Blogging for jewelers and metalsmiths made easy! (and for those interested in jewelry and gemstones)

Cynthia Eid teaching a hydraulic press workshop

I was recently asked by a craft school’s press department to write something about myself, why I like to teach at their school, and why people should take classes at their school.  Having done so, I thought I’d share it.  (I’ve made a few changes for this wider audience.)

I earned a Master of Fine Arts degree in Jewelry, Design, and silversmithing from Indiana University-Bloomington, and a BS in Art Education from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.  An MFA is the “terminal” degree for studio artists—-our equivalent of a PhD—so I am qualified to be a University professor.  However, I find that I prefer to teach adult ed, at places like Metalwerx, where everyone is there because they choose to be, not becuase they “have to” be.  I don’t need to worry about giving grades or poor attendance or students who are just there to fill out their college’s requirements.  I like teaching people who are there because they want to learn, and to have fun.

As an artist, I spend a lot of time working alone in my studio, with just my dog for company.  So, when somebody in a class has the “light bulb click” inside their head, that is really a fun reward for me.  I enjoy the range of people that take adult ed classes—from housewives to lawyers, from enthusiastic hobbyists to passionate career-changers— my goal is to help each person grow, at whatever level they are.  I adjust my teaching for each student.

I think that it is important to have balance in your life.  As part of the search for balance in my own life, I enjoy playing music with my family—both informally in the living room, and performing at dances, weddings, parties, and festivals as the Reiner Family Band.  (You can hear us at www.reinerfamilyband.com).  I play old-time clawhammer banjo, Irish bodhran (drum), and I have begun to sing with the band.  I have been taking voice classes for the last few years, which has reminded me how it feels to be a nervous student, and how great it feels when, as a student, I grow, learn, and begin to “get it”.

Making jewelry and hollowware (bowls, vases, teapots, etc. are called hollowware) in metal is fascinating—-I’ve been working, creating and learning for 40+ years, and there are still so many techniques that I’d like to learn.  Some aspects of metalsmithing can be very free and fluid, and some are more like being a chemist or scientist—measuring, calculating, planning, and evaluating.  I enjoy the technical aspects and tools of metalsmithing, such as the hydraulic press and the tools that I’ve helped develop that go with it.

I am continually intrigued by how clay-like metal is—-It is amazing that complex forms can be created from a single piece of metal. Recently, I taught a forging class, in which people are learning to understand how to use a hammer to control the metal’s movement.  When I told the participants to think of the cross-peen (narrow, rectangular) face of the hammer as a rolling pin, and the metal as dough or clay, it was wonderful to see their faces light up with understanding of how to orient the face of the hammer, so that the metal spread in the desired directions.

My university professors taught me how to move metal with hammers.  Over the years, though, I realized that my arms are capable of a limited number of hammer blows in my lifetime.  I began to investigate using a hydraulic press as a BIG hammer that could save me time and effort.  It turns out to be a lot of fun to use the tools in the hydraulic press to do the primary forming of a piece, and then finish with traditional techniques.  My enthusiasm has helped develop friendships with the people who design and make the presses and tools.  I have had a lot of fun being on the development team, helping to design new tools for the hydraulic press.

I feel fortunate to have a full life: family, metalwork, music, and walks in the woods behind my house with my dog.

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Last night, I received an email from Nancy Howland’s daughter, telling me that Nancy died December 12, 2009.

Nancy was my friend via Orchid.  We “met” when she posted about some difficulties and successes with granulating fine silver. I remember excitedly suggesting that she try granulating with Argentium Sterling, which had recently become available in the U.S. As nearly as I can figure out, that was early in 2006, because the first email I can find is dated 3/25/2006, when she sent a photo of her first Argentium Silver granulated earrings. (I believe that this was around the same time that I encouraged Ronda Coryell to give granulation of AS a try, when we spoke in Tucson, where I was demonstrating soldering and fusing Argentium Silver at Rio Grande’s 2006 Catalog in Motion.)

Nancy and I shared a passion for Argentium Silver’s unique and wonderful working qualities. She wrote an interesting article about granulating Argentium Silver, as well as an article about how to differentiate fine silver from Argentium Silver. Nancy shared her discoveries on Orchid, as well as in emails with me and with Peter Johns, inventor of Argentium Silver.

Nancy, thank you. You will be missed!

Cynthia Eid

Below is a copy of the email I received from Nancy’s daughter, and a copy of Nancy’s obituary.

Hello Cindy,
I am Nancy Howland’s daughter.  I have been going through my Mom’s email and found your contact info.

Since my Mom often mentioned how much she enjoyed her correspondence with you and her admiration of your work I thought that I would let you know that she passed away on December 12th, 2009.
I have attached her obituary for you to read. Please feel free to share this with her other Orchid friends.

Sincerely,
Karin Eichhoff

Nancy Mae Howland, age 69, passed away peacefully December 12th after 6 days at Hospice Care, active and uncomplaining to the end, during a two year bout with cancer.  She was preceded by her parents, John and Leona Phillips.

Nancy, born 11-14-1940, was reared in Fresno, where she was active in school sports and journalism before going to Fresno State.  She graduated from FSC with a joint B.A. in Fine Arts and Psychology, two life-time interests.  There she met and married Chuck, 50 years of complete devotion, recently saying “it has been a good trip, hasn’t it.”
In California and Wisconsin she postponed art for a career in social work and social policy writing until she retired, then threw herself 100% into art metal jewelry (see her website psi-design.com).  She fashioned her jewelry out of love of design, not profit, preferring to innovate and move on to new designs rather than repeat.  Encouraged by Lynn Fieldhouse and her advanced M.A.T.C. art metal classes for 10 years, all of her silver jewelry was made from scratch (flat silver discs and wires). Nancy wrote articles for Lapidary Journal and Art Jewelry, wrote the only step-by-step instructional book in 2,000 years on Doming Silver Beads and granulation (designs with up to 250 hand-made balls fused on a small silver earring). She enthusiastically joined the Orchid website group, with its 5,000 dedicated jewelry makers, and her communications were highly respected, from her experience rather than technical metallurgy.   One of Nancy’s profound regrets was not being able to attend her class this semester.
A homebody, she loved her home, and came to love Wisconsin and its sports (on tv) in spite of its non-California climate. Nancy’s idea of a “fine dining experience” was definite – the Maharajah, Copper-Top, and Hacienda every week for a decade. Thanks, guys, so much!  Nancy never tired of your many wheat gluten-free choices and super friendly staff.
As a social worker, she was unusually sensitive, intelligent, and practical.  As a social policy writer  for the state, standing between legislators and clients, she thoughtfully strove to trouble-shoot and  write fair-minded policy out of often confusing and nonsensical political rhetoric.  She had enduring faith that the Wisconsin vision was fair and progressive and that bad times could be overcome. During her public career she had important but unpublicized parts in shaping public policy on hot-button areas such as the Community Options Program, Chapter 55 regarding elder abuse, SSI programs for the disabled, and was the only state representative for corporate guardians (when no individual guardian could be found), and SSI.  At one time she co-directed Link House and Rushmore House, two ground-breaking, novel group homes for girls.  Seamless teamwork (with Glenn, Charlie, and Linda, and many others) was Nancy’s hallmark, but never wanting to be a supervisor, so that she could stay in the front lines.
Having a wonderful daughter, Karin was the supreme joy of her life, and her fondest memories involved Karin’s childhood and progress in life.  Her sister, Lois, with Karin and Nancy formed a wonderful team, sharing family, computer ideas, and artistic support for their whole life.  Every week featured two to five hour conversations with Lois and Karin and could not be disturbed for any reason.
Fifty years since their first date, never apart from her husband, she will be missed.
The visitation will be at Cress Funeral Home at 3610 Speedway Road, Madison, from 11:00 to 1:00, Saturday Dec. 19th.

Her website is http://www.psi-design.com/index.html

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Three Knew Concept Saws in a Row

Last night, I was helping out my friend, Lee Marshall, of Knew Concepts, by photographing his new saws. (For more information, go to www.knewconcepts.com)

As I gathered the saws, and prepared to photograph, I came across some of the earlier prototypes, and found it interesting to observe the how the tools developed.  I thought that other people would find it intriguing, as well.

Here’s the “Back Story”: Several years ago, Lee developed a new saw system for making blanking dies (cutting dies for making multiples of a metal shape).

Knew Concept Precision Saw Guide 2

I found that I REALLY enjoyed the saw that he developed for this system, because of the blade tensioning system.  No more pushing the frame against the work bench with my chest!  Whoopee!

I started using this saw for ALL of my sawing, whether I was making a blanking die, or not.  I liked the “feel” of the saw, even though it had all that extra aluminum at the top, which connects it to the guide-wheel.  I kept telling Lee Marshall that he needed to develop this saw as a “stand-alone” tool.  Finally, he got the message!

Lee started with the 5″ throat hand saw, by lopping off the extra aluminum at the top.  Each new model made the saw lighter and stronger.  The blade tightening and fastening mechanisms, and the handle as well,  were also improved. Here’s the development of the prototypes of the first saws, with the first on the left, progressing to the right (you can click on the photo to enlarge it, and see more detail) :

Development of the 5-inch (throat depth) saw frame---first prototype on left, next prototype in middle, final version on right

Below is the development of the 3-inch-throat saw frame, from left to right.  I find it interesting to note that on this scale, the trapezoid-shaped cut-out in the corners was too flexible, and needed to be changed to a circle.

Development of the 3-inch-throat saw frame first prototype on left, next prototype in middle, final version on right

I feel blessed to have Lee Marshall as a friend and colleague.  It is fun and interesting to work with Lee and Phil Poirier to develop tools for jewelers and metalsmiths.

Cynthia

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Today, I had to prepare some silver pieces for an exhibition.  As I pulled the older pieces, which had been made with traditional sterling silver, out of their anti-tarnish bags, and saw the streaks of tarnish, I groaned.  The newer pieces, made of Argentium Sterling, only needed a few swipes with a Goddard’s cloth to brighten the shine.  The Argentium Silver pieces weren’t tarnished—they just were not gleaming.  Several hours later, after going over the older pieces with cleaning compounds, and then waxing them so that they’ll stay good-looking during the exhibition, I felt that I had definitely experienced the difference between these two sterling silver alloys.  Vive Argentium Silver!

Below are images of some of the work.  The silver pieces  will be in an exhibition at the Cahoon Museum, in Cotuit, MA. http://www.cahoonmuseum.org/

I’ll be giving a talk about the work at 11am, October 17, 2009.

Cynthia Eid

Lithic Lights -three sterling silver oil lamps. these needed to be polished and waxed, too....

Veins II Though it had been waxed and stored in a silvercloth bag, inside a sealed plastic bag, this sterling silver seder plate needed a polish and wax

Having a Chat -this set of 3 sterling silver, quartz, and hematite scent containers had to be cleaned and re-waxedPour Cindy: Self Portrait Tea Strainer This sterling silver piece was in pretty good shape, actually. (But I polished and waxed it, anyways.)

This Argentium Silver lidded container, Convergences II, only needed a little shining up with a Goddards Long Shine Cloth

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Ultimate Spiculum Hammer

I am working on a book with Betty Helen Longhi, Shellforming Techniques for Jewelers and Metalsmiths.  The term shellforming describes a collection of techniques -mostly based on synclasting and anticlasting— through which sheets of metal are given complex, often sinuous form, to make objects of beauty and strength.  The book will be edited by jeweler/author/educator Tim McCreight, and published by Brynmorgen Press, known for high quality publications. Publication date is yet to be determined.

As Betty and I work on the book, we have become aware that many of our favorite tools are one-of-a-kinds that we have made or found.  We want our future readers to be able to have the necessary tools for the techniques in the book, so we have been designing tools, and working with manufacturers to bring them into production. I am really excited about our first tool!  We have teamed up with Bill Fretz to design and produce the Ultimate Spiculum Hammer. The Ultimate Spiculum Hammer has the elegant lines and exquisitely comfortable handle that are trademarks of Fretz hammers.  The hammers are have the Longhi and Eid logos on the handle, and the traditional Fretz logo on the hammer-head.  Around 1980, Betty designed and made a hammer that was based on one that she had watched Heikki Seppa use to make spiculums. Lee Marshall of Bonny Doon Engineering produced a commercial version for Allcraft for many years.  Since Lee’s retirement, Betty has been searching for a new maker, so I approached Bill Fretz about making the spiculum hammer.  The new proportions and weight of the Ultimate Spiculum Hammer afford exquisite control and exceptional accuracy.  Thrilled with this hammer, Betty and I have designed additional hammers to be made by Bill Fretz, to make a set of shell forming hammers. The set is currently in development.  The Ultimate Spiculum Hammer is now available from Allcraft Tools, in New York.

Phone: 800-645-7124        Email: allcrafttools@yahoo.com

A Flared Spiculum---from an exercise in the book in progress

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After 3 days of Creatively Fold Forming Argentium Silver at Metalwerx, May 2009

Recently, I had the pleasure of teaching this workshop at Metalwerx, in Waltham, MA.  We had a great time, and I thought I’d share some images from the workshop.  As usual, the group had wonderful variety in ages, experience, and personality.  Some people tried to make a sample of each technique demonstrated—  others focused more on finishing a few new pieces using new knowledge. (You can click on each image to see it larger. Click again to see it even larger.)

Cynthia

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Pebble in a Pond-Argentium Silver bowl with 24K Kum Boo

View of Bottom, showing the Kum Boo “pebble” that caused the “ripples” and “waves”

Detail view

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Some time ago, there was a discussion on Orchid about how to attach a commercial barrette finding to the back of a hand-made barrette.  I tried to describe my method, but, words are never as good as a picture.  Here are photos of both front and back of a barrette that I recently finished.

Barrette- Forged, with Marriage of Metals

The “frame” of this piece is forged Argentium Silver.  The interior section is marraige of metals made with AS (Argentium Silver) and nugold (also called jewelers’ bronze, or red brass).

Here is the back view:

Barrette finding is attached with wire

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