[Jewelry making - Article 00387] - Re: [Orchid] Wax Carvers for Beginners

[Sumner Silverman]

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    I have been carving wax off and on for 35 years. The last 5 years or
    so have been intensively devoted to wax work. Some of my orchid
    series have been available on ganoksin and those of you that were in
    Tucson have probably seen the new ganoksin logo pin. I carve in the
    hardest wax, exclusively. I use a wax pen with a shape that I have
    cut down from the standard shapes. I have switched to the Foredom wax
    carver because it is portable and I carve where-ever I go. It has
    good temperature control, but I wish that the tips were smaller
    allowing for more precision. I also use the Max Wax pen extensively
    for the very fine tip, however, I have many quibbles with it's design
    starting with it's ergonomics and temperature control. 

    Now to the carving tools. I have taken Kate's wonderful wax carving
    class and love her and her teaching, all in all a fine human being.
    I was lucky enough to win a set of her tools 2 years ago at the
    raffle in Tucson. Her instructions are to the point and she does
    wonderful waxes using her tools and techniques. Unfortunately, (you
    knew this was coming, didn't you?) I am set in my ways and set in my
    own tools. I find her tools to be too big for what I use. I have
    collected (and modified) pen knives, dental tools (though I find that
    I use them less and less), odds and ends from junk shops and made my
    own tools. To show just how truly weird I am, my most used tools are
    made from a hand forged leather awl, tiny high speed drills and
    common pins that are shaped and put into pin vices. 

    I am sure that very few carve in the same manner as I do. I will
    spend a month working intensively on a single wax. Kate's technique
    is more likely to suite more of you and especially beginners. I write
    this to show that this skill is highly idiosyncratic. A thousand
    monks, a thousand religions. I look forward to seeing Kate's
    miniature tool set (hint, hint). 

    To see some examples of my wax work go to www.sumnersilverman.com 

szs

 
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