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Post by rockjunquie on May 29, 2017 22:08:47 GMT -5
I have always wanted to go to WH- for years. I was talking to DH about it. He checked it out on line and brought up us going there on vacation next year. I am just wondering- how the heck do you know who is a good instructor? There are so many! I would love to take some silver smithing classes. I am self taught, but have a lot to learn. I need some professional instruction.
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Post by melhill1659 on Jun 5, 2017 19:51:44 GMT -5
I have always wanted to go to WH- for years. I was talking to DH about it. He checked it out on line and brought up us going there on vacation next year. I am just wondering- how the heck do you know who is a good instructor? There are so many! I would love to take some silver smithing classes. I am self taught, but have a lot to learn. I need some professional instruction. I'm taking a Silversmithing Class July 16th. I will have a different instructor than Ann ( fantastic5). When I get back at least you'll have opinions and examples on 2.
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kevin24018
spending too much on rocks
Member since February 2012
Posts: 284
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Post by kevin24018 on Jun 6, 2017 11:23:14 GMT -5
I have always wanted to go to WH- for years. I was talking to DH about it. He checked it out on line and brought up us going there on vacation next year. I am just wondering- how the heck do you know who is a good instructor? There are so many! I would love to take some silver smithing classes. I am self taught, but have a lot to learn. I need some professional instruction. they handed out their booklets at the last meeting, some of the members have actually taken their classes, haven't had a chance to ask them about it etc, yet.
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Post by fantastic5 on Jun 7, 2017 8:11:42 GMT -5
rockjunquie I was very happy with my instructor. She was very willing to let each of us work on items of our own designs after the first few days. From what I hear, not all instructors are so flexible. But (always a but...), I would have liked an instructor who drilled techniques and basics some more. Having watched every video Soham Harrison ever produced (many more than once), I had a good idea of what skilled technique looks like. Our instructor's work was more loose, without an eye for invisible joins (or at least in her example pieces she had to show). But having uninterrupted time sitting at a bench with a torch for a full week was invaluable. And she labeled me the 'Type-A' of the class (so take my critique with a grain of salt). I can see why so many of the students said that they recommend taking Silver 1 from different instructors. At least 3 Silver 1, before moving to Silver 2. Not only to gain skills, but to have the opportunity to learn from many masters. So how do you pick the right instructor? Not sure. Read the bios, class description, and see what fits into your schedule. I don't know that you can go wrong.
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Post by rockjunquie on Jun 7, 2017 8:24:29 GMT -5
rockjunquie I was very happy with my instructor. She was very willing to let each of us work on items of our own designs after the first few days. From what I hear, not all instructors are so flexible. But (always a but...), I would have liked an instructor who drilled techniques and basics some more. Having watched every video Soham Harrison ever produced (many more than once), I had a good idea of what skilled technique looks like. Our instructor's work was more loose, without an eye for invisible joins (or at least in her example pieces she had to show). But having uninterrupted time sitting at a bench with a torch for a full week was invaluable. And she labeled me the 'Type-A' of the class (so take my critique with a grain of salt). I can see why so many of the students said that they recommend taking Silver 1 from different instructors. At least 3 Silver 1, before moving to Silver 2. Not only to gain skills, but to have the opportunity to learn from many masters. So how do you pick the right instructor? Not sure. Read the bios, class description, and see what fits into your schedule. I don't know that you can go wrong. Thank you! Yes, I am very particular and I LOVE Soham, too. I am very interested in solid basics. I do not like sloppiness. I have seen work by some of the best that would drive me nuts to own. I have Lexi's videos, but she plays pretty loose, too. I don't know if you have seen any of my work that I have posted, but I'm pretty anal. I also got gunshy due to firescale. I need to get some time at the bench with a pro to suss out my problem. I like to do work with big backplates. Hence the firescale. I own every type of "firescale preventer". I have yet to try them all, though. Right now, I have too much going on at my house for a majority of the day, so I put off smithing for awhile. By next summer, I should have more quality bench time. I did look into a few bios. I'll be doing more of that the closer I get to taking a class. Just remembered- I made a photo album with some smithed pieces.
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Post by fantastic5 on Jun 7, 2017 20:28:49 GMT -5
]Thank you! Yes, I am very particular and I LOVE Soham, too. I am very interested in solid basics. I do not like sloppiness. I have seen work by some of the best that would drive me nuts to own. I have Lexi's videos, but she plays pretty loose, too. I don't know if you have seen any of my work that I have posted, but I'm pretty anal. I also got gunshy due to firescale. I need to get some time at the bench with a pro to suss out my problem. I like to do work with big backplates. Hence the firescale. I own every type of "firescale preventer". I have yet to try them all, though. Right now, I have too much going on at my house for a majority of the day, so I put off smithing for awhile. By next summer, I should have more quality bench time. I did look into a few bios. I'll be doing more of that the closer I get to taking a class. Just remembered- I made a photo album with some smithed pieces. Tela, I have been a huge fan of your work. Everything you do is so clean. A lot can be hidden behind excessive wire work, but your designs are so minimal, there is no room for error. You do every stone justice. I had not seen your silver work, so thank you for sharing your album. Your clean lines carry over into your smithing too. But I wouldn't have expected anything less. We never discussed firescale in class. I've heard about it, but not seen it first hand. In class our first sheets of silver from Rio was doing this weird bubbling/reticulating. Our instructor said she had never seen anything like it. She contacted Rio and had them send out more silver overnight. The next batch did not do it. So it is possible, that if your firescale was all from the same order, that you got a bad batch. Everything in your smithing album was amazing, but this had to be my favorite Oooh, this one too
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Post by rockjunquie on Jun 7, 2017 21:27:38 GMT -5
fantastic5 Wow! thank you so much! I really enjoyed smithing and it was a great challenge. I was overflowing with ideas until the firescale. Then I just hit a brick wall of fear. I did get my silver in one batch. I would LOVE to say that was the cause. That would be too sweet. But, I just felt like I was doing something wrong. I really don't think I was using too much heat, but I guess I was. At any rate... when I get back to it, I'll figure it out. That Montana piece has another pear cut out of the back. It orients opposite the backplate and with the stone. 3 pears. edit- I meant tear- been a long day....
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Post by Pat on Jun 7, 2017 21:41:38 GMT -5
Firescale is always derided. Maybe if we changed our attitude, folks wouldn't worry about it so much!!
Maybe give it a more appealing name.......👍🏻
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Member since January 1970
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Jun 8, 2017 9:32:55 GMT -5
Firescale is always derided. Maybe if we changed our attitude, folks wouldn't worry about it so much!! Maybe give it a more appealing name.......👍🏻 Firepatina
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