Dear fellow 'smithers,
Hopefully this letter finds you in good health.
Can we all agree that 2020 has been a wild roller coaster ride?
Weird, I even see big dipper shapes in the number 2020.
What can I say.....buckle up!!!
My workbench is my creative outlet.
An antidote to this chaos, is order and structure.
I find myself gravitating towards square shapes. They feel appropriately orderly at this point.
An example is this neat square structure of this beautiful quartz with rutile and hematite from the Cai Bom Mine, Novo Horizonte, Bahia, Northeast Region of Brazil.
Photo Credit : Fabreminerals
Here are a few tutorials centered around a square design.
This tutorial shows you how to make square tubing which forms the basis for these linked collets.
Square Collet Tennis Bracelet Making - US$32
This eternity ring is made with shared prongs for the six baguette gemstones. The cluster gallery has a double bezel.
Eternity Ring with 6 Baguettes Tutorial - US$27
This ring is made with a split shank in which 4 gemstones are set in the shank prongs. The halo plate is shaped around the collet with a square gem.
Square Halo Ring Tutorial - US$30
Shaped around the prong set center marquise gemstone is the square art deco style design.
Working on precision filing and soldering is important to keep all the angles true.
Square Deco Design Ring Tutorial - US$30
In this free tutorial, I show you how to solder using minimal solder, to create a neat solder joint.
This short video clip adds an explanation to the above technique and shows how to heat up the solder with a soft bushy flame using a circular motion.
How wonderful to see that you've also been very busy making beautiful creations. It's super nice, to see you add your own design twists to your work.
I love it, when you are not afraid to try out new things, because that is the absolute correct way to increase your skill set.
A shout-out and big thank you to Josep, Sharron, Adam and James, to name a few, for your enthusiasm and sharing your work with me.
To everyone around the world, be well and stay safe.
My warmest wishes,
Hans
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