Flux

What is flux?  For the metal smith, flux is an oxygen inhibitor.  That's really it.  When metal containing copper (which is sterling silver, alloyed gold and brass) is exposed to heat and air at the same time, it oxidizes and creates a scale layer that solder cannot attach to.  Solder is also made up of silver, copper and zinc and so it also needs to be protected from oxygen while it is being heated.  Flux goes onto the piece while it is clean and cool and forms a glassy barrier when melted which air cannot penetrate until it is finally burned away through extensive heat exposure (i.e. you've been heating the piece at high heat for a long time).

If you've done it right, the solder will melt and join the pieces of metal you want to join while the flux is still protecting the seam.

For years, metal smiths used fluxes containing potassium biflouride, a chemical that is fairly nasty to inhale but works great as an oxygen inhibitor.  Many of us know this kind of flux by it's brand name "Handy Flux".

The original paste flux I always used- still a great flux and still in use today

Years ago an alternative came out called "Dandix Flux", which didn't contain the potassium biflouride.  Yeah. It sucked. Big time.  It didn't hold for very long under heat, meaning the time one had to get something soldered before everything turned black and dirty was  greatly reduce.

Booooo!!!!!

I tried it and ended up going back to the more chemically Handy Flux. Until, that is, Bob Coogan at the Appalachian Center for Craft turned me on to Superior #6 brazing flux.  This stuff is just as good as the Handy Flux and it doesn't contain the potassium biflouride.  I've used it for years and highly recommend it. You can order it by the case from the company directly or by the jar from H&N Electronics in California.  That's not to say flux is completely safe, one still has to take sensible steps to minimize exposure, but at least we can cross one chemical off the list!

This is my somewhat dilapidated jar.  I've had it for years and it's still half full.

By the way, I was trained on paste flux so that is what I'm comfortable using.  I know some jewelers use Battern's, which is a yellow liquid flux and some use a combination of powdered boric acid and denatured alcohol.  I don't use those.

Battern's is really more for gold soldering in my experience- and I have no idea what is actually in it. And boric acid- well, if you accidentally ingest boric acid- there's no antidote and you can be poisoned as well from long term absorption through the skin (I've read the paste fluxes contain boric acid as well but it's already mixed in and not a powder to be mixed, which I think is somewhat safer). 

There are more products on the market of course and some new ones say they are better and safer than the old paste flux. One new one is called Firescoff.

It's supposed to be very safe.  Metal smith Polly Smith uses it in conjunction with paste flux and really likes it, especially with Argentium silver.  I have some but haven't tried it.  It's expensive so Polly suggests painting it on rather than spraying it as directed.  I'll let you know if I like it when I finally getting around to trying it.

There's also something called Cupronil, which I also have a bottle of someone probably gave me and I've never tried it.  I'll report on it as well if I ever try it!

Cupronil Flux

It's important to note there are many fluxes out there.  If you know of any other fluxes not mentioned here you really like or you have tried Firescoff or Cupronil and have some input- please leave a comment!

The Show was Great!

Well, I have to report that the Shemer House of Fun opening was jam packed.  I am going to have to go back and see the show again when there aren't so many people.  I am indebted to artist extraordinaire and juror Lennee Eller for including me in the show.  If she had a website, I would include it here, but she doesn't.  I may have to suggest building one for her in trade for some of her art.....

Me and the beautiful and talented Lennee Eller at the Shemer "House of Fun" opening

Pin Backs

Well, back to some technical stuff.  Jewelry for me is one of the media I use for expression. Whether it's narrative or design oriented doesn't matter.  But the one fundamental principle about jewelry regardless of what it looks like is that it should be wearable.  With that in mind, here's a little how-to on pin backs:

I use commercial pin backs. The kind with the little rolling catch.  Nickel silver.  I know how to make handmade pin backs but unless I'm going to do something really high end I don't see a point.  To me, a pin back is like the eye hooks and wire for a picture; it should be well-made, do it's job and be unobtrusive.  And even is I were making something high-end I would just buy higher end pin backs unless the pin was an integral design element of the piece.  When I purchase pin backs, I always buy the catch and joint that matches and make sure you get a stem with the rivet in it.

Pin Catch

Pin Joint

Pin Stem with rivet

I buy the longest pin stems I can get because I will cut them to size as needed.  You NEVER want the point of your pin stem to extend beyond the end of the catch enough for the wearer to feel it. Also, always solder the pin catch open-side DOWN.

So here are pin backs already soldered on (I went through this part of the process in a previous post) and now I've placed the pin stems to the pieces and cut them down.

First I clamp the pin stem up in my ring clamp and file a new point, then sand and polish that point. It is important that the point NOT be long and thin but rather short and sort of blunt. This prevents the point from tearing through thread.  A shorter, slightly blunt point will work it's way between a weave but a long sharp point acts like a needle and can split threads.

The pin stem is properly sharpened and does not extend beyond the end of the clutch.  Now to clamp it into the joint.

The joint has 2 holes on either side in which the rivet of the pin stem fits. The trick is to get them lined up and even pressure applied so one side of the joint doesn't move in more than the other.  I like to use parallel jaw pliers for this and I do it slowly. You'll notice that the pin stem is angled above the catch as it gets seated.  That is because I soldered the joint at an angle. You want the pin stem to have to be pulled down and have it pop into the catch a little. This helps the pin stem stay in the catch even if the little roller gets rolled up over the course of the day.  It's a safety feature.  That's it!

MAC Jewelry Classes website gets a facelift

I am using the MAC jewelry classes website as my guinea pig to learn WordPress and I now have a working site (albeit with plenty more to do) up and running.  If you haven't seen it yet, check it out because if you are interested in taking metals classes there, this site is a way better way to find out about what's going on than the official MAC website!  Yikes.  Sorry to have to say that.  Anyway, check it out here.

I will be adding more media (movies/ pics/ news/ etc.) and adding to the Resources list as well as tweaking the look.  Feedback is appreciated!

Fiber Techniques in Metal Summer Class

In addition to my regular enameling class, I'm also offering an 8 week fiber techniques in metals class at MAC this summer.  I taught this class a couple of years ago so I don't offer it very often.  We will be taking basic fiber techniques such as twining, lanyard, weaving, coiling, multi-strand braiding, etc. and using wire and flat strip as our material.  I took a similar class a couple of times with metalsmith extraordinaire Susan Wood and assisted her with the class at MAKER in 2004 before she passed away.  She was one of my metals heroes and an amazing human being all around.  Here is a small sampling of some of the techniques we'll be doing.  I'm looking forward to this class being longer so we can do more things.

Examples include: coiling, lanyard, twill weave with varying thickness of flat strip, God's Eye
and multi-strand braiding

Registration for classes starts April 22.  You can receive 10% off your registration for up to 2 classes if you register in the first week!  You can view the Mesa Arts Center classes at their website and you can see my classes at my website on my Classes page (click the jewelclark.com link at right under "Links Schminks"). Email me from there if you have any questions!

For a complete copy of the MAC Summer Classes brochure, click here (pdf)

I'm in a Show!

The Shemer Art Center is having a show titled "House of Fun", the theme being art that makes you smile.  I had 2 pieces of jewelry and a photo selected.  The opening is Thursday April 21 from 7-9pm at the Shemer Art Center- would love to see you there if you're in town.
Click here for their website.
The show runs through May 25. 

Primal Scream Series

Primal Scream Series

I started this pin series after sitting in on a sawing class with Michael David Sturlin.  It inspired me to get back to some basics.  When I just need to relax in the studio and focus on one thing, I draw up a simple line drawing face and just practice my sawing. These pieces are 20-18g and about 2- 2.5 inches tall if I remember correctly. 

"Who is that Fabulous Masked Man?"

I took this photo in Bisbee through the shop window of a closed antique store. 
It is part of my Inanimata Series.

Enameled Pendants Class

Spring Break at the MAC was a neat affair.  All week long people could sign up for a "get your feet wet" class in all kinds of topics. I taught an enameled pendants class to introduce people to enameling.  I had 8 enthusiastic students who produced some wonderful pieces in only 3 hours.  Some had no metals experience and none had any enameling experience.  It was a great class!

Students worked on either 2 inch or 1 1/4 inch copper discs which I had pre-cut.  They learned to sift then worked with sprinkling color and enamel threads.

Here's a Pretty Thing

I have a great student, Diana, in my class(es) this spring who has studied enameling for years in California with an old school crowd and I am learning as much or more from her as she is from me (one of the reasons I love teaching).  I had always used Thompsons 1995 Black for, well, black.  But 1996 black does a really cool thing if you over fire it. You heard me- over fire it. I didn't fire it over 1500 F, I just fired it longer than necessary.

At the top of this photo is a copper piece with 1995 black. On the left is 1996 black fired properly.  Although you can't see it in this photo (have a mentioned how difficult it is to photograph shiny enamel on a curved surface????) the 1996 is actually slightly purplish and just a hair translucent, unlike 1995, which is completely opaque and flat black.  On the right is the same 1996 black over-fired a couple of times (just to make sure).  There's absolutely nothing else on that piece of copper but 1996.   Gorgeous!  I'm looking forward to doing more with this little bit of info :-)

Amococo

Well, of course it's gone now so for those of you who didn't go, I hope these photos inspire you to NOT skip the next MAC special event.  You can learn more about this particular project here.

Outside and not looking that impressive

Then you go inside.....

 I actually got lost. It's amazing how disorienting the space becomes.  I took soooo many more photos but I think these give the gist.  The color is produced from natural light shining through colored vinyl/ plastic (can't remember) that is less than a mm thick.  I didn't make any color enhancements to these images.

The first knitting project of the year that wasn't for anyone else!

A couple of years ago I knit myself a hat and scarf with this great Peruvian wool from Mirasol. I finally knitted a matching pair of fingerless gloves, which I finished just in time for the weather to warm up!  Oh well, next season....

The finished gloves

Palm side with cuff rolled down

Top side with cuff left long

The entire set.
I wear a lot of black, grey and brown and like to coordinate my base with a splash of bright color.

I used a fingerless glove pattern from a Fair Isle class I took with Lori Smith at the Fiber Factory, which she created so I will not repeat it here. You can probably order it by contacting the Fiber Factory.  The hat pattern is a brilliantly simple one from an old Vogue knitting magazine and the scarf is a diagonal rib from Barbara Walker's "A Treasury of Knitting Patterns" which is a no-roll pattern.

Great Friends

We were graced with the presence of two amazing people a few weeks ago.  Becky Williams and Marilou Knight, friends from way back left paradise to come see me.  We had a great time and I am more than determined than ever to start saving my pennies to go see them!  You can see their art and find a link to Becky's music through their website Dragon House Studios.

Becky and Marilou

First we went to the Desert Botanic Gardens

 Then we went to the Phoenix Art Museum (we also went to the Heard but I don't have pics of that)

 where Marilou and I had fun shooting in the Firefly room.

 Then I took them to that little hidden gem of weirdness, the Mystery Castle (RIP Ms. Mary Lou Gulley)

 And final photos are the night before they left. We had an amazing dinner at Tarbell's to send them on their way.

I need a decent flash with a diffuser

Becky took this lovely pic of me and the hairy man :-)

I miss you guys but can't wait for Vegas and Cirque Du Soleil later this year!!!!!

March Madness

This last week of February and most of March is going to be hectic so I may not post much until the dust settles.  Just FYI.  Hopefully, I'll have a lot to post about :-)

Actually Useful Gadgets #1

As a metalsmith for over 20 years I've purchased my share of nifty looking gadgets that I thought would be good in the studio only to find that I never really had a need for them or they just didn't work as well as I thought they would.  So I'm going to talk about those items I use in the studio that really are handy but not necessarily the normal compliment of tools we have. These little review posts will be titled "Actually Useful Gadgets".  So here we go:

A few years ago, Lonnie (from Lonnie's Jewelry Supply) gave me a pair of Atlas rubberized gloves to try. He was considering carrying them in the shop but hadn't tried them.

Atlas 370 gloves- Rio Grande photo

I will say right now, these are great gloves.  I like them because they are rubberized on the working side and knit on the back so they breathe. They fit my hand well, and it's really difficult for me to find work gloves to fit my long slender hand.  But the best aspect of these gloves is that the rubberized side it thin enough to still be able to feel the metal piece in your hand as well as keep a good grip on it yet it still does a great job of protecting the hand from the heat generated by mechanical grinding/ polishing!  With leather gloves I usually felt like I was working in a space suit- the padding was always so thick I couldn't feel the piece well and I certainly couldn't keep a good grip on it if it was small and I was having to grind it in some fashion.

Well, after several years, the heat and chemicals do take a toll and my old gloves had gotten stiff and I wasn't using them anymore.

These guys are really worn out

However, I didn't know where to get any new ones since I hadn't seen Lonnie carrying them and with a day job it was hard to get over to Lonnie's to get supplies.  Well, imagine my surprise last weekend when the hubby and I were at Baker's Nursery getting starts and seeds for the garden:

There were my gloves! In fantastic colors and all sizes- same Atlas 370 gloves but packaged for gardening. The only difference I could tell was that the wrist was longer.

I bought a pair at the garden center for about $7 and I subsequently found them in the Rio Grande catalog in small and large only for $5 but unless you are going to order more items, shipping will kill off any savings you'd get by ordering them.

Verdict: Recommended 

If you try them, let me know what you think!