[Jewelry making - Article 00340] - Re: [Orchid] Milling your own or buying stock

[Michael David Sturlin]

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>     Having been a bench jeweler for over 30 years, I would have to
>     agree with John Donivan about the necessity of learning how to use
>     the rolling mill and drawplate to make your own sheet and wire
>     stock. He is right. 

    I agree with both John and Jay, as I am sure do many others who
    apply this on a daily basis. The ability to alloy and amalgamate
    metals, melt and pour ingots, and fabricate mill products in the
    studio is an integral part of goldsmithing. 

    I consider it to be an essential skill, and if interviewing someone
    to work in my studio as a goldsmith this would be the first process
    we would cover. It is also where I begin in teaching the fundamentals
    of goldsmithing. It all starts with the metal and the torch. 

    For the skilled goldsmith it is a matter of just a few minutes to
    make a piece of sheet or a length of wire. Fabricating tubing takes
    perhaps 30 minutes to make several inches, including pouring the
    ingot. It is also part of the process I enjoy the most in making
    jewelry just for the aesthetic value of the experience. 

    Although it might not be the most practical application for every
    shop or every situation, it is certainly a highly valuable ability
    and an excellent way to learn about annealing and forming precious
    metal. 

Michael David Sturlin
www.goldcrochet.com
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