Ijl

[lesley]

Sorry, guys, that sounded spectacularly pink and girly of me. In my defence, I didn't "do" tools until I made jewellery so there's some basics I don't know.

I think I know what I'm looking for now Peter, but thanks for the kind offer.

You've reminded me, Dennis. I tried some Laser Gold blades last year - too short, pinged out!

[Dennis]

You've reminded me, Dennis. I tried some Laser Gold blades last year - too short, pinged out!

Well Leslie, Saw blades have been held in place with clamping plates for yonks. Then someone comes along and uses just the ends of screws instead. Screw down on hard tempered wire and you nip bits off. The blades start off long enough, but peer inside the housing of the clamp and you will find it full of nipped off bits.

By the way, did the mayonnaise hold or were you found out? Regards, Dennis.

[lesley]

By the way, did the mayonnaise hold or were you found out? Regards, Dennis.

Well, SD is on a sabbatical, but I believe there was an "incident"

[snow_imp]

I went to IJL yesterday and (as usual) blew my budget on beads. Visited the Joias and Marcia Lanyon stalls - beautiful stuff as always so I gave in and spent. I really must start using up some of the stock!

I then visited the Suttons stall and spoke to Lee Marshall - said "thanks" for the Knew saws as I've never had any problem with them and find them much easier to tension than my traditional saw. He's a nice guy and gave me a new (mini pin badge) saw.

I will definitely go to IJL again during the week rather than on a Sunday - much quieter and no elbows in the ribs this year!

[LittleGem]

I went yesterday and thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience as it was my first time. I went to a couple of the seminars in the morning which were really useful! Yes Marcia Lanyon's stand was one of my favourites- I was like a kid in a sweetshop for the whole day!

[ps_bond]

I was there on Tuesday - had quite a nice bimble round, had a long chat with both Andrew Berry (who was demonstrating anticlastic stakes ) and Lee Marshall; met up with a fellow ACK Wessex member (Abi Stradling), looked at a lot of packaging, drooled at the rapid prototyping machine and ended up buying a few small diamonds at Wards - it's high time I started doing some setting with the hard stuff, so I've got some black, some teal blue and some natural ones. Nothing desperately expensive, but it didn't make sense to me to go for the more refined ones yet.

I was a little bit surprised I didn't buy any tools though!

[knewcoincepts]

Lesley..

Possibly I can help with your problem. The Anvil screw is adjustable side to side to handle various blades. It also gives the ability to change the knobs from one side to the other to accomodate both RH and LH users. You do not have to use a hex key to adjust. Simply use the point of a nail file to adjust the screw. You have to do this while the screw is not under pressure from the Tee knob.

Ordinarily, the anvil screw does not have to be adjusted after setting. When they leave here, they go out with a blade installed and tensioned. However, because this frame is new in the consciousness of the metalsmith, and is different, the traditional methods require some modification for success.

If, for example, the Tee knob is tightened without a blade between the two screws, the anvil screw will become a temporary extension of the Tee knob, and will move back on its threads and become recessed. Since it is no longer slightly proud for grabbing the blade, when you tighten the Tee knob, the end of the blade gets bent.

Please try this remedy, and I think that it will rectify your problem.

Lee (they saw guy)

[knewcoincepts]

While at the IJL, several people questioned my reason for the color Red that I chose for the saws. When I mentioned the clinical studies (that had nothing to do with saws), some looked at me with skepticism, so here is a popularized version that appeared in the Seattle Times in 2009, based upon one that was published in the journal Science.


What color is your work? Red helps accuracy, blue boosts creativity
Trying to improve your performance at work or kick-start that novel you want to write? Maybe it's time to consider the color of your walls or your screen saver.
Trying to improve your performance at work or kick-start that novel you want to write? Maybe it's time to consider the color of your walls or your screen saver.
If a new study is any guide, the color red can make people's work more accurate, but blue can make people more creative.
In the study, published online Thursday in the journal Science, researchers at the University of British Columbia conducted tests with 600 people to see how cognitive performance varies when people see red or blue.
Different backgrounds
Participants performed tasks in which words or images were displayed against red, blue or neutral backgrounds on computer screens.
Red groups did better on tests of recall and attention to detail, such as remembering words or checking spelling and punctuation.
Blue groups did better on tests requiring invention and imagination: coming up with creative uses for a brick or creating toys from collections of shapes.
"If you're talking about wanting enhanced memory for something like proofreading skills, then a red color should be used," said Juliet Zhu, an assistant professor of marketing at the university's business school, who conducted the studies with Ravi Mehta, a doctoral student.
Brainstorming blue For "a brainstorming session for a new product or coming up with a new solution to fight child obesity or teenage smoking, then you should get people into a blue room."
Whether color can color performance or emotions has long fascinated scientists, not to mention advertisers, sports teams and restaurateurs.
Consider the Olympic uniform study, in which anthropologists at Durham University in England found that athletes in the 2004 Olympics who wore red instead of blue in boxing, tae kwon do, Greco-Roman wrestling and freestyle wrestling won 60 percent of the time. The researchers suggested that red, for athletes, as for animals, subconsciously symbolizes dominance.
Perhaps a similarly primal effect was afoot in a 2008 study led by Andrew Elliot at the University of Rochester, in which men considered women photographed against red backgrounds or wearing red shirts more attractive, although not necessarily more likable or intelligent.
In cognitive realms, experts say colors may affect performance because of the mood they transmit.
"When things go wrong or when you feel that the situation you are in is problematic, you are more likely to pay attention to detail, which helps you with processing tasks but interferes with creative types of things," said Norbert Schwarz, a psychology professor at the University of Michigan. By contrast, "people in a happy mood are more creative and less analytic."
Many people link red to problematic things, such as emergencies or X's on failing tests, experts say. Such "associations to red — stop, fire, alarm, warning — can be activated without a person's awareness, and then influence what they are thinking about or doing," said John Bargh, a psychology professor at Yale.
"Blue seems a weaker effect than red, but blue skies, blue water are calm and positive, and so that effect makes sense, too."
While Elliot praised the Science study, he said blue's positive emotional associations were considered less consistent than red's negative ones.
Intensity, brightness
It may also make a difference whether the color dominates a person's view, as on a computer screen, or is part of what the person sees. Elliot said that in the Science study, it was possible color brightness or intensity had an effect.
That may explain why the results of some studies have been mixed. Some found no effect from color but used mostly pastels.
One found that students taking tests did better on blue paper than red, but Schwarz said the study used a depressing blue and an upbeat red.
In results that appear to align with the Science study's theory that red makes people more cautious and detail-oriented, Elliot found that people shown red on a test cover before an IQ test did worse than those shown green or a neutral color, and they also chose easier questions to answer. IQ tests require more problem-solving, similar to the creative questions that Zhu asked.
Zhu's subjects, when asked what red or blue made them think of, mostly said red represented caution, danger and mistakes, while blue symbolized peace and openness.
The study, Zhu said, didn't involve different cultures, such as China, where red symbolizes prosperity and luck. And it said nothing about mixing red and blue to make purple.
Also, Schwarz said, color can be outweighed by clear instructions — to be accurate or creative in a task — so color means more when a project can be approached either way.
Originally published Friday, February 6, 2009 Copyright © 2009 The Seattle Times Company

Lee (the saw guy)

[caroleallen]

Hi Lee, while we've got your attention. Do you know why we can't get the Bonny Doon in the UK?

[knewcoincepts]

Hi Carole....I am working on it.
Granted, I have no actual financial connection with Bonny Doon since I sold the business several years ago to Phil Poirier.
I cannot say very much at this point.

I do know that there is a pent up demand for the presses as well as the really innovative tooling that Phil has created.

Lee (the saw guy)