Piercing?

[ps_bond]

I fully agree even though my day job involves using the latest technology, even now there are moves for metal loaded UV resins for 3d printers...give it a few years and any skills I had as an engineer will be worthless

You say that, but someone has to know the first principles regardless. If the sole understanding is to plug in the numbers and get something out, there's a limited knowledge of the materials & limitations - when I did aero eng, we'd already lost forging as a prototyping method; we did cover design for manufacture, which is where the "proper" skills came in (had to spend time on lathes to do it too). And... RP is still best suited to prototyping, not mass production and will be for some time to come.

Lasers are fast and accurate but I'm due to have a ring made for my Wife for putting up with me and there's no way I'll be looking for some teccy based stuff, I'll be looking round here at having one handmade by one of you CraftsPeople. A handmade ring for my Wife has more "Soul" than mass produced laser made stuff.

Well, *clearly* you need someone local to you

[ps_bond]

I guess it all depends on what you are making and how you are doing it, people seem to have an opinion without ever trying to use it, I make bespoke pieces, one at a time using Cad, I can produce things I could of never of dreamed of making without it.

I think I'll be making the jump in the next month or so - initially just to generate renderings for clients (while I get used to the package), but later I'll look at CAM as well. The idea is to augment the benchwork rather than replace it...

[Exsecratio]

Well, *clearly* you need someone local to you

I think we may have eaten some of the same dirt Peter so Romsey will indeed be my first port of call

best wishes

Dave

[Exsecratio]

I design, mill, cast, build, set and finish everything myself in my little workshop with the radio on and a nice cup of tea,

See that's what I call a skill, something sadly my day job doesn't need

Maybe it's just a love of hand crafted items and not commercial realism that makes me feel this way.

Or maybe I'm getting old

best wishes

Dave

[caroleallen]

Headline from today's times

Hmmm, what are you trying to say Dennis?

[medusa]

I know I've sold my soul by mass producing but the money's good. By having some things laser cut, it gives me time to be more creative with other stuff. Most of the things I get laser cut are just components of pieces. If I cut everything out by hand I'd never get time to sleep. As it is, I normally work 12 hour days. I'd hate to never use my skills but I think a little help here and there is good. Bring it on, I say!

nah, selling your soul is outsourcing all your designs to factories in the far east to be produced in your name. I think it is really easy for hobbyists or jewellery artists to be sniffy about using castings, wax sintering, CAD and other technology, but they are tools only and it allows artisans to actually make a living out of making jewellery which is a good thing.

[Dennis]

Hmmm, what are you trying to say Dennis?

I'd quite like the term silver slogger, as inadvertently coined by the Times, applied to me. More fun than jeweller. But I don't think they'd accept it at IJL.

[ShinyLauren]

I know I've sold my soul by mass producing but the money's good. By having some things laser cut, it gives me time to be more creative with other stuff. Most of the things I get laser cut are just components of pieces. If I cut everything out by hand I'd never get time to sleep. As it is, I normally work 12 hour days. I'd hate to never use my skills but I think a little help here and there is good. Bring it on, I say!

Carole, who do you use for laser cutting? And how thick can the silver sheet be? I have a design that I've been dithering about casting, but perhaps laser cutting might be a better option.

[fay144]

Personally, I find the use of new technologies in jewellery making quite exciting. Everyone loves using rotary tools for polishing rather than going through all the grades with paper since it is so much faster. I don't see it as being any different.

I think the main skill we have is in the design of our jewellery. Yes, the manufacturing is very important and highly skilled, but if there are time-saving alternative ways to get the same result, then why not? Just because doing some tasks on a computer makes it more accessible, it doesn't mean that less skill is required to design the jewellery in the first place.

But then I would say that - piercing is my least enjoyed task!

[Patstone]

Hear hear, I hate it too. Wouldnt be so bad if I could cut a straight line.