Thursday, July 1, 2010

New "toys" for making jewelry

I got home from work today and guess what was waiting for me?!

A box of new toys for making jewelry.

All of this is stuff I've never used before but I've been dying to try.  I just put in an order on Monday with Contenti, and I wasn't expecting to see my shipment for a week.  But here it is!

It's just like Christmas at my house.  It took me about 5 minutes to rip open the package. 

Whoo hoo!  What did I get!!!???

  • A DRILL PRESS.  Although this is their economy model, it should make it easier for me to make holes in metal and cut-outs in metal (for example, the settings behind my cabs).   

I've wanted it ever since Contenti started carrying it, but it's been out of stock for months.  Until this week.

I especially appreciate this description in their listing:  "The instruction booklet provided with the unit is written in incomprehensible English. For the sake of clarity, we have re-written them."  (So true to life that it's almost funny.)

Yup, no more using my dremel, which is pretty inaccurate for drilling and has made me ruin more than a couple pieces.

  • A NYLON HAMMER.  No, not for me to whack my husband.  But for me to whack silver without marring it.  I'm hoping it works even better than my rawhide mallet.

  • BINDING WIRE.  To place little bits of silver into bondage for me to solder them more accurately.  Never tried it before.  This might prove to be very interesting, fun and, probably, oh so frustrating.  

Or, as those of us in the corporate world are taught to say, "This will be an opportunity."  (ARGH!!!!)

  • A CHARCOAL BLOCK.  Yes, I'm going place my leftover scraps of sterling on this and melt them into little balls of solid silver goodness.

And, best of all, something I should have gotten long ago:

  • AN OPTIVISOR.   5 x, with a loupe.



And yes, my daughter literally just threatened to disown me.



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10 Comments:

  1. Marion B. said...
    Gratulations with your new toys. It's always fun opening a box even though you know what is in it, LOL.
    AdobeSol said...
    Ohhhh lots of fun!

    I've got a bunch of stuff in my cart at Rio Grande... maybe time to drive over there and spend the bucks!
    hopestudios said...
    merry christmas!

    tell your daughter that if she's lucky, this too will all be hers some day! even the cool glasses.
    jessi sawyer said...
    Oh...drill press...drool. That is the one thing I miss the very most about having a fully stocked studio at my fingertips.

    I hope the binding wire you got works better than the stuff I bought a few months back...I wrapped it around a big bezel and all of the stupid wire proceeded to break/melt as I was heating it up! UGH.
    Unknown said...
    Yeah, what fun, I want a charcoal block too! Have fun!
    Campbell Jane said...
    Weeeeee! I know the feeling! Those glasses are awesome! I may be sportin' a pair soon myself!
    Campbell Jane said...
    Weeeeee! I know the feeling! Those glasses are awesome! I may be sportin' a pair soon myself!
    Evie's Tool Emporium said...
    A drill press and an optivsor! Have fun with your new toys!
    ShinyAdornments said...
    Optivisor! Heaven. You'll wonder how you EVER survived without it.
    LOL
    Nemesis Jewelry said...
    oooh binding wire!! love it and hate it!! ooh and a drill press, drool! forgive my ignorance but how does is cut out metal? I hate cutting out the backs of bezels cuz I'm lazy and I hate breaking saw blades. Actually I don't mind the saw blades breaking as much as putting a new one into the saw.

    i want new toys!!!! a rolling mill and an anvil.

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