I finished my Byzantine chain, made the S-hooks and then put everything in the vibratory tumbler yesterday.

Today when I got home, I checked the length of the chain and pendant and THEN I bent the prongs over the glass. 

Here is the final piece on ME! I have also added a few more picture on my Metals 2010 page

Over a year ago, I bought some roman glass to use in some jewelry. It has been sitting in my stash box waiting for inspiration.

On July 4th I worked at the San Diego Fair, again, but not for the Volunteers for Minerals. I worked for a friend who has a jewelry booth and he sells jewelry made with roman glass and small bags of roman glass shards. It is from him that I bought the glass oh so long ago.  

While in the booth I was able to spend more time looking at some of the construction techniques. While much of what was in the cases had thicker glass or was perfectly encapsulated in gold and silver there were several pieces that reminded me of the "Captured Objects" style I had seen demonstrated up at Metals Week by Joanna Gollberg who was leading the class titled "Trapping Found Objects" 

I had finally found my inspiration!

Saturday, I pulled out my glass and selected two pieces. One would be used for a necklace and the other would be cut in two for a pair of earrings.   Both pieces appear to be the bottom rim of bowls or vessels and have part of the bottom which is thick and some of the side walls which is very thin.

I spent most of the day shaping the glass to remove the sharp edges; rolling out my silver and adding a texture; cutting, drilling and soldering a frame on to the back plate. 

It was a total of 10 hours on Saturday

Sunday I soldering the prongs, rings to attach to the chain and I started to work on the Byzantine chain. The chain will be short enough to have the finished piece just lay at the base of my neck. I will have 2 hooks of some sort [yet to be designed] for each connection so  IF I want to use a different chain (maybe a longer viking knit perhaps) I can change it out. I spent about 5 hours on the project Sunday.

I have not attached the glass at this point because once I do, I can't/shouldn't put it in the polisher - which is where it is right now. I have to be ABSOLUTELY positive I am done with any changes I might make. 

I am hoping to get the chain hooks soldered and then get the chain into the polisher tonight. Then I can check it all tomorrow and Wednesday set the glass.

Go over to my Metals- 2010 page to see some of my first pictures.

I learned today that a colleague and friend at work has passed away from pancreatic cancer.

When I first started working at this position I reported to Dean and after the project was over and I was reassigned to another task, Dean and I remained friends.  We liked to talk about various subjects and there was a real connection there.  Dean had been in the Navy and then returned years later as a civilian. We would joke about how much time he had until he could retire. First it was 1 year, x number of months and days. Recently it was down to months, days and hours - I think it was less than 9 months.

About a month ago Dean said he was not feeling good. Then he started to loose weight and finally he said the doctor thought he had cancer. Due to the HMO he belonged to, getting into see an Oncologist and getting a biopsy was a long process. The biopsy was performed on June 25.   

Earlier in the week I gave Dean a bottle of Glendronach Single Malt Scotch - 15 Year Sherry Wood Finish, I might add. It is my favorite and through many discussions with Dean I had found out he liked a good Scotch too. I said that he might not want the present but that he would like it!

I did not find out the prognosis until yesterday as I was away all last week at Metals Week. Yesterday, I spoke to the other guys who work for Dean and they said it had been diagnosed as stage 4 pancreatic cancer which had also spread to his liver.  He was not at work yesterday and the guys would check up on him today.

I just got the word that he passed away sometime between yesterday and today. 

So Dean, I am going to raise a glass (or several) of Scotch to you and you wish good.

End of Day 1:
What a day, so much information!
Today we made our forges and pounded on tool steel. Now we are about to see a slide show of the instructors work. Gotta go but tomorrow will post more and pictures to follow.


Day 2 and starting Day 3:
Yesterday I finished the first two tools - a straight liner and a curved liner.  I had done the hot forging- that's hammering with a big 2 pound hammer and anvil, on Sunday.

And thanks to Elisa, I now have the "Anvil Chorus" running around in my head!

Monday was all about filing and sanding to the correct shapes. I completed all that work by 4pm. So the last hour before we shut down for the day was spent hardening and tempering.

Today we are making texture tools but I migh actually rework some of the Grobet tools I have as they are too sharp and there is still the hammer I want to re-shape as well.

So, off to class I go!


Day 3 done and starting Day 4: 
Wow, I am learning so much in the tools class. Yesterday I did get my liners hardened, cleaned and tempered. Then Val gave a lecture on making texture tools and after lunch everyone set off to make theirs.

I on the other hand consulted with Val on modifing my hammer. I did not have to anneal it nor remove the handle - though I think next time I will, and I went at the first face with my files.

I have never done so much filing in my life and there is still more to be done.  By yesterday afternoon I had finished filing and sanding one side of the hammer.

Today I polished the first side of the hammer and I am working on reshaping the other side. I am also working on a "hoof" style tool for my chasing and repousse.

Time to return to class.

More tomorrow and there will be pictures posted over the weekend.


Day 4 Complete and Day 5 in-progress: 
Yesterday I reworked the second half of the hammer - it was not "just right" - The entire process would have been much easier if I had a belt sander and removed the handle, actually the hammer would have been done the first day. But I did not have access to a sander here at camp - so I forged ahead [yes that was a bad pun] with my files, sanding sticks, vice and vice grips.

FOUR hours later I was done and really pleased with the hammer modifications I had made. I have never done so much filing in my life at one time. I know there will be more filing in my future though, and it will be easier and faster.

I spent the afternoon making a sheep's foot planisher and finished it just before we broke for the potluck and silent auction.

I was in bed and asleep by 8:45 pm (and probably snoring too)

Today is the last day and so when I got into the workshop I took out a piece of tool stock that was 1/4" or even 3/16" diameter to make a thin pusher/embosser tool. I am working on a trinket tray and I have been using a dapping punch for the repousse. It is the right diameter but not long enough to make a good continuous depression. The new tool, which is now done gives me more length so I can work more area with each hammer mark.

After I finished that tool, I refined my undercutter and made a matting texture tool.

It is now lunch time so when I go back I will have time to make one more easy tool and then I will have to pack up my tool box and help clean the space where all six of us, from the Tools class, have been working.  I am glad I am not the one who has to wash that floor though as it is covered with bits of slag from the forging and all the coarse and fine dust from the filing and sanding.

My hands are a mess - I have knicked my knuckles and fingers in 8 places from file scrapes or running my hands into the bench pin. There there is the dirt under the nails, around my cuticles and in the creases of my hands. And then there is the ache in my hands from holding the tools too tight while I work.

Am I complaining? NO - this has been a great fun and I can only imagine what I will make next year.

As for my hand, I figure a good soak in warm water and soft scrubbing and my hands will be almost clean enough



At Home and Recovering:
Metals week is now over.  :=((

On Thursday afternoon we finished up our final tools and arranged them for display at the final reception where work from all of the classes would be shown. We had to put away all of our tools and return the workshop tools to the tool room.  Everyone in our class traded names, addresses - email and home and even phone numbers so we could stay in touch as well.

Then at 4:00 pm the reception started and we could look at all the other work. There were many amazing pieces from the other classes - you just wanted one of everything the work was that amazing.  At each classes display many of us asked how this or that was made and when you got around to your own display sure enough, some one asked you how you made your items!  During this everyone was taking pictures of the work, and toward the end we were taking pictures of the people we took the class with and with your instructors.

After that it was back to the cabin, open a bottle of wine and chat about our time in class and what we plan to do next.  Friday morning, Mary and I packed up our belongings, put them in the car and drove back down the mountain. I was home by lunch and then had to unpack and tell all to my sweetie.

Go to the Pictures -  Classes 2010 page to see more pictures