[Jewelry making - Article 00226] - Re: [Orchid] Santa Fe Symposium

[Suzanne Wade]

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

    I am a huge fan of the Santa Fe Symposium. Most of the presentations
    aren't geared to bench jewelers, but that doesn't mean you won't get
    something out of it.  I learned  a huge amount about the science
    behind jewelry making by sitting through the presentations. (I credit
    the Symposium for my down-and-dirty grasp of basic metallurgy, for
    example.) I think such understanding can pay off when you try to
    troubleshoot. If you understand why silicon is added to casting
    alloys, for example, you'll also come to understand why alloy
    manufacturers recommend adding 50 percent fresh grain to the cast --
    and you'll have a good idea how far you can push things, and where
    it's not worth trying. I think that's much more productive than
    always relying on trial and error and the old "we've always done it
    that way!" 

    The networking opportunities are also great. Bring your problems,
    and it's almost certain someone will have an idea how to fix them.
    And you'll meet lots of fascinating people, too, who can be a
    wonderful resource. 

    Of course, I always say "no knowledge is wasted." Some of what I
    learned was pretty esoteric -- it was hard to imagine what use the
    presentation on powder metallurgy would be when I attended it 8 or 9
    years ago. But now I'm editor of Studio PMC, and thanks to that
    presentation, I think I have as clear an idea as anyone outside of
    Mitsubishi about how metal clay works. You just never know what
    knowledge will come in handy! 

Suzanne
Suzanne Wade
Writer/Editor
Phone: (508) 339-7366
Fax: (928) 563-8255
suzanne AT rswade.net
http://www.rswade.net

____________________________________________________________________
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
____________________________________________________________________