would like some advice on a local school

Hello,

I've been lurking off and on in this group for about a year. There are
some studio classes I'm thinking of taking on jewelry making. I have some
metal working experience but none in jewelry.

There are eight lessons at the begginer level.
starting with tool/bench intro and sawing/piercing.

Finishing with Melting and Pouring ingots and Sand casting.

The classes seem to follow typical construction techniques foound in
books like McCreight. It is a metalworking centric course, which I like.

8 classes costs $300 and 12 classes cost $435. Tools are provided and
copper/brass is free as is some silver. The rest of the materails are
available at wholesale prices. Classes are kept to 5-7 students and 3
hours long.

The school info says lessons are loosely structured and can overlap.
Students progress at they're own rate.

I've been invited to visit but have not scheduled a time yet.

This seems like a very good course to me, am I wrong? If I visit the
studio, what should I look for?

Matthew
N.E. Ohio

MatthewK wrote:
Hello,

I've been lurking off and on in this group for about a year. There are
some studio classes I'm thinking of taking on jewelry making. I have some
metal working experience but none in jewelry.

What is the nature of your metal working experience?


There are eight lessons at the begginer level.
starting with tool/bench intro and sawing/piercing.

Finishing with Melting and Pouring ingots and Sand casting.

What's in between?


The classes seem to follow typical construction techniques foound in
books like McCreight. It is a metalworking centric course, which I like.

8 classes costs $300 and 12 classes cost $435. Tools are provided and
copper/brass is free as is some silver. The rest of the materails are
available at wholesale prices. Classes are kept to 5-7 students and 3
hours long.

The school info says lessons are loosely structured and can overlap.
Students progress at they're own rate.

I've been invited to visit but have not scheduled a time yet.

This seems like a very good course to me, am I wrong?

No, it sounds like this may be a great way to be introduced to making
jewelry. It sounds like it may be well structured. And the price is
certainly right.

Do remember though, that you can't learn a lot in 3 hours. When I
started my schooling, we spend about 3 months, I repeat THREE MONTHS, of
sawing, piercing and filing, before we progressed to the next step,
soldering.

The good part is, that there are only 5-7 students, so you will get a
fair amount of personal attention, if you need it. Depending on which
class, one class alone, will cost you more than the entire 8 classes, at
the Revere Academy.



If I visit the
studio, what should I look for?

The size and shape of the work benches, availability of a variety of
tools. The attention the teacher pays to the students. The number of
students in the class.

Good luck.
--
Abrasha
http://www.abrasha.com

On Sun, 28 Jan 2007 20:17:37 +0000, Abrasha wrote:



What is the nature of your metal working experience?


Mainly 3 yrs of seperate courses in a well equiped highschool metal shop.
Arc Welding, brazing, metal lathe, verticle mill, scroll bending, sheet
metal work and aluminum foundry. The second two years had only a little
curiculum and were more workshop based than the first. I've worked in
bodyshops as a detailer for a few years too.

Right now I'm working on a small knife, I shaped it with a hacksaw an
file. I just ordered some materials to build a gas forge to heat treat
with.

I'm interested in learning to make jewlery and too apply jewelry making
techniques to other projects.

As of right now my personal metal working shop consists of a bad bench,
some new files and a high tension hack saw. I figure I need to build a
decent bench and add some basic jewelry making tools.

There are eight lessons at the begginer level. starting with tool/bench
intro and sawing/piercing.

Finishing with Melting and Pouring ingots and Sand casting.

What's in between?

lesson 2 -Piercing, filing, & Sanding.
Drilling, and Basic Riveting.

lesson 3 -Into to torch and basic soldering

lesson 4 -Ring bending, dapping and wire drawing

lesson 5 -assemblafe welding additional soldering

lesson 6 -tube making
basic joints and Hinge Making

lesson 7 - Polishing and finishing techniques


Do remember though, that you can't learn a lot in 3 hours. When I
started my schooling, we spend about 3 months, I repeat THREE MONTHS, of
sawing, piercing and filing, before we progressed to the next step,
soldering.

Thanks for keeping this in its proper context. I knew I was going to have
to put a lot of bench time in, but now I have a better idea of just how
much.







If I visit the
studio, what should I look for?

The size and shape of the work benches, availability of a variety of
tools. The attention the teacher pays to the students. The number of
students in the class.

Good luck.

Thank you for the reccomendations. I wouldn't of thought of noting the
size and shape of benches. That you said it, it makes sense to me.

I have a few jewelry making books; The Complete metalsmith, Jewelry
Fundaments of Metalsmithing, The encylcopedia of Jewelry-making
techniques, Jewelry concepts and technology, Jewelry; two books in one,
and jewelry making and design.

I have the Goldsmithing book on the way and I would like to add some of
Bovins tittles to my list. Maybe even pick up the Revere book. I think I
need to add Oppi's books on indian jewelry too

When I start to get more serious about something, books are my first
choice.....

Thanks again,
matthew
ohio

MatthewK wrote:
On Sun, 28 Jan 2007 20:17:37 +0000, Abrasha wrote:


What is the nature of your metal working experience?


Mainly 3 yrs of seperate courses in a well equiped highschool metal shop.
Arc Welding, brazing, metal lathe, verticle mill, scroll bending, sheet
metal work and aluminum foundry. The second two years had only a little
curiculum and were more workshop based than the first. I've worked in
bodyshops as a detailer for a few years too.

You're going to do fine.


Right now I'm working on a small knife, I shaped it with a hacksaw an
file. I just ordered some materials to build a gas forge to heat treat
with.

I'm interested in learning to make jewlery and too apply jewelry making
techniques to other projects.


I met my friend Bob (Robert) Weinstock, when we both work for the
jewelry Van Craeynest (http://www.vancraeynest.com/)in San Francisco,
some 29 years ago. He was a hub and die maker. He learned is trade
there as an apprentice. He carved steel with hammers and chisels, to
make dies used in the stamping of jewelry, mostly rings. He is now a
sought after knife maker. He uses all the skills he learned as an
apprentice at Van Craeynest, in the making of his knives. They are
truly extraordinary. Not much online.

Here are a few links to some of his work.
http://www.ganoksin.com/orchid/weinstock.htm
http://www.knifenetwork.com/classifi...etails&id=2586
http://www.mitchlum.com/images/weinstock.jpg (Bob won best of show with
this one)
http://onlyfineknives.com/knife.php?k=59376
http://students.washington.edu/mitch.../weinstock.jpg

As of right now my personal metal working shop consists of a bad bench,
some new files and a high tension hack saw. I figure I need to build a
decent bench and add some basic jewelry making tools.

There are eight lessons at the begginer level. starting with tool/bench
intro and sawing/piercing.

Finishing with Melting and Pouring ingots and Sand casting.
What's in between?

lesson 2 -Piercing, filing, & Sanding.
Drilling, and Basic Riveting.

lesson 3 -Into to torch and basic soldering

lesson 4 -Ring bending, dapping and wire drawing

lesson 5 -assemblafe welding additional soldering

lesson 6 -tube making
basic joints and Hinge Making

lesson 7 - Polishing and finishing techniques


Do remember though, that you can't learn a lot in 3 hours. When I
started my schooling, we spend about 3 months, I repeat THREE MONTHS, of
sawing, piercing and filing, before we progressed to the next step,
soldering.

Thanks for keeping this in its proper context. I knew I was going to have
to put a lot of bench time in, but now I have a better idea of just how
much.






If I visit the
studio, what should I look for?
The size and shape of the work benches, availability of a variety of
tools. The attention the teacher pays to the students. The number of
students in the class.

Good luck.

Thank you for the reccomendations. I wouldn't of thought of noting the
size and shape of benches. That you said it, it makes sense to me.

I have a few jewelry making books; The Complete metalsmith, Jewelry
Fundaments of Metalsmithing, The encylcopedia of Jewelry-making
techniques, Jewelry concepts and technology, Jewelry; two books in one,
and jewelry making and design.

I have the Goldsmithing book on the way and I would like to add some of
Bovins tittles to my list. Maybe even pick up the Revere book. I think I
need to add Oppi's books on indian jewelry too

With all due respect to Alan Revere. He is a good friend and I am in
this country because of him. Had we not met in Germany in 1973, I might
never have emigrated to the US. But don't get his book, ... yet.

The first book you should get is, The Theory and Practice of
Goldsmithing, by Prof. Dr. Erhard Brepohl. It is translated from German
by Charles Lewton-Brain, and edited by Tim McCreight. An excellent
book. http://www.brynmorgen.com/TPG.html


When I start to get more serious about something, books are my first
choice.....

Try an apprenticeship if you can find a position where you live. Even
part time it that's available. You'll learn more in a good
apprenticeship, that you ever will from a book.

--
Abrasha
http://www.abrasha.com

On Mon, 29 Jan 2007 09:05:33 +0000, Abrasha wrote:


The first book you should get is, The Theory and Practice of
Goldsmithing, by Prof. Dr. Erhard Brepohl. It is translated from German
by Charles Lewton-Brain, and edited by Tim McCreight. An excellent
book. http://www.brynmorgen.com/TPG.html


Cool, thats the one that just shipped out to me.



Try an apprenticeship if you can find a position where you live. Even
part time it that's available. You'll learn more in a good
apprenticeship, that you ever will from a book.


Thanks again for everything, I'll see if that's an option in the near
future.

matthew
ohio