Fellow Orchidians:
I’ve been monitoring many of the threads on line here for the past few
months, and I’ve noticed that so many of the questions posed are common
knowlege to most experienced goldsmiths. It is wonderful to have a forum
like this that allows other goldsmiths to ask questions, and receive
advice from the “masters” of our profession. When I first began, over 25
years ago, much of this was closely guarded and kept secret
from others in the trade. I can remember one stonesetter shielding his
work from me so that I couldn’t learn his “secret” techniques. I made a
promise to myself that, if I ever learned these “secrets”, I would tell
everyone.
For those of you that are in the NYC area, and are interested in a “crash
course” on all of the tips, short-cuts, and trade secrets that I’ve
learned over the past 25 years, I will be offering a workshop at METAL
KITCHEN, 113 Mercer St., on Sept.25 - 26. If you’re interested, contact
Whitney Abrams at 212 334-9394.
Please don’t think that I’m shamelessly promoting myself. I only teach a
couple of workshops each year, and I know how valuable this information
can be. The workshops usually fill fast, and I don"t know if space is
even available. But if you are interested , and willing to spend two days
having your mind filled with on layout, sawing, forming and
shaping metal, how to hold things together for soldering, how to solder
successfully, cleaning, polishing, and texturing tricks, alloys, stone
setting tips, repairs, and anything else that you want to know
about…this may be just the thing you need.
Doug Zaruba
I attended one of Doug’s workshops many years ago at Revere. If you can
make it to one of them do it!!! It is definitely worth it. Doug does a
great job and has tons of things that will help beginners and more
advanced jewelers. When someone like Doug is willing to talk, you’d best
be listening!!!
Ray
a comment on Doug Zaruba and any workshop he is giving:
Don’t miss it. Things only come by once in this life, sometimes more in
bits and pieces. I cannot recommend Doug too highly. If you can get a spot
in the workshop do so. doug’s note is not about ‘blowing ones own horn’ as
much as it is about sharing and skills and life in this
moment. I’d take it if I was closer. Doug is way cool. Charles
Charles Lewton-Brain
Box 1624, Ste M, Calgary, Alberta, T2P 2L7, Canada
Doug, I got a chance to view a video of your ‘ticks’ unfortunetly the copy
was so bad I learned only a little. Perhaps a book would be a good venue
for your wealth of knowledge. Or Fla. Goldsmith Society course? Thomas
Tom,
a bench tricks book just doesn’t work…i’m always learning new
tricks! charles lewton-brain’s bench tricks book is as close as one can
get.
i know the video that you were referring to. it was an amateur video
done several years ago. i have a lot more new stuff now. i did teach a
workshop for the Florida Society of Goldsmiths at WildAcres a couple of
years ago. Perhaps it’s time to revisit florida?
Doug
Doug, YES! I think its time to visit Fla! The Fla. Goldsmith
Society is most acitve in all sorts of instruction, and is a lot
closer than N.Y. A consise list of instuctors at the last classes
presented by FSG, were Alan Revere,John Cogswell. Jean
Stark,Barbara Simon, So you would be in good company! Thanks for
responding, Thomas Blair,
Doug would you consider coming to the Detroit area? Nancy
PS I would and have gone to WildAcres. I am one of the "at large"
members of FSG.
As far as the videos that FSG has, look at the new one on lamp work
beads taught by Elizabeth Blood. My husband made this one. Hopefully
he’ll be asked to make future videos. Elizabeth Blood is one of the
featured artists in Ornament this month. On Fri, 10 Sep 1999 10:38:39
-0500 Thomas Blair