Orchid members,
I am trying to conduct an online survey to get a rough idea how many
goldsmiths out there are making their own gold and silver stock by
pouring their own ingots and using a rolling mill and drawplates. The
answers to the questions below can help me with some research I am
doing involving the steps needed to produce hand-made wire stock. I
appreciate any Orchid members can give me which will help
give me a clearer picture of how this process is perceived, and
perhaps an idea of what percentage of metalsmiths out there are
making their own wire, bezel, and sheet stock and what percentage are
ordering it ready-made. If you are one of those who DO manufacture
your own precious metal stock for your fabrication work, please help
answer these questions:
-
What part of the process do you find the most difficult?
-
What are your reasons for making your own stock?
-
How and where did you learn to produce your own stock, and
how long did it take you to become proficient at it? -
What machines or tools work best for you, and which are
problematic? -
How do you feel your finished product compares to factory
made wire or bezel stock? -
What products do you make yourself that you cannot find
ready-made for purchase?
If you DON’T make your own stock, and prefer factory-made
wire/bezel stock to work with, can you answer these questions?
-
Do you consider the hand-made wire making process overly
difficult, unsafe, or time consuming? -
Do you feel the hand-made product is inferior in quality
to purchased wire and bezel? -
Do you feel that there is a wide enough variety of wire
shapes and bezel stock offered by mail-order companies to
fulfill your fabrication needs? -
Would the costs of purchasing a rolling mill, drawplates,
ingot molds, etc.be prohibitively expensive for your business? -
Do you ever use the rolling mill or drawplates to modify
purchased wire or bezel stock for your particular needs?
Any additional comments:
I appreciate any submitted, and will try to summarize
the received and present it to the Orchid membership when
completed. You are welcome to contact me off-line at:
@Jay_Whaley
Sincerely,
Jay Whaley UCSD Craft Center