What is your favourite technologically advanced tool and why?
Well I guess the title explains - this again is for my school
project. Im not so up with technology such as cad and growing
machines etc (learning that this year) - so I’d love to hear how you
think things such as cad and growing, and sintering etc can be
beneficial to the HIGH end jewellery market - considering one of a
kinds rather than mass production, but I’d appreciate all views!
Thank you
Lucy
What is your favourite technologically advanced tool and why?
In my case it is brain. No matter what I need to do, it can usually
figure it out.
Leonid Surpin
To me the best (IMO) for me is an electric rolling mill. I can do the
rest of the techie toys for the jewelry trade, but I’m still too
hands on to do much more than have a piece of pure joy that is an
electric rolling mill. It does run by computer. The computer is
embedded in my brain.
Aggie
non techno phobic luddite in Florida
What is your favourite technologically advanced tool and why?
I am learning to use a laser, and it’s pretty fantastic.
You can do a LOT of things without having to flux and heat the whole
piece of jewelry. I can’t do the fancy stuff yet, but the guys I work
with can build a bezel right around a stone, even stones other than
diamonds. You can fill damage from porosity or other causes, with the
same metal-- not solder. It seems to work well even with silver,
though I’m only up to closing jump rings, or adding little bits of
gold or silver (I’m not too good yet at smoothing it out, but it
definitely can be done). Attach new findings right next to pearls!
A PUK is not as good as a laser, but it’s still pretty great, and
can do many of the same kinds of tasks (much cheaper, too).
If you have the CAD skills, you can have things like fancy settings
grown and cast, though the ones I’ve seen (working for Jim Binnion,
who absolutely has the skills) require a lot of work to smooth and
polish. Still, they can be very detailed and absolutely symmetrical,
to fit even a one-off stone. Very cool, if you need it.
Noel
To me the best (IMO) for me is an electric rolling mill.
I used one once and they scare me.
To me the best (IMO) for me is an electric rolling mill.
I used one once and they scare me.
The first time I used my electric rolling mill I fed the tongs
through with the metal being rolled. You learn quickly that one does
not hold the metal, but merely pushes it till it gets eaten.
To the listing of technical advances I would choose either harnessing
electricity itself or Bottled gasses.
Ric Furrer
door county forgeworks
I used one once and they scare me.
Richard Hart once told me of a very painful adventure with his
electric rolling mill. But in usual Richard Hart style he tells the
humorous side to it. I’ll let him expound on the story if he cares to
share it…
Rick Copeland
Silversmith and Lapidary Artisan
Hi Paf,
I had to laugh at your comment.
I used one once and they scare me.
With all the talk about soldering I thought back to a torch I used
that was on the big side. It was at the TN. Tech’s Appalachian Craft
Center. We called it big Bertha. It was a compressed air and propane
rig. The torch head had an opening of about 5 inches across. Bob
Coogan demonstrated it once to us thinking no one would use it. The
guys in the class all wimped out, But being a mother nothing seemed
to phase me any more. I used it quite often. Lighting it would sound
like a cannon going off. One tour coming through the center was
comprised of little older women. I showed off that torch. They ran as
soon as I lit it.
If you ask my kids and some neighbors (and one particular mail man)
I’m scarier than any tool that is available to us.