Jewelry making

[NomadJack]

I searched through the topics and didnt find anything about jewelry making.  Before it was decided for me that I would live in my van, I was a silversmith and lapidarist. Not practical to even try out of a van but one day I want to get a bigger rig and get back into it. I could easily spend many hours at a time at it - sometimes even through the night. Im also part hound (rock)  , so that fits right in to vanlife on the road. 
No jewelry makers out there?

 

[Cammalu]

Woweeee!!! That is so neat!

I just joined a rock club this winter and am really having fun with it.

If you get to Quartzsite they have a great club with all the equipment you need so you don’t have to bring it with you.

It would be great if you would join and I’m sure they’d love for you to teach a few classes

Here is their website: http://qrgmc.org/

Some of their classes are

Beading, silversmithing, faceting, basket weaving, casting, cold forging, flint knapping, knife making,
Leather tooling, glass fusion, glass bead making, lapidary, metal shop, opal cutting, stained glass, stone carving, Viking knit, wire weaving.

They are shutting up shop now for the winter but will open again in November.

They take weekly rock trips, have a meeting once a week, plenty of pot luck type stuff and host a big gem and mineral show every year.

I’m going to try silversmithing next year as I made some cabochons this year I want to use.

I hope you come out next year. It’s a great place to spend the winter.

 

[highdesertranger]

Jack that's very cool. I mostly go for the gold shiny stuff but have been known to hang out at some rock hounding areas.

thanks for posting that link Cammalu. I know you told me about that club but I never looked into them. I just scanned trough their website and they look really neat. I saved it for later. thanks again.

highdesertranger

 

[maki2]

You could carve some wax for cast designs and then send the pieces out to be cast. Get them back for finishing up and setting stones. That would make a good interim way to stay involved and bring in some extra dollars. Reduces the amount of equipment and tools if you out-source the casting.

 

[NomadJack]

Woweeee!!!  That is so neat!  

I just joined a rock club this winter and am really having fun with it.

It would be great if you would join and I’m sure they’d love for you to teach a few classes

Here is their website:  http://qrgmc.org/


I’m going to try silversmithing 

Thank you   
And thank you for the tip, I hadnt heard about the club - ill have to check it out.
When I 1st got into silver and stone work I took to it immediately  - absolutely love it! Im thinking maybe try and get a bus one day, that would be plenty of space for me and my shop. An amazing thing happened this past winter - I was showing a man examples of my work and explained I still have all my equipment but had to sell my rolling mill, but I intend on getting back into jewelry making one day. For xmas he bought me a new one! $1600 - and I didnt hardly even know him! Truly shocked me! So yeah, im getting back into it  
Its a very rewarding hobby.
(Im actually still in Quartzsite)

 

[NomadJack]

Jack that's very cool.  I mostly go for the gold shiny stuff but have been known to hang out at some rock hounding areas.

thanks for posting that link Cammalu.  I know you told me about that club but I never looked into them.  I just scanned trough their website and they look really neat.  I saved it for later.  thanks again.

highdesertranger

Thank you highdesertranger.
I have actually never got'n a chance to work with gold - one day tho.
I enjoy the rock and gem world alot, amazing how many types there are.
Im still hauling around quite a few pounds of the stock I have left from when I was doing it full time before. Cant work them, but cant get rid of them either.  :sleepy:

 

[NomadJack]

You could carve some wax for cast designs and then send the pieces out to be cast. Get them  back for finishing up and setting stones. That would make a good interim way to stay involved and bring in some extra dollars. Reduces the amount of equipment and tools if you out-source the casting.

I used to cast all my own pieces, will again when I get a bigger rig - but thats a good idea, thank you!   .
I have a bunch of wax still - as long as I dont stay in the desert too long  :s

 

[Cammalu]

Lucky you! I PMed you our info if you’d like to come and see what we have collected over the winter. I’d love to see your work.

 

[Dingfelder]

Very nice! I took a class on wireworking silver and other metals; pretty fun but very easy to mess up on. I used to work at Fire Mountain Gems, which sells all kinds of jewelry supplies and findings. It can be a neat hobby, but most people don't it on a pretty simple level. Your stuff is more impressive. Nice!

 

[NomadJack]

Very nice!  I took a class on wireworking silver and other metals; pretty fun but very easy to mess up on.  I used to work at Fire Mountain Gems, which sells all kinds of jewelry supplies and findings.  It can be a neat hobby, but most people don't it on a pretty simple level.  Your stuff is more impressive. Nice!

Thank you Dingfelder, very nice of you to say.   
Im familiar with fire mountain gems. Good place.
I had a chance to head up a silver department for a gentleman that owned 3 jewelry stores - at the time he only dealt with gold, he was very impressed with my work, and wanted to intruduce silver into his line - Well, things happen and . . . Yeah . . .

 

[highdesertranger]

very good Jack. I know it's a ways off but hope to see you at the next RTR. highdesertranger

 

[NomadJack]

What are you talking about? Im still at the rtr   
I was wondering where everyone went.
Thank you for the compliment - much appreciated.  Hopefully by next year ill have a bus at the rtr with my name on the side 

 

[maki2]

I used to cast all my own pieces, will again when I get a bigger rig - but thats a good idea, thank you!   .
I have a bunch of wax still - as long as I dont stay in the desert too long  :s

guess you might need to have a decent sized fridge