Ways of working

[mizgeorge]

Dennis - I store of jump rings in these. The size are on labels, but if I can't be bothered, a sharpie works fine. I tend to use different coloured caps for different materials.



This links to the smaller size - http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/60x-Rimmed...item68ceb50434

[Dennis]

Golly George, I wasn't thinking of quite that many. You'll be well safe against a shortage brought on by our rainy summer, or an attack of Japanese silver blight. Result-happiness.

I just have four or five each of dozens of arbitrary sizes, made from short bits of wire, drawn down for various projects. Result- misery. Regards, Dennis.

[ShinyLauren]

Blimey, that's organised George!

With regard to work, I try and work on things simultaneously, so I'll have a batch of things ready to solder at the same time, or go in the barrel polisher together, or send off to hallmarking. I've previously worked on one thing from start to finish, but I'm trying to be more logical/production liney now.

[mizgeorge]

Golly George, I wasn't thinking of quite that many. You'll be well safe against a shortage brought on by our rainy summer, or an attack of Japanese silver blight. Result-happiness.

I just have four or five each of dozens of arbitrary sizes, made from short bits of wire, drawn down for various projects. Result- misery. Regards, Dennis.

Ah. Perhaps a little pill box might be a better answer then

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Daily-pill...dd09700&_uhb=1

[ps_bond]

http://www.muji.eu/pages/online.asp?...Sub=76&PID=304 ?
I use the individual ones for solder paillons; I used to use film canisters, but the Muji containers are easier to use because they're shallower.

Altoid tins hold a variety of bits - one has a layer of wax in the bottom for stone layout; another has solder clamps & cotter pins; yet another titanium V supports - oh, and one has a load of cut rings in ready to do a maille bracelet. I've got a lot of smaller jump rings sat in a tealight holder waiting to be soldered as chain too.

I've finally written on the assortment of Altoid tins so I don't need to rattle or open them to find out the contents.

For some stuff, I can put it down and come back to it later (when it has stopped annoying me); other things I will persevere with until they're done. At the moment I'm trying to round up a hoop that falls between my ring & bracelet mandrels which is irritating; I've sourced a hoop earring one cheaply (Proops), but I want to get this complete now. So I'll keep measuring and tapping, measuring and tapping...

[Petal]

For the first time in years my jumprings have been organised and I have my OH to thank, as he's organised them into a metal box with labelled plastic trays.



They used to be in small plastic bags with labels on, but I was forever spending ages rummaging about trying to find stuff.

Like others, I tend to save up things to do in batches; all my soldering in one go, then tumbling etc etc.

[Tabby66]

I work on numerous things in numerous batches, allowing me (in the perfect world.......no imminent deadlines looming) to have pieces, from design, pattern making, piercing, model making, setting, hallmarking, finishing, etc, etc.........thus allowing me to flit or focus, batch make or work on one piece, or in the ideal world, move on from something which is just not working!!!!

[Keia]

Jump rings I tend to just make as & when I need them. Mainly becasue I'm a little lazy with some areas, but also because I've a cat with a serious clepto problem & I've as of yet nothing to store loose jumprings in.
Normally, I'd make an item from start to finish and spend all my time & energies into that one peice until it's done. If it's a replica of something I've made before & making several of them I'd do the "production line" technique.
That's what's in the row of tubs in the picture:

Everything in the platinol box is already hallmarked and ready to be darkened (I much prefer a blackened hallmark to make it stand out more)
These boxes normally have my brass brush sitting along the top because the cat hates the brissels & won't go near those boxes, aslong as the brush is there - so I know that stock is safe =)

[pearlescence]

Supermarket food trays are fantastic for keeping individual projects in..various sizes for different things, plus waiting to be photographed, waited to be uploaded. waiting to go into stock store and so on and on....
I particularly like the six sausage trays, the mushroom trays, and for small projects I got some small ones which had sausage meat in them.
I found some amazing bits containers in B and Q a few years ago - four large compartmental trays which slide into a strong carrier - can keep all finished stuff in them and stacked up they even make a chair!

[Jade]

I tend to work in creative clutter for hours with boxes of beads, findings and wires everywhere then have a mad tidy up and start again. I have learnt that what ever the time and however tiered I am I have to clear away so I have a clear workspace to start with in the morning and I have to be very strict with myself about putting time aside to do all the things that I do not like doing. Oh! for a personal assistant, salesperson and marketing manager. Well we can all dream