Hi all

I have been a collector of bits and bobs of scrap silver over the years, always had an interest in jewellery and, with the arrival of my first child have come to the conclusion I want to make a cast of his hand out of sterling silver.

All this brought me, in a very roundabout way, to this site which seems to have an excellent knowledge base.

I'll have a nose around and see if I can find places to start my research into the list of things I would like to achieve in the coming years, but if anyone has any pointers I would gratefully accept them.

1) The best way of making a cast for a baby's hand (sand, presumably);
2) The most appropriate melting furnace for a very amateur (at this stage) operation;
3) A beginners guide to making silver jewellery

As I say I will nose around, nothing worse than a new person asking all the questions from the FAQ page!

Chris