Metal Impressions Class

Started another class yesterday at the St. Lucie County Rock and Gem Club.  Our instructor, Joe David, gave us tons of information to absorb.  LUCKILY, we have 10 weeks for it all to sink in.

Love that I get to reacquaint myself with the torch.  First time I've touched one since all my surgeries the last two years.  But it was just like a bike, don't know what I was afraid of, unless it was setting my house of fire!

We will be learning the beginning basics of metal.  Wish I had had the opportunity to take this 20 years ago when I first started making jewelry. 

Some of the techniques we will be learning are:

1)  Melting scrap silver and making our own sheet metal or wire.

2)  Learning to pull our own wire in round or other shapes

3)  Impressing a shape on metal with the press, embossing compounds, etc.

4)  Making our own copper sheeting and blanks (going to be great thing to know for my enameling and copper disc bracelets!!!

5) Learned out the different gases and what their differences are and why you would use one over the other, along with the difference in the types of torches and torch heads.

We will be completing 3 required projects during the 10 week session and also one of our own design.  CAN'T WAIT to see the possibilities I have within!!!

Here are photos of our first class.  There are 4 students in my class, and I like how Jim demonstrates each technique first and then we each, in turn, follow suit.  That way we can each learn by the other's mistakes or successes.  Meet, Joe (instructor), Jim, Ric and Toni (I am, of course, behind the camera, WHERE I PREFER TO BE!

If you want to learn the techniques of how to make jewelry, or other items, from start to finish, check out the club's webpage.  Membership is minimal and the class fees are VERY reasonable.  There are some tools and supplies that you will need to purchase, but the club has tons of equipment for your use once you have taken a class and cleared to use them in Open Shop.  Check them out at http://www.slcrockandgem.org/.