Hi from Moon Willow

[Moon Willow]

Having read a great deal of desperate pleas from the forum faithful I decided it would be of great interest to join in and give my 2 peneth worth from time to time.

I've been a bench jeweller for over 40 years (Regalia) and teaching for over 14 years, I'm a strong believer in learning to walk before you run (Design,sawpiercing, soldering, filing, forming) so many newbies hit the beads and clay and restrict themselfs, nothing ventured nothing gained!!!

I just might be able to help out with the odd problem from time to time

Regards Carlton :cool:

[Goldsmith]

Welcome Carlton,
I am sure you will find many on this forum willing to pick your brains. I spent the first fifteen years of my career making regalia for Garrards and then moved on from there. After 50 years at the bench I am looking forward to retirement this year.

Cheers, James

[Dennis]

Welcome Carlton, Looking forward to your input, Kind regards Dennis.

[snow_imp]

Hi and welcome. Looking forward to picking your brains as well.

[DragonflyLynne]

Hello Carlton :)

[Moon Willow]

Yeah James,

I've done work for Garrards, Mappin and Webb ect... now I know why !! you left and no-one else could do your work ha ha ha, have a great retirement.

Dragonfly Lynne you have a great way of getting people interested in jewellery ..........give them rings, they luv them :-)) a byzantine chain is one of the first things I teach my students.

Dennis and Anne I look forward to the odd chat ;-)
Carlton (Moonwillow........Wisbech)

[Goldsmith]

Carlton,
When I stopped making regalia for Garrard, I moved on to making work for Asprey. Check out my photo album on my profile to see what I have made since the mainly regalia times. I think the last major piece of regalia I made for Garrard was a Black Rod for the parliament of New South Wales, may I ask what regalia you made for Garrard? I made everything from CBEs up to The Order of the Garter along with a few Field Marshal's Batons and various mayoral regalia sets.
James
James Miller FIPG.

[Arborvita]

Hi Carlton,
Your in wisbech? Me too :)

[Moon Willow]

James

Now that's what I call a Master Goldsmith of which I'm not !! just looked at your profile pics and they have class written all over them, although looking at the book cover I'm sure I renovated the top right jewel. (That's my claim to fame)

Okay here's my roll call of jewels I've made (memory not that good) In 2010 C.b.e's, D.s.o's, G.c.b's, K.c.b and others, mmmmmmm prior that around 8 or 10 Sheriff's badge's or Shriffal's what ever they want to call them (London, Old Bailey Judges), Ships wheel was my fav, ex mayors jewels by the ton including I think the Sheffield which is the Garrard one, I've knocked dents out of the F.A cup and repaired the mace from parliment.

I do not wish to mention the company which still employ me at the moment although you'll guess which one using the info above (All will be revealed soon)

Onward and forward
Carlton

[Goldsmith]

Hi Carlton,

I have an idea who you work for, possibly T,K,&S. The badge on my book cover was for the Chairman of Tiverton District Council, it was one of my own designs and was commissioned by Viscount Lord Amory circa 1976. Before I started my own company in 1985, I worked for Padgett & Braham and then McCabe McCarty, both who are no longer in business,before I left each company I had reached the level of workshop manager in both.
Cheers, James

[Moon Willow]

Hi James,

spot on !!! at the moment I'm trying to preserve my hands (diagnosed ostioarthritus) due to putting my hands through the mill daily, so I'm officially signed off and waiting (6 months) to see T's next move.
See Ya
Carlton

[Goldsmith]

Carlton, the man who trained me used to work for K before T took them over, he left K and went on to work at Garrards until Padgett took over the Garrard insignia department in 1953. One of the reasons I have decided to retire is that I have Cervical Spondylosis with Osteophites, which means I cannot spend hours at the bench anymore, after a few hours work my neck locks up and I can sometimes get a trapped nerve which means I lose some feeling in my fingers. I think we both probably suffer from working too long at the bench.
A friend of mine in West Sussex has some wizzard new CNC machines and is starting to get a lot of GB badge work, when I made the GB regalia we had drop stamps and dies to create the shapes, but Padgetts gave up stamping in 1972 when they moved from Soho out to Hackney.
Cheers, James

[lorraineflee]

Hi Carlton and welcome from me too! Looking forward to picking your brains as well.
Lorraine

[DragonflyLynne]

Dragonfly Lynne you have a great way of getting people interested in jewellery ..........give them rings, they luv them :-)) a byzantine chain is one of the first things I teach my students.

Byzantine is a great first chain isn't it? I look forward to chatting with you :)

[Moon Willow]

James, I'm sorry to hear that, it seems I've got off lightly compared to you, mmmmmmmmm do you think that jewellery making should come with a gov health warning !! perhaps we should start a new thread about the dangers e.g no-one talks about the most important thing that a jeweller needs... a decent seat !!! and a nice cup of coffee (joking about the coffee) the height of the seat compared to the height of the bench.

The drop hammers ha ha ha they are still around, but with the giant screw press and the hydraulic press taking over you would think that would stop the dies cracking (that's another story)
chat later Carlton