After the fact!

[ps_bond]

Having piled into a few threads, it's probably time I introduced myself.

I'm an engineer fulltime, and in my spare time I do... Stuff. :)
Leatherwork, occasional blacksmithing, enough woodworking to make what I need - and, of course, jewellery.

I've been making jewellery now for around 6 years in various guises - a few courses along the way, but a lot of it self-taught (if reading books & online really counts as self-taught?). Mostly I work in silver, but do use gold for a commission. Had a break from it recently due to a lack of workshop space, but I've finally got a new one up & running now (and built my first dedicated bench too - planning to build the next already).

Interests along those lines include - but aren't limited to -

Mokume gane (fusing, not soldering)
Traditional goldsmithing
Stonesetting (collet, prong, flush - recently started doing grain)
Engraving
Raising ("normal" and anticlastic)
Casting (cuttlefish, Delft clay)

Things I'd like to add to the mix:

Enamelling - done a very small amount so far, needs exploring.
PMC (although I have a mental block on that one - every time I think of doing something in PMC, I cast it instead)
More silversmithing!
Spinning

I'm both a bibliophile and a tool junky - these can cause slight space issues (not to mention wallet). Some tools I can make readily enough, although I can get carried away with making tools to make tools to make tools to... What was it I wanted to make in the first place?

Of course, the biggest trick is finding the time to do all this - which is why I didn't surface from the workshop until well after dark last night! Helping look after a few horses also cuts into the available time.

Oh yes, and I'm an ACJ member (or at least, will be again if they ever cash the renewal cheque!).

[bustagasket]

Welcome to the forums! My dad was an engineer and like you he was forever beeing asked to make the tool that would make the tool that would do the job, and i so wish he was still alive as i would be forever asking him to resolve some issue i was having with making stuff do what i want it too lol, and although not a trained chippie he made some great furniture and would have enjoyed making a craft room for me with all the benches and storage things tailor made to my needs :).

I am one of the newbies on this forum so i am a bit spongelike trying to absorb all the information i can, unfortunately i have a brain like a sieve (someone keeps ringing out my sponge) and so i forget how to do stuff without copious amounts of note taking lol

Look forward to seeing some of your work :)

[julie]

Welcome to the forum, your vast knowledge is explained an engineering background ;) look forward to seeing some of your work ..

[Charlotte]

:welcome:Hello Peter, I was wondering when you were going to introduce yourself;)

Your life sounds awesome, you have so many specialities! What kind of engineer are you? What kind of books do you read? My collection has just expanded past my bookshelf and I have no more room, I'll just have to start piling them on the floor I think;)

I would love to see any of you leather work, wood work, blacksmithing as well as the jewellery if you have any images, stick them in your gallery! I come from a craft background so I just love anything handmade!

[Di Sandland]

Hi Peter, pleased to meet you.

From one bibliophile to another I can sympathise with space issues - especially as I also do woodturning (although I've had to give that up for the time being), quilting, collect and read tarot cards and, very occasionaly, I knit too :-"

I think books furnish a room and whoever wants to use their garage for a car - it is surely the space for lathes and stuff!

love
Di

[ps_bond]

:welcome:Hello Peter, I was wondering when you were going to introduce yourself;)

As with everything else, when I get a round tuit... :D


Your life sounds awesome, you have so many specialities! What kind of engineer are you? What kind of books do you read? My collection has just expanded past my bookshelf and I have no more room, I'll just have to start piling them on the floor I think;)

Chaotic might be more accurate... Strictly a software engineer these days - started in aeronautical, added in general metalwork & machining (there's no point designing things if you don't know how they'll be made!), then switched disciplines. It's only in recent years I've started doing these things at home - I get twitchy if I don't make or draw things.

Books? All sorts, but I rarely have time for fiction these days, more's the pity. I suppose something has to give. A lot of skills/crafts based stuff - old skills particularly (think self-sufficiency); a lot of cookery books too, but they have to have decent pictures to grab my attention.


I would love to see any of you leather work, wood work, blacksmithing as well as the jewellery if you have any images, stick them in your gallery! I come from a craft background so I just love anything handmade!

The draft bench might be a candidate - it's not tidy, because I'm using it! It'll probably need annotations too.

I'll have a look & see what's about. There's a couple of old bits here - http://www.flickr.com/photos/88787044@N00/

[ps_bond]

From one bibliophile to another I can sympathise with space issues - especially as I also do woodturning (although I've had to give that up for the time being), quilting, collect and read tarot cards and, very occasionaly, I knit too :-"

Now knitting is something I ought to try - I keep meaning to learn crochet with wire, but it's somewhere lower down my list. I've got a lot of oddments of timber in various states of seasoning on shelves in the workshop - they're mostly destined for small boxes.


I think books furnish a room and whoever wants to use their garage for a car - it is surely the space for lathes and stuff!

Lathes should always be a plural! :) My first house had a garage - on the one occasion I parked in it, I could only get out through the boot. Quickly gave in to the idea that it should become a workshop instead.

[Di Sandland]

Peter, your work is stunning! I just love the heavy gauge silver pieces, and the 40th wedding anniversary pendant, and...

Your photography's not to bad either old chap ;)

love
Di x

[ps_bond]

Why thank you :) Fun what you can do with a cheap light box and a black velvet scarf... (and I ought to treat myself to a newer camera some day soon)

I suffer from the usual male thing of trying to make jewellery out of heavy chunks - I really like forging the stuff! I guess one of the things I like about raising is getting the look of the volume, without the resulting mass.

[Ominicci]

Fab work!!!

[EmmaRose]

Hi Peter and welcome :-)
I am also a bibliophile (quite the jewellery library me! and a member of ACJ for my sins!!
Look forward to chatting more with you!
Em

[Charlotte]

Wow, I love your work, I've never seen that copper and silver effect before! I might have to ask you how to flush set at some point;)

Where did you go for the wildlife photos? I saw otters the other day, they are so interesting to watch... apart from the smell (they scent everything constantly!) +o( Did you watch the Springwatch live webcams? They were awesome, especially the Kestrel.

Most of my books are cookery books too, I love to cook as much as I love to make jewellery:"> I read a lot of science books (on biology/evolution etc) and I have lots of classic fiction too.

I told my fiance about all the stuff you do when he saw me looking at flickr, and I think I said it too entusiastically because he asked me why I don't just marry you instead, lol!:-"

[julie]

lovely work peter the copper/silver very effective and very nice flush settings :D

[Solunar Silver Studio]

Have you noticed something guys?.....You only have to scratch below the surface of people on this forum and everybody is so interesting and busy and of course creative!!:D...no wonder we are such an awesome lot!![[]]
Ok, Ok, so Peter seems to be rather busier than most!! And your work is amazing Peter!...and I'm sure you'll be running off beautiful Fair Isle and cable jumpers in your spare time very soon too!!:D:D
Barbara

[AlexandraBuckle]

Peter your work is so neat and tidy - which is great - I love neat and tidy! And perfectly finished. Its great, well done you. Wow.

There are so many talented people on this forum (I'm starting to feel like I'm not one of them :-O ) Better up my game!

[Charlotte]

Lol, I know how you feel Alexandra! I've got to start learning about what I'm doing to up my game a bit!

[ps_bond]

The copper & silver is 21 layers of alternating copper & fine silver, forged out & rolled to a couple of mm thick before attacking it with a round burr, then flattening it again - leaves a topographic map of the exposed layers. It's nothing to what is being done out there - look at http://www.mokume.com for some *really* impressive stuff.

Of course, you can't hallmark it... Or, really, anything it is subsequently attached to - so a silver ring with an inlaid panel of copper/silver mokume wouldn't come up to 925 fineness. I'd have to work with different colours of gold to have it hallmarked.

The otter photos were taken at Drusillas over towards Eastbourne; the hawk & owl photos were taken for a falconry centre my wee brother volunteered at (now sadly defunct). I don't really like the cat cabochon, but it was exactly what the customer asked for, so it did the job!

I cheated learning the flush settings - there's a really good "classroom in a box" available from http://www.newapproachschool.com/html/video.html which is an utterly incredible learning tool - the DVD is "only" 2 hours long, and is crammed full. In the early stages it was very helpful to pick through the stages, pause, try that bit at the bench then go back and revise that section. It's expensive, but it paid for itself very quickly.

Cable jumpers? Hmm, I have some high tensile steel cable handy, but normally I weld it... :D

My game's not that good yet - I need to up it too!

[Solunar Silver Studio]

Now that would knit up chunky!!!:rofl:
Barbara

[EmmaRose]

LOL :-) you are all so funny
I used to go to Drusilla's as a child, and I love photography now (find me on facebook and you can see!)
Emma

[Lindyloo]

Wow Peter. No wonder you are so knowledgeable about tools and stuff. Loved your work. I only did one class on forgeing (sp?) and loved it, but don't have the warewithall to do it at home, unfortunately. I'll certainly be picking your brains again some time.

My Dad was an engineer too. And he used to get the machinists to rig up things for my projects at uni - not jewellery unfortunately, but biology projects - that was sooo handy!:-D

[MuranoSilver]

Welcome to our happy crew...
except, no wait, don't we know you?

Aren't you the fella who's everso able,
and wants to knit with thick steel cable?
And cleverly knows a "Bonnie Doon",
Isn't an ancient Bagpipe Tune?

Yes, I know you! Fab Engineer,
:welcome: home, here grab a beer....
(or maybe since you torch hot metal)
I should just put on the kettle....:cheers:

Nic xx
Love your work and I'm so glad you're here!

[AlexandraBuckle]

Nic - What are you doing being so creative at quarter past 2 in the morning!?!

Thats a great little poem :)

[MuranoSilver]

Lol - would you believe waiting for my tumbler to finish....
I know you can never have too many commissions but I might have to stop saying "yes" soon :Y:

Nic x

[Charlotte]

Lol, the sign of a good business woman!

I enjoyed the poem this morning too:D

[ps_bond]

Very good :D

But... Quarter past two?!

Fit your tumbler with a timeswitch!!!

[MuranoSilver]

Now where would be the fun in that?? ;)
I finished three rings while it was tumbling too, lol
Nic xx