Working For Fun

It has been a busy winter, yet we have not been out roaming the countryside, or hiking, or riding the ATV's. We have spent most of our time "WORKING" at our hobbies. I have been doing silversmith work and learning how to cut and polish rocks. Sharon has been working at her relatively new interest in fused glass.

I get to play with a torch, making silver do what I want (most of the time).


THE SILVERSMITH SHOP

Yep, that's me. I had to have Sharon take the pic for me. My arm just wasn't long enough to hold the camera out there and get the pic myself. I've been on a diet for 4 months now and didn't realize until I looked at this pic that I have not quite gotten rid of that belly. I will have to redouble my efforts (and reduce the number of times I let temptation win out).


The soldering station without me in the picture.


My work station, and yes it is a staged picture. Anyone who has seen my work area before knows that this is way to tidy.


Grinding and polishing machines for silver.



THE LAPIDARY SHOP

The big diamond saw for cutting bigggggg rocks.


A smaller saw used to cut the slabs cut by the big saw into pieces of acceptable size for grinding and then poishing.


Grinder row, where you start with a coarse grit wheel (80 grit) and work your way to the finest grit (14,000). Not every piece makes this trip successfully.
.....and just to stack the odds against you even more, you finish on a 50,000 grit leather buffing wheel. That wheel has a reputation for grabbing any improperly held stone and flinging it again the wall. That usually means the piece gets turned into gravel. There is no picture because that wheel and I are not on friendly terms and I was worried it might grab the camera.


THE GLASS SHOP

Sharon patiently working away at her station.


Working with her glass breaking pliers. She has been know to swear during this process.


Breaking glass leaves a sharp edge, here Sharon is grinding the edges smooth. Even though the piece will later be partially melted, sharp edges don't always completely round off unless ground first.


Last stop in the process is the kiln. Here the glass pieces, after careful assembly into the shape she wants, are heated just to the point of melting so they will fuse together. Just a little too hot and the glass will flow into a puddle.....and the work is all lost.

After firing (fusing in the kiln), Sharon turns the pieces from chunks of pretty glass into pendants, earrings, and her next challenge will be bracelets.

The END........until the next time.