More here

Engraving workshop

Over the weekend Liz and I hosted NC Black tool company and Les Bryant for an engraving workshop at our home studio. It was great. Mainly the workshop was on hammer engraving but on the last day we did flush setting and pave setting. We learned so much in two days my hands went numb.  Les and Andrea were great we had a blast.   I think Liz found out that she is an expert at flush and pave settings and on her way to becoming a great engraver.  I found out that I am all thumbs.  I need LOTS of practice.  I also rolled my ankle half way through the workshop (ouch).  Here are some photos.  Les brought a really nice gun that he has been working on. It was really really nice!

Omer Arbel's Series 19 from Core77 on Vimeo.

electro etching

So I have been doing some experimentations. When I went to MassArt to do a visiting artist gig I was shown a etching technique by Peter Evonuk that used salt water and electricity.  The by-product is copper chloride which really is not any worse than spent pickle.  We dispose of our pickle in a big vat in the basement and a guy comes and gets it.  For us, the spent solution after etching can go in that same vat.   This technique will also etch steel, aluminum and titanium.  I am not sure what by-products those other metals produce.  I am just going to stick with copper.  If you try this please check with someone before dumping.  I am thrilled at the possibility of being able to replace some of the acid in the SUNY metal studio with a salt water solution.  It kind of blew my mind. I had to try it. It works so well and so fast and it was home studio safe.  This is the way I did it.  I am sure I did something wrong.  There is also some electricity involved so there is a shock hazard (under 9 volts and 1/2 amp).

The results below are only meant as a guide please consult an expert before trying it at home.

Here are my results.

I bought a medium height Tupperware container, two copper bars and a LOT of kosher salt

I marked the copper bar to cut a groove so they would sit on the edge of the tank

I also drilled holes to run a stainless wire to create my anode

I used a stainless brazing rod, stuck it in the hole I drilled in my bar and bent it in a U shape around the bottom of my tank

Next,  I painted some 24 gauge copper plates that I drilled holes in and etched off the paint using the laser engraver

The result after the laser had removed the paint

Next I added hot, almost boiling water.  I then added kosher salt.  Lots of Kosher salt. I think it was almost 1 part salt 3 parts water.  Just keep adding salt until it stops dissolving.  This is your super saturated solution and how the etching works. 

So here is the setup, the negative is your anode and the positive is connected to what you want to etch.  Notice that my piece that I am etching is NOT touching the stainless wire.  This is VERY important.  I also used a silver wire to hang my piece.  This method does not etch silver.

After everything is hooked up I switched on the rectifier and watched closely as the bubbles started to stir things up.  

This is a plating rectifier I bought from Rio.  I think it was $130 or something.  As you can tell you are only using a few volts and less than one amp.  You can use two double AA batteries.  One of those radio shack black battery holders and some alligator clips works just fine.

After about 20 minutes the water looks like this.  The brown stuff is just copper. When adjusting things make sure the power is off!  

Before pulling out my sheet I was careful to shut off my rectifier and un-clip my alligator clips.  It was getting pretty deep and the paint was starting to get worn away. 

Once I was happy with the depth I sanded off the paint and viola! etched metal. 

thanks frankie

New Website!!!

Just updated my website

more from Projectione

A while back I had posted a bathroom renovation that used a CNC and a vacuum former.  That same design team has now conquered another project.  See all the details here

EXOtique from PROJECTiONE on Vimeo.

Show coming up.

Tom Herman: Poppy brooch. 18k gold, chyrsoprase, spiney oyster shell and shakudo

 

Jamie Bennett: Posteriori No. 3, Brooch with gold chain. 2008 enamel, copper, 18k gold. Photo courtesy of Sienna Gallery

Jamie Bennett: Posteriori No. 7 Brooch. 2008 enamel, copper, 18k gold. Photo courtesy of Sienna Gallery

Pat Flynn, Bracelet, iron and 22k gold and 18 k gold

I am honored to be a part of this exhibition.  So many heavy hitters.  It is also my first big city show!!  eeeeeeeeee.  At the Forbes gallery no less.  

I have included images above and links below.


Here is the Press Release:

Living within the immediate vicinity of the New Paltz area in upstate New York are a number of important studio jewelry artists whose work will be the focus of an exhibition at The Forbes Galleries in New York, April 9 – June 25.

Jewelers of the Hudson Valley, will feature the work of seven prominent jewelry artists: Jennifer Trask, Tom Herman, Pat Flynn, Jamie Bennett, Myra Mimlitsch-Gray, Arthur Hash and Sergey Jivetin. In addition, there will be pieces from the collection of the Samuel Dorsky Museum, State University of New York/New Paltz on display and selected works by students and graduates of the metals’ program at SUNY/New Paltz.

The guest curator is Elyse Zorn Karlin, co-director of the Association for the Study of Jewelry & Related Arts, Post Chester, N.Y., which is sponsoring the exhibition.

The Forbes Galleries are located within the lobby of Forbes magazine headquarters in New York, 62 Fifth Ave. The Galleries are open free to the public 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. on Tuesdays through Saturdays.

A curator’s tour of the exhibition is schedules for June 18 at 2 p.m. for anyone interested in signing up or one can be booked for groups of 10 or more by contacting Elyse Karlin at ekarlin@usa.net. There is no charge for a tour.

The Association for the Study of Jewelry and Related Arts, LLC is dedicated to the advancement of jewelry studies by individuals and in schools, museums, and institutions of higher learning. AJSRA publishes Adornment Magazine, a weekly newsletter, runs an annual fall event, numerous additional special events, and offers a number of other benefits.


Link
Link
Link

Jennifer Trask

Liz and I had the pleasure of going to Ornamentum last night to see Jenifer Trask's opening titled Vestige, Written in Bone. Fresh off the heals of Schmuck and soon on to a solo space at this year's SOFA NY Jen's new work combines elegant jewelry with a twist ending. Included in the exhibition were pieces made from sewing needles, gold, and bone. Each piece drew me in with a guessing game of how, what and why. "What is that chrysanthemum made of?" "Beaver teeth." "What about that one?" "Penis bone?" "Are those sewing needles?" Personally I would have easily worn any of the jewelry pieces but the larger necklaces which seemed to be made of a wonderful combination of antlers and highly decorative, gold leafed wooded picture frames called out to me. All in all a great representation of her new body of work. Congrats Jenn. Look forward to seeing it at SOFA.

a

bike wheels

Production from H Plus Son on Vimeo.

new job

So it is official. After careful consideration and negotiation, I am now the full time instructional support technician for the State University of New York at New Paltz Metal Program and Digital Fabrication Lab. It is full time and tenure track. Liz and I are VERY happy and are now going to be able to settle down in the Hudson Valley area. I feel blessed to find such a wonderful job with so many amazing colleagues. I hope to spend more time appreciating my surroundings and hopefully spend much more time in the studio making. I also hope to find the time to write more on the blog. For the last six months, regrettably I have only had the time to post craft/design/art videos and photos. I hope to add to that by sharing more technical images, process shots and semi-critical reviews. Thanks again for reading. Check back soon for more exciting things.

*No paper was harmed during the making of this film. from Tommaso Minnetti on Vimeo.

acc booth!

get some at ACC baltimore come see me booth 436

FROM STEEL: The Making of a Soulcraft from michael evans on Vimeo.

thanks frankie

simple containers

Loves this