a bottle of Marquette silver solder flux and a jar of something that looks suspiciously like Handy Flux without the label..... Silver soldered a piece of a model live steam boiler..that's as far as I've gotten.
The pickle solution is a hazardous material, probably what costs you. I just buy muratic acid at the hardware store and dilute it to my needs. I like a fairly strong pickling solution so I don't have to wait so long. Hammered pieces I have to anneal often, and since I don't want to hammer any of the scale into the piece, I pickle every time.
Oh how exciting. I want to see photos! I've been working a lot lately (and studying for finals. I tend to keep my instagram updated more that this site since the image uploader glitches for me. If you have instagram, follow "Inept_Eloquence" on instagram or twitter to stay updated!