I’ve made some blog posts before concerning teaching and my struggles between teaching a technique, teaching a project, and teaching some very narrow “follow the leader” step by step project. I’m not going to say what I’ve come up with is better, or even entirely original, but it works for me and my students. I’ve broken down several techniques that I get asked about quite often, and I approach the subject from a very bare bones, tribal way of beginning into the world of metalsmithing.
From the Torch Play class
When my father first trained me as a bench jeweler, he had every time saving gadget and chemical available in the 70’s and 80’s, and I took to it very easily. I just did repairs and sizings, but I had the essentials of creating jewelry under my belt. Cancer ate up his work bench and all of his tools, as it happens that people are reduced to selling off everything to pay for treatments and such. So after a 12-15 year break from the bench and shallow pockets, I had to relearn how to make jewelry with what was easily available. I learned from contacting folk hobbyists and a few Native American jewelers how to make most of my first tools or modify cheaper hardware store versions. And, I stripped back the processes of soldering and casting to the bare essentials. Plus, I’m not an advocate or sales rep for any tool supply company, and I don’t want to see anyone bankrupt themselves just starting out in a hobby or potential career. So, it made sense to come up with a way to teach the processes with a bare bones approach. Not better, not more efficient, and not ideal, but it is an approach that seems to appeal to my students.
I arranged these small group, 2 hour classes in a way that builds on each process, but I keep them open ended enough that anyone can just jump in as the classes progress.
From the Torch Play class
The first series is all about working cold; etching, cold connections, jump rings, piercing, and forming. And, the second set is working hot; torch play, chain meditations, bezels, and simple casting. Lora (my manager, promoter, and number one chick) was concerned at first that everyone should go home with a finished product, but my argument was that students tend to focus so much on following the leader in those types of classes that the finished product is of more concern than learning whatever skill it is that they really want to learn. Plus, it makes the classes longer and more expensive.
In these two hour classes, we can go over the safety and the chemical nature of what we are about to do, make a few simple tools to complete the task, have a hands-on go at the skill, all in the first hour. Then, the second hour gives the students time to have coached practice while playing with the technique. During the second hour we can discuss how to integrate the technique with what it is that they want to accomplish. Then, they have what they need to go home and continue integrating the technique into their own creative process, and no one can just continue to copy a piece of jewelry that I taught them how to make.
Some examples of tools that I teach them how to make for themselves is stakes from railroad spikes, forming tools from old broom handles, modified hammers from cheap hardware store hammers, using a stump, and modifying a pair of cheap pliers. For soldering, I have stream lined the chemicals to a simple flux, sodium bisulfate, and solder. We don’t coat the work with any chemicals, and we don’t worry with charcoal. Using just the essential amount of heat and working efficiently, we have yet to see any fire scale in class. But, I do discuss things that they can do if a problem of firescale arises. And, if they want they can go get their heads bitten off on the Ganoksin forums, which is a great place to get 150 different correct answers to a problem, LOL.
From the Cold Connections class
The idea behind using just the essential tools and chemicals is that good practiced skills and techniques can eliminate most of the unnecessary stuff that is sometimes a waste of money. But, I address the issue directly by saying that they can integrate some of these preventive measures as they see an actual need for them. Honestly, I rarely have ever seen true firescale, probably because of the torches that I use. I believe that some of what people are calling firescale is actually just carbon on the surface, which can just be wiped off with a good rag. But, I do not put any of the other teachers down that teach these preventatives. Sterling is very prone to scale under the correct conditions. I do my best to just explain that this has been done for 5000 some odd years with just whatever jewelers and artists could find around them; a more streamlined “tribal” approach. “Tribal” meaning more ancient, not necessarily referring to any particular tribe or ethnicity.
My very first workbench in coming back to metals was a stump. My first tools were things I could get at the local hardware store, carved railroad spikes, and wooden dowels. But, my collection has grown over the years, but there are days when I miss that old stump. It would be nice to just be able to stick all of my tools into the back of my truck and tool about making stuff. And, when you look at some of the works created 1000 to 3000 years ago, they did pretty well without ever getting a Rio Grand catalog :o)
With all of this thinking and planning, I realize that there is always potential for bettering my skills as a teacher and as an artist. Do any teachers out there have any advice or criticisms of my thoughts here. I welcome all discussions and will consider any . I am very easy going, and I do my best to respect what you guys are doing out there as well :o)
Feedback is welcome :o)
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