Back on the Chain Gang Friday 9:00 - 4:30 $130 Keith Lo Bue
Student Level: All
Type of Workshop: Process and Project
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Whether you're making jewelry, assemblage or a journal, often the need arises to add a chain or clasp for that finishing touch. Join jeweler Keith Lo Bue for a day of instruction in how to create your own links, hooks and clasps from scratch. Participants will make a variety of samples...learn the satisfaction of the do-it-yourself approach!
Required Tools/Materials:
The tools below are things you will be certainly using in the workshop, and to avoid having to wait for a communal tool to become available, you should plan on getting them for the class:
Note: Volcano Book Arts has a great Metalsmithing starter kit for $54 that comes with a jeweler's saw, Bench Pin, Saw Blades, Rawhide Mallet, Needle Files, Wooden Hand Vise (ring clamp), 2 Storage Tubes for Blades. This will take care of all those items on the list in one hit, so it's recommended: <Here> "Metalsmithing Starter Tool Kit"
• 'Re-bar tie wire' <here> (also found in most hardware stores in the construction materials section, near the cinder block and chain-link fencing. IMPORTANT: make sure it is steel or iron wire, NOT galvanized!...it should be dark grey-black). NOTE: You won't need to haul the whole roll, as it's quite heavy - bring 1/2 of it with you and you'll have plenty!
• roll of 19 guage 'dark annealed' steel wire: <Here>• 'music wire' - Go <here> to order a set of 6 'K & S Large Diameter Musc Wire Assortment'. NOTE: These will come as 36" lengths, and you'll only need about 12" lengths for the class, so you will need to use a hacksaw to cut them down to size (DON'T use your new Keiba flush cutter to cut them, it'll ruin them! The hard-wire shear, found below, will cut the smaller diameters)
• a small hand drill - either a power drill <here> or a hand-crank manual drill, such as the Fiskars model, seen<here>• Hard-wire shear cutter <here>
• Flush-cutter. An absolutely BRILLIANT pair of flush-cutters can be found <here>. They cost around $29. If you cut wire with any frequency, these are more than worth the money. I covet my pair, which I paid way too much for ($70!), but even so, I wouldn't give them up for anything. However, if you want a cheaper alternative ($17), these will do - <here>• 3M Wet-Or-Dry Polishing Paper This is simply a MUST HAVE. Comes in a pack of six sheets. Be sure to number them on the back when you first open the package, 1 being roughest to 6 being finest. <here>
• rawhide mallet <Here>
• small table bench vise <here> DON'T bring the kind that swivel on a ball-joint (hobby/light-use), or a hollow construction vice - the one you'll need has to be similar in design to the one pictured.• bench pin <Here>
• steel bench block: <Here> Be sure to bring a small piece of leather or sandbag (even some sand in a Ziplok bag will do) to put under your block--it'll make it much quieter! NOTE: If your bench vise has a flat anvil surface attached, you won't need this!
• a small hammer <here>
• a pair of lineman's pliers (a new, cheap and SUPERB pair can be found <here>
• jewelry pliers:
a round-nose (a PERFECT one for the class can be found <here> - choose the 6 1/4" or the 7"),
and a flat-nose <here>•Hard-wire shear cutter <here>
• a small jewelry plier with a serrated edge on the inside (gripping edge)
• small file (any fine-tooth file will do)• Ring clamp <here>
• standard steel drill bit set <here>
• Two extra 1/16" drill bits <here>• wire brushes <here>
• fine (0000) steel wool (find it in a paint-supply section of a hardware store), or better yet, this brilliant new synthetic steel wool pad by 3M <here>• 3M Micron Polishing Paper - set of 6 sheets <here>
• Piece of scrap wood to drill into
• 2 bar clamps (this is the perfect set, of a 12" and 6" - <here>)• a decent quality beeswax furniture wax polish (not the liquid, and not car wax, but furniture wax in a flat can), or, if you want the the best, a can of Rennaisance Wax.
• ear plugs, if you're sensitive to hammering (we'll keep the noise down as much as possible, but there will be some, so just to be safe....• jeweler's saw (get a 'deep' one, ideally with 5" to 6" 'throat' <here>
• Jeweler's saw blades (an inexpensive assortment like <this> is perfect for the class - the primary size blade we'll be using is a 3/0 size.)• Safety glasses!
• a pair of close-fitting safety gloves
Please email me with any questions you might have that this page didn't address.
Questions? Keith Lo Bue at Keith@LoBue-art.com
Website: http://www.LoBue-art.com