Mon, 20 Oct 2008 20:28:32 -0400 support@tsjaforums.com (Starving Artists) IP.Blog 60
I found out by accident that the lovely Dutch fellow who started that particular ball rolling has instructional videos posted on YouTube. WIN!

This morning, using what I learned from the videos, and after my coffee, I cast and rough finished a ring in an hour. Currently, it's living on my right hand ring finger. WIN!!

There's actually a purpose for that, besides the "win". I cast the ring in shibuichi, not silver or gold, because my body chemistry reacts with base metals. How much? My sweat will dissolve "easy" solder over time. Brass and copper turn me green. I want to see what my special sweat will do to the alloy.

I don't want to make, and possibly offer for sale, something that might react horribly to someone who has body chemistry like my own.

So, we'll see what funny colors erupt!]]> Tue, 06 May 2008 09:04:28 -0400
Heat a piece of sheet copper to orange, and then "write" on it with a piece of fine silver. The silver melts, brazes, and spreads across the area that is heated into the orange range. Moving the torch, along with the silver "stylus" will coat other areas. What you end up with, having looked at the cross section of a sample, is a copper layer on the bottom, and some depth of copper-silver alloy (nearly shibuichi) on the surface. The surface will reticulate easily, and looks really interesting.

One of these days, when I've bought an ingot mold, I'm going to make a large sheet of shibuichi...It's good to have a goal.]]> Mon, 31 Mar 2008 09:18:12 -0400
The newest chapter in learning to do fun things with precious metal is due to my wife and her family buying me a Gentech mini torch for my birthday. Can I get a big "HooAHHH!" from the audience? I've already fallen in love with being able to make accurate, fairly precise, solders without accidentally reducing the silver to a high silver content blob of solder.

I will say one thing against the mini torch set up, and that is to strongly consider getting the system for exchangeable tanks rather than disposable ones. The little O2 bottles from HomeDepot get used up very quickly when you're learning how to control your flame.

The upcoming chapter in learning is going to involve trying to sell some of the things that I'm making. I need to recoup some funds on supplies if nothing else. The cost of disposable materials will kill you in the end, unless there's some flow of money into the pot. I already learned that with doing leatherwork years ago.

Does anyone have any experience with Etsy?]]> Mon, 31 Mar 2008 09:13:36 -0400