Kevin Kenny

Smile, smile, smile

I have 4 drill presses in the inside shop and the same number of vices. I have two vices that can clamp onto the table top of the pendant table making sure that the table top is clear of perminant clutter. My rolling tables have allowed me the luxury of keeping all the parts and accessories with the main power tool.  In the past i could never find them when i needed them. My main work bench draws only keep the tool needed for the project  o am working on.  Its a constant fight and i am always looking for ways to make the shop more efficient. 

Just the Jim Byrnes thickness sander to add  and we are basically up to  date with my power tools wish list. In planning my retirement i had  been trying to get my  shop to the point where i dreamt of adding no new toys.  Its taken me 12 years to get the shop complete. Of course there will always be some temptation.

It has arrived and its now installed. Thanks for all the advice. In time ill let you know how i feel about this purchase

Way to go Henry

Hi Greg

sweating solder joints seems to be a very common way jewlers add parts  when building up a piece. Unfortunately i don't get the pins until December when my daughter comes to visit. By then i should be much better. I was able to epoxy the top gudgeon in place and it should stay firmly in place. Just completed the new rudder and the table joint came out fantastic. I used a perminant Sharpie to darken the joint and there was no running. 

Epoxied the fifth gudgeon in. 

The first jewel of a gudgeon fitted.

Alan

i have since found out that once the Borax is stated 100% on the label, it is the same.

Alan, i have no idea. This was what was recommended, so this is what i am using. 

The borax  arrived today

Thanks Greg

I found them on amazon and ordered some ceramic as well. My daughter is not going to be so happy coming down for Christmas. My jeweler friend suggested that i can make up a mould using plaster of parris, plasticine and the best one yet, a ripe banana. I intend trying all to see which one works out the best, at lease the banana has some added benefit after i am finished. The problem with the plaster of paris is that i have to wait until it is completely dry. I was only able to use it once as the heat destroyed it on the first try.

I am sure he won't have any Juniper as it is a tropical hardwood that isn't that well known.  

Hi Phil

If you are responding to a thread there will usually be an email reference sent to,you. If your are looking for help with something, do a search on the forum site and try contacting the last person who wrote on the thread on the hopic you are interested in. If you can’t find a thread about what you need help with, in the category you are searching, top right,  hit “ new Topic” and post your question there.

welcome to the guild sir.

best regards

kevin. 

Henry i thought you had gotten one. 

I also just got a notice that my Foredon stuff will not be shipped until next month. Good thing its a Christmas present from my wife Susan. Come to think about it I had better tell her about it. Of course i am so great full that she knew exactly what i needed. 

I know you haven't heard from me for a while but I have my learning cap on. Ithought i knew every thing there was to learn about soldering and then i saw Giampiero‘s work and knew i knew nothing. So i have been attending the University of YouTube jewlers classes and struggling. Much of the equipment is not available here. Today i finally got a few pieces done but not happy with the result.

Just finding out how to clean bronze before soldering. Made my first pickle to clean the brass. Its hard to justify buying stuff you will seldom use. So it took boiled water from a kettle and added the sodium Bisulfate which was the only acid i could find locally. Its used to lower the PH in pools. Small Crockpot is not on the list of items to purchase.
Then there are the flux’s. I bought all sort of stuff available locally but they did not work. So i ordered a Borax cone set which should arrive some time next week. 
i promise when i figure this all out i will post another video. I tried to get Giampiero to do a video on his current build but language is the big problem and Google translate does not work well on YouTube. 
 

Are you using a Smith’s  little torch or a soldering iron. I am now setting up my soldering work station. I finially got the Smiths torch working correctly however All the fluxes i had do not work with the high temperature solder that i got from my Jewler friend. Just ordered a Borax cone and  plate on Amazon. He gave me three different sets of solder, medium, soft and extra soft, and i have the same honey come ceramic plate to do the work as you show in your pictures. I did put a wooden frame on the edges as it seems very brittle. This is to make up all the bronze pieces for the rudder. Gudgeon and pintles. 

Looking good Henry

Added an aluminum table top and the bit holder to the side. Foredom shipping today.

…hit

The finial paint job