Hammering It All Out

I am getting super-excited about my up-coming micro-raising workshop at the Sawtooth Center in Winston-Salem!  I'm team-teaching with one Mr. Chuck Kennigton of NC Black Co., and we really made a lot of progress with our tools last week.  I can really see it coming together.  Finally!

I was at the NC Black homebase Wednesday through Friday of last week.  Wednesday evening was mostly shop-talk, but Thurday we really got to work.  I had designed a raising stake for small-scale work based on a combination of two different stakes we had been using in the studio.  So we needed to make a prototype and test it out.

Stake heating and bending:

Grinding and Polishing:

So you can see, these tools are made with love, and very much by hand.

We made two different sizes, 5/8" diameter and 1/2" diameter.  Then it was time for the test!

It works!!!  Muahahahahaha!

So we made ten of each size.  One for each of us for practice, etc. and eight as a teaching set for this and future workshops!  We will also have stake holders to keep said teeny stakes snugly secured in a big ol' vise, as shown above, as well new super-sweet raising hammers designed by Chuck.

So we've got everything squared away.  Tools are made, kits are assembled, and we're on our way!  Sawtooth will be the first of many of these micro-raising workshops!  Stay tuned for a schedule of up-coming workshops and check out the schedule for the other workshops offered by NC Black Co, Micro Shell-Forming and Engraving.

I'll be back later this week with updates for the CopperTide jewelry business, so check back!!!  Thanks for reading!