September Chat thread

[#1]

Welcome metalsmiths ( or should I say "metalworkers"?)
If your name isn't on the list, head over to the Introduce Yourself thread and follow the instructions there please :-)

AbellaBlue = Jessica
AlegraJewelry = Vicki
AlexSharDesigns = Gaynor
AlisonMooreDesigns = Ally
anidem = Jesse
artdi = Diana
AZBluerockers = Mary Lou
bagsnstuff = Dianna
BeatrizFortes = Beatriz
BellaBijouJewellery = Jaime
BellaBijouToo = Jaime
bddesigns= Christen
bijoutery = Jen, Jennifer, or bijoutery
Brokentreasures= Amanda
Brontotheroocity= James L.
cabbingrough = LauraH
CGWhitfield = CG, or Cliff
CharOuellette = Char
Chrissilynn2=Chrissi
Chrissicabs=Chrissi
corybethy = Cory
DaisiemaiCreations = Janea
DaVineJewelry = Danielle
DiemDesignsJewelry = Sarah Jo (CarpeDiemGems)
DominicanLounge= Alpha
Doxallodesigns = Janice
Doxallostudio = Janice
Duffy Designs= Duffy
Eklektisch = Cole
Elementaldesigns= Denise
EmilyWiserJewelry = Emily
Epiphany of a Dragonfly = Wanda
evelynjewelry = Evelyn
evittscreekarts= Lois
ericafreestone = Erica
EyemaginationRSB = Robin
FiliGraceJewelry = Grace
fix8ion = Tammy
FoldAndSpindle = Mike
FoxyGirlBoutique = Melissa
GirlLovesGlitter = Lilian
HappyTortoiseSupply = Jason
Hartleystudio = Ann
HRBeaDesign = Heather
InbarBareket = Inbar
JackStones = Jack
JaneaPauline = Janea
JazznJewelry = Kathy
JelliesJewelry = Jack
JenniferCasady = Jen or Jennifer
Jewelrytutorials = Janice
JonesingforJewelry = Carin
KarlaWheelerDesign = Karla
karmahjean = Karen
kiliari = Raina
KimberlyBellDesigns = Kim
KimVGlass = Kim V
KitandCaboodleShop = Gayle
KriksSilver = Kristie
lamazonian = Vema
LauraRoberson= Laura
LeahBestDesigns=Leah
Lilnut = Caroline
litapsilverj = Lita
Lovebuttonsca = Laura
lsueszabo = Sue
Luxedesignworkshop = Peg
MarcusBerknerJewelry = Marcus
Markaplan = Mark
mattjohnsondesigns =Matt
Maythenwolfbane= Nicole
Metalluxe = Peg
MieleMelograno = Liz
MissToryDesigns = Lina
novadesigns = Tess
novaofsweden = Tess
NRjewellerydesign = Nikki
OrmanaDesign = Katya
OverThinkingIt = Bree
Ppennee = Pennee
PureDichotomy = Wendy
RadianTrace = Ronnie
Ranchiquita = Becki
rockaholic=Peggy
sbevisdesigns = sue
ScrapMetal = Addie
ShireJewelry = Lisa
SilverBlueberry = Esmeralda
SilverLinesJewelry = Jenny
SilverMade Studio = Teresa
silvermaven= Carol and Jackie
StoneBeautiful = Jenn
StoneTemple = Mark
SToNZ = Susan
SugarCity = Grace
thebutterflygirl = Veronika
TheSpeeceCollection = Pat
ThirteenGems=Melissa
tinkertown = Sue (tinkerSue)
Treasuregypsy = Darcy
TreeFrogJewelry = Sheryl
TwoSilverMoons = Birgit
UntwistedSister=Terri
valerietyler = Valerie
verysmallbird = Heather
VillainAccessories = Brandi
VisionQuest = kim or VQ
WednesdaysDesign= Kristina (Wednesday)
wpcardenas= Wanda
2trickpony = Rachel
3sweetpeasjewelry = Gina

[bellabijoujewellery]

The audio visual geeks, cough, I mean guys are dressed like Jedis hahaha they have light sabers lol


also - Big Sales Dust again! I sold my newest ring and necklace!

[Former_Member]

yay, jaime! beautiful pieces... congrats!

[PPennee]

Congrats on the sale Jamie- my shop is dead this week. I have the wrong sort of dust in mine, so I will be scooping up as much of yours as I can handle.

[azbluerockers]

Jaime, congrats on the dust!! Love your Pink Drusy ring! I was just checking out your shop - I also love the Cherry Creek Jasper Pendant - that is next in line that hubby is working on - He just finished slabbing a bunch of it, now he's getting ready to shape and cab - There are a lot if different colors and patterns in it - I Like what you did with the one in your shop!!

Pennee, hope you start getting the right kind of dust spread on your beauties!!

[PPennee]

Thanks - I sell then it's like I'm in a vacuum- still rolling in Jamie's dust- it worked for a few people the other day!

[LauraStasa]

Boohoo. After 5, I'm still at work, and all I have for dinner is the 3 peppermint altoids that I just ate. I think it's going to be a long evening.

Congrats Jaime!

[bellabijoujewellery]

Thanks you guys for all the kind words! It really has been an amazing week for me!

[2TrickPony]

wooo hoo Jaime!
haha Laura, at least you won't have bad breath.

[Former_Member]

poor laura... how much longer 'till you get home?

jaime, you go, girl :-).

so, i'd like to pour ingot, but i have no rolling mill. does it make sense for me to get a crucible and ingot mold without a rolling mill? can i pour something that can be forged into something pretty and usable? should i just wait until i can afford a rolling mill?

i'm gonna try to sleep now, so don't be offended if it takes me a few hours to respond...

[cgwhitfield]

I know I'll have a minority opinion, but....

I decided years ago the it's not practical from a 'time is money' point of view. Melting your own ingots or using a rolling mill eats up more time than you'll save in money to send in scrap and buy the ready to go material.

With gold it's probably a closer decision. Still, unless you need to re-use a customer's gold it may not be worth it. And for small pieces, like an individual ring, it's just as fast - or faster - to forge a heavy piece thinner with a hammer than cranking up a rolling mill.

It's easy enough to do a calculation (ignoring the capital cost of a rolling mill) to assess the difference in cost of new material versus what you get for it net as 'sent in scrap'. Then determine the time it would take to melt scraps, pour an ingot, and roll it to the size you need.

Of course, making ingots and using a rolling mill is more fun than just buying stock, but it may not pay off on the bottom line for your time.

Guarantee it's a minotity position. Off to do more blocks. Getting there.

[PPennee]

Laura- if it's a street festival, there has to be food- send some one to grab you something decadent to tide you over until you get home!!

[bellabijoujewellery]

Buying stock is more fun for me CG - the time it takes to pour ingots then roll them out would have my productivity at a standstill!

[Former_Member]

>>> Of course, making ingots and using a rolling mill is more fun than just buying stock, but it may not pay off on the bottom line for your time.

Guarantee it's a minotity position. Off to do more blocks. Getting there.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

milling flat stock is best left to the ren. festivals or production mills, IMO

[cgwhitfield]

Maybe I'm not so alone....

22% of the blocks remain, and they're the easy ones. Yes, I'm counting. Two or three days to go.

[VisionQuest]

i'm with you CG, et al.. altho i'd like to do it once to try, time is money...

WIP pics, CG??

[cgwhitfield]

It's much like the last one, just a few courses higher. Can I wait for two or three days? Then the block work will be done.

[lsueszabo]

yes, we'll allow it :)
home sweet home. aaaah. i'm snuggled in my cushy bed with my fat cat watching crap tv. oh yeah. uneventful drive home, just kinda tired. i'm going to get to bed pretty early so this may be my one and only post tonight, who knows? can't wait to get back to my routine, starting with enameling class tomorrow.
glad to hear progress continues cg.

[VisionQuest]

welll.. okay..

glad you're home safe and snuggly, sue. :o)

[cgwhitfield]

There's no place like home....

[Former_Member]

Oh yes, no place like home!
Glad you're back safe and sound L.Sue.
My daughter's horse turned a foot at the competition. This is nationals so she can't use another horse.
The afternoon craftshow yielded two sales. Yay. Adding my tiny sprinkle to Jaime's Enought to fund the tomorrow's rockhounding expedition....If we go. More rain is forcast and as one old timer puts it the clay in those mountain roads makes them "slicker than seal snot" We'd really have to "Use the Force" to make our way in and out.

Thanks Erga it IS a quaich but darned if I can pronouce that, even with the phonetics in the link (Thank-you BTW)

[cgwhitfield]

I'm officially beat. Good thing it's slow here, I can barely type.

Good luck with the rockhounding driving.

[Former_Member]

Yes, so far it looks like a go. 35km on the gravel..."don't complain, hound in the rain"

[Former_Member]

morning. welcome home, sue. did you learn anything new and exciting in your workshop? which pieces were in the exhibit?

thanks for in ingot input. i'm not planning on rolling my own sheet. i was just thinking of making ingots and forging them into things. also not worth the trouble? looks like fun.

waiting on the coffee. wish it would brew faster.

[Former_Member]

quaich - say qway, and then clear your throat.

[LauraStasa]

Good morning.

I know how to say "quaich". We used to sell some pewter ones from Wales.

I survived the street fest and managed to sell 3 of my own pieces. None of them were on etsy; a pair of hoops, a hammered band, and a lapis pendant. Pretty good! I'm all out of sterling hoops now so I guess that's what I'll be up to today.