The item you are working with drops to the floor. You know you're in trouble when you don't hear the bounce, so you don't know where to look. It doesn't matter; it's not there anyway.
 

1. First thing you need to do is look at your feet and make sure it's not under the wheels of your desk chair as you will immediately roll over it and spoil it or step on it.
   
2.  get the flashlight to do the floor search. Flashlight has dead battery. Go find fresh battery or second flashlight. Insert fresh battery and return to the scene of the crime.
3.  now what was it I was looking for? Get on floor on your hands and knees, using flashlight on the floor shrine the light horizontally across the surface of the floor and scan the area. Hopefully the item in question will cast a shadow or a glint in the light. Look at all those dust bunnies.  "Oh my" I see something I was looking for last week LOL.
4. Search behind you and the opposite area that you think it never could be in because that's probably where it's at.
5. Keep searching with some select choice four-letter words. It doesn't help,  but somehow makes you feel better, and alerts those within hearing range that this is not the time for cute or "helpful" comments.
6. Search more then give up. Go back to your bench and sit down. Hopefully you'll see the missing item right on your bench pin in front of you. Or maybe not.
7. If it really is an item you can't continue without, then go get the broom and the dustpan and carefully sweep all areas of the shop starting with under the bench.                               Collect all this in the dustpan then go through the dustpan with your fingers and a pair of tweezers, looking with your optivisor on and pick out all the good stuff that you find there. Maybe your piece will be in there, but it probably won't.  But this has several benefits: a)you'll find pieces that you didn't know you'd lost

b) you'll find things to recycle and c) you'll have a clean area under your bench for a few days.

1. Go have lunch or go to the Post Office. Sometimes it takes a bit of time for the wrinkle in the parallel universe to flatten out and return your item.
2. Still missing? Clean your bench top and catch tray. If you don't find it at least that will be tidy.
3. If still missing move on to plan B or make a new one. That way you'll be sure to find it!
4.  BTW.........i never did find my lost item.   LOL

Many of my students have been using an air/ acetylene torch and now want to have a torch that has the extra heat that oxygen brings, like the Smith "little Torch".

A lot jewelers use the "little Torch" with propane and oxygen, which is nice, and clean and moderately hot, but if you already have the Acetylene tank and regulator, you are halfway there....just add a tank of oxygen and its own regulator,  and add the "little Torch" designed  for acetylene. 
But here is the cool thing.....you don't have to give up your original air acetylene torch that you are comfortable with and already paid for!!! Add a "Y" splitter to that acetylene tank for about $35 and hook back on your original torch.  Yea!
​
 Now why would you want 2 torches? Well, your ambient air/ acetylene torch is good for many operations, like annealing, or soldering large cuffs or belt buckles, but is limited in temperature when using a small tip.  It's about the opposite of the "little Torch", which is small and hot, but not as ideal for that annealing  job or any situation where you might want larger overall heat rather than the hot localized heat of the "little Torch".

The "little Torch" used with acetylene instead of propane is very hot and can be a bit sooty if you are slow to add the oxygen when lighting it. There is a bit of a learning curve, as with most new procedures, but my students use them in my classes and many have asked me for info to purchase one for their home studio.
Here is what you'll need: an Oxygen regulator something like this:   
or this from Eurotool about the same price:      http://eurotool.com/products/SINGLE_STAGE_OXYGEN_REGULATOR-4555-98.html  








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add  an oxygen tank ..... usually best purchased locally from gas supplier or  buy used

And this "Y" Splitter: From Eurotool  http://eurotool.com/products/Y_CONNECTOR_FOR_FUEL_GAS_B_CONNECTIONS-4542-98.html

Now the "little Torch"Rio Grande : https://www.riogrande.com/Product/Basic-Smith-Little-Torch-All-Fuels-System-with-Five-​

and Last Photo shows the whole set up (ignore the extra little acetylene tank I just got to make traveling easier, yea!)

I hope this gives you the information you need to add oxygen to your torch set up. Feel free to ask for clairification or if you need equipment from Eurotool you can order it through me. ( Eurotool does not sell the "Smith" brand of Little torch) I have gotten decent prices and service from "CyberWeld" on line. They carry the Smith line, as does Rio Grande and Otto Frei. I suggest shopping around to compare product prices.
​  Happy Soldering!!!

A recent student inquired about the red patina on some of my class samples so I sent her some info and thought I'd share it with all.

I teach and take metalsmithing workshops. Often these are not offered in fully equipped studios, and I need to supply substantial vise that will clamp down to a table.  I have found the commercial jewelry clamp on vises woefully inadequate. Watch the sales at Harbor Freight or an eye out at yard sales. $30-$40 new or $5 to $15  yard sale find, a scrap of plywood, a couple of C clamps and bolts will make you a strong useful tool you can use for years. You might find one to "steal" in your backyard toolshed/ workshop. I admit to borrowing ours  and then just drywall screwing it to workbench when it comes home. Check out these photos for details and send me a pic of yours if you make one!

test test

​Someone recently purchased a set of dragonfly earrings and pendant and asked me if I had a bracelet as well? I didn't, but the thought intrigued me. What would one look like? It would have dragonflies of course, but then what? Since the original ear/ pendants are an open three-dimensional dragonfly in silver with copper wings, my first thought was to link them together end-to-end with jump rings and add a simple clasp.  It would be pretty and delicate, but not me. I am not a link chain bracelet person. I am a cuff gal !

​ So... what would a dragonfly cuff look like? Well, one could pierce out small dragonfly shapes in a solid silver cuff but that wouldn't have 2 tones of copper and sterling or the signature textured copper wings. (I originally made them in silver wings too, but only the copper wings one sold well,  who knew?.)
One could etch or stamp a dragonfly design on a silver or copper cuff, but meh...not very original , and not much like the earring /pendant set. Then I thought of fusing or soldering the copper /silver earring sized dragonflies onto the surface of the cuff in a random dragonfly flight pattern. I settled on three dragonflies the same earring size so I could use existing pattern  (time-saver here). I laid them all out flat on a bracelet blank and fused them down. I did some synclastic forming ( I don't do flat) on the cuff and volia! I was happy with the results and it may become a member of my repeatable or production line.  It needed to be affordable as this is not a high end group, more of a fun day to day  thing, and wearable....another of my parameters.  "Extremely wearable jewelry"

There are many other design possibilities out there to fit the parameters but for now this one satisfied me and hopefully my customer. I suspect this design will evolve a bit as I make more of them. I already have the idea to alter the edge shape  on the next cuff:    what fun.
​Happy Designing!   

A glimpse into the design process and then what happens when you create that piece. Do you feel compelled to strictly adhere to the original design or see it as a starting point like I do.
I thought I'd share with you a rough sketch with some notes on what I THOUGHT might be good, then a photo of the finished product.  I started with a design concept requiring "circles" with some other required elements for an upcoming class I will be offering. .  As you can see I made some changes along the way. I feel no obligation to the original sketch unless there is a part I love and have to keep. I make adjustments for balance - physical weight, as well as visual "balance".  Changing the single bale hang point to the double attachment balanced the physical weight of the off center stone/ dangle. Sometimes I need to simplify, due to time constraints the students will be limited to. I am of the LESS IS MORE school of thought, but that doesn't mean it takes less time. We never seem to have the luxury of enough time in class.
 As part of the design process it helps to make some of the main elements and then play with moving them around and LOOKING at them. Trust your "eye" on what is better. If you have that luxury of "TIME",  lay it out and walk away for awhile, and come back for a fresh view. OR consider looking at it in a mirror.  If you are really having a hard decision, you might consider asking another..maybe your hubby or daughter. They might not be schooled in design, but they just might have an observation you hadn't noticed.  That does not mean you have to TAKE anyone's advise or suggestions. It's still YOUR piece and must be your decision. But after you get over your hurt feelings  ( yes, family sometimes has an un-sugar coated delivery)....you just might see they had a valid point.
Feel free to alter your plans along the way. I often find when I am looking thru my stash for the perfect colored stone or bead to compliment the piece...I find something better, although that may require taking a few steps back design wise to make it work...hopefully for the best.
 Another trick is to photograph your piece along the way. With digital and smart phone cameras, it is free and quick. I often do this when I have the perfect layout, but have to disassemble it in order to solder it . I use my cell phone pic to make sure I get it back right. The photos also help with the design. Sometimes we see something in a photo that we don't in real life.
Use any design tool that works.  And why not save that original design sketch and photograph it with the finished product to see where you started...and where you ended. Who knows there might be another creation in that original design.