Category:Jewelry Shop: Difference between revisions

In our well-equipped Jewelry Shop you will find all the tools you need to work on your jewelry and small metalsmithing projects. Please note that working in brass, bronze, copper, silver, and gold is allowed, however working in pewter, aluminum, or steel is prohibited.

Training and testing

Training and testing is REQUIRED before using this shop. You must have some jewelry-making experience to be tool tested in the Jewelry Shop. If you're not sure if your experience is adequate, please contact the shop lead. Sign up here for tool training and testing.

Availability

This shop is available to members 24/7. We have ten fully equipped jewelers' benches available for use. When there is a full Jewelry 101 class running (for three evenings once per month), there are still three jewelers' benches available for member use. If there is a class running, please be cognizant of your own noise levels to try not to interfere with instruction.

For use of the enameling kilns reservations are required. Shop time can be reserved on Nexudus.

Rules

• Working in pewter, aluminum, or steel is prohibited, as they will contaminate equipment and supplies for jewelry-makers working in silver, gold, copper, brass, and bronze.
• Turn on ventilation at soldering station or enameling kilns when those areas are in use (respectively). Turn off ventilation before leaving.
• Clean up after yourself. This includes using a dustpan to sweep your workbench top and sweeps drawer. Wipe soldering table down with wet papertowel if there is excess flux on the table. Vacuum the polishing machine if you've used it.
  • Tag everything you’ve left drying in the shop with your name, the current date and time, your storage space or studio number (if applicable), and a phone number where you can reliably be reached in case your items needs to be moved.
  • Even if you’re only stepping away for a short time, take a minute to leave a tag.
  • Improperly tagged projects may be considered abandoned and be moved to Artisan’s lost and found.
• Leave this shop ready-to-use
  • Move any drying projects to the provided drying tables as soon as possible.
  • Clear all items off the hanging spray rack and move it back into the ventilated booth so that it can be used by the next person.
  • Clean up any spills or trash.
  • Turn off the spray booth fan, lights, and power.
  • Take a minute to do one thing that leaves the shop as good or better than you found it.
• Retrieve dry items promptly
  • Most finishes are ready to handle in a few hours; some may need to dry overnight.
  • If items aren’t removed promptly, there won’t be enough space for everyone.
  • Any items left in the shop for over 24 hours will be moved to your storage space or studio, or Artisan’s lost and found, after attempting to contact you.

Usage tips

Use the rolling table to easily rotate your project as you apply finish.

• Use the available coveralls if you don't want to get finish on your clothing.
• Have solvent on-hand to clean up any overspray or spills.
• Use the rolling tables or rolling hanger when applying finishes. Spin the hanger or table as you spray the surfaces of your project so that the overspray goes into the filter pads in the booth.
• Use cardboard, dropcloths, or builder's paper to contain finishes to the working area in the booth.
• Use any materials available as standoffs or hangers so that you can apply finish to all parts of your project and let it dry evenly.
• An air compressor is available in the shop, however, we don't provide tool training on it and we don't provide spray equipment. Bring your own!

Etiquette

Please follow this shop etiquette so that we don't have to make more rules.

• Fill out in-progress project tags completely -- with your name, contact information, and space number. A name isn't always enough information for someone to track you down if your project seems abandoned.
• E-mail the shop lead if you need to leave your project in the shop for more than 24 hours. Otherwise, they'll spend time and effort trying to reach you to find out the state of your project, and your project may be removed from the shop and adopted or discarded. There's enough space for drying projects as long as projects are removed promptly!
• If someone's already in the shop, knock before opening the door. The change in air pressure when opening the door can alter the direction and pattern when someone's applying a spray coating.
• Leave the fan in the booth running at the lowest speed while you have moderate or high VOC finishes that are actively offgassing. Return and shut off the fan when the odor dissipates, and be sure that your shop reservation includes the anticipated drying time.
• Move your dry (to the touch) project to the drying tables or baker's rack instead of leaving it in the booth.

Help us improve

E-mail the shop lead with your concerns, comments, questions, and suggestions for improvement. Let us know if the shop was left not ready-to-use, equipment is malfunctioning, a consumable is running low, if you want to help drive an improvement project, or if you can think of anything else that will make the shop a better resource for you!