[Jewelry making - Article 00367] - Re: [Orchid] "Retraining" help wanted

[Zen Sojourner]

========[ Invite a Friend - http://www.ganoksin.com/invite.htm  ]========

    Well, I heard back from the studio at U of Missouri, and it looks
    like that's my best bet!  The studio is (by their report)
    well-equipped, including: 

    oxy-acetylene, and oxy-propane torches, several buffing/polishing
    stations, files, rasps, saws, flex-shafts and handhelds, clamps,
    burnout kilns, vacuum casting unit, and some lapidary equipment 

    They're open for a total of 11 hours on the weekend.  While its a 3
    to 3.5 hour drive, figuring I had to drive 600 miles roundtrip (12
    hours a week) to get to 6 hours of classroom, not studio, time, for
    which I had to pay $600 a semester, as compared to $25 a semester
    and 6 or 7 hours drive time (400 miles) for up to 11 hours of
    hands-on studio time and plenty of equipment to go around.  That's
    about half the drive time, 2/3rds the distance, and 4% the expense. 
    Plus, I get to see my son at least once a week! 

    I've been told that there are actually 5 torches in the studio where
    I was before, but 2 of them are not available to "beginning"
    students (eg me) and one is reallly an annealing torch (plus that
    one is right next to a soldering torch, really in the same station,
    and so both are virtually unusable simultaneously).  So that really
    wouldn't have done me any good. 

    But this is looking pretty good, plus I have information on at least
    two places that offer affordable seminars/workshops and one place in
    St. Louis that I might be able to pick up some workshops as well
    (though the one they have currently listed is frankly beyond my
    current level of ability).  The two places that offer affordable
    workshops are (in case anybody else is interested): 

	Appalachian Center for Crafts
	http://www.tntech.edu/craftcenter/wkshp.htm

	William Holland School of Lapidary Arts
	http://www.lapidaryschool.org/

    One is 6 or 7 hours and the other about 9 or 10 hours away from me,
    but I could manage them as a sort of "working vacation". 

    So again I thank all the people who offered me help and advice.  And
    the information about those two workshop centers! 

    And, I got the news this morning - there was a guy who does body
    work who used to live down the road from me, but he moved and nobody
    I know had his new number.  One of my mechanic's employees had it,
    but he refused to give it up because the guy was working on his
    truck and he didn't want him "distracted" by another job until the
    truck was done!  Well, the body guy (my former neighbor) came into
    the shop yesterday and my mechanic pounced on him and pulled him
    over to where my poor little Geo was sitting, all crumpled and
    forlorn.  And he said he could fix it, probably by Friday!  For
    probably around $150 or so (won't be pretty, but I'll be able to
    drive it again). 

So yay!  Things are looking up!
Thanks again for all the encouragement!
Sojourner

____________________________________________________________________
T h e   O r c h i d   L i s t
Open Electronic Forum for Jewelry Manufacturing Methods and Procedures
____________________________________________________________________
Orchid FAQ:
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/orchid/faq.htm
Orchid Archives:
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/orchid/archive
Orchid Galleries:
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/orchid/gallery.htm
Invite a Friend:
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/invite.htm
____________________________________________________________________
Tips From The Jeweler's Bench - Article Archive
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/borisat/tip_sear.htm
The Jeweler's Selected Bibliography List
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/jewelry-books
Buy Orchid Jewelry:
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/shop
____________________________________________________________________
-Unsubscribe:
-Email: orchid-request AT ganoksin.com Body=unsubscribe subject=blank
____________________________________________________________________