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19/03/2018 - World Skills Practice

So today was not technically part of a module, but I wanted to write it up somewhere.
What we're doing is getting up to speed on a couple of things in case we want to enter the "World Skills" competition.
This is a high level, timed competition (think Masterchef for jewellers) aimed at students & apprentices.
Winners at national rounds go on to compete internationally.

We were given a past years technical drawing to work from and a small piece of gilding metal from which all the components would be cut (except a tiny length of chenier tube).
The one thing we had not encountered before, was A Jour cutting, the removal of material from the rear of a diamond setting in order to allow in maximum light.
The first photo shows examples of many different A Jour shapes.  The standard (as defined in this exercise) is a square, but hexagons are also commonly used for pave setting.
The second photo is my attempt.
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Things were going well, until I followed Dauvit's advice for inserting the chenier tube.
His method was as follows:
  • Estimate the curvature of the front sheet.
  • Solder this to the flat gallery.
  • Burr out two channels of the appropriate size.
  • Insert and solder the tube.

Following these instructions, the burr got caught underneath the gallery and ruined the back of the curved sheet.
A total right off.

Now this is not actually the way I would have done it, and my way does not involve any burrs to loose control of.
This is how I would have done it:
  • Estimate the curvature of the front sheet.
  • Solder the tube into position on the flat gallery.
  • Adjust the curvature of the front sheet to fit over the tube.
  • Solder the front sheet onto the tube and gallery.

Despite the total failure of today, I have entered the London heat (unfortunately I was too slow and Birmingham was totally full).
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Something else that's not related to this module.
I took my salt & pepper pots along to a Tolkien Society meeting and they got a write up in the society's newsletter (Amon Hen, issue 207).

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  • Home
  • Collections
    • Mini collections
    • "Simplicity"
    • "Hedera" ivy - silver
    • "Hedera" ivy - gold
    • "Lulu" floral
    • "Fauna" animals
    • "Electric" anodised
    • "Hylle" medieval initials
    • "Madison" gothic
    • "Rosa" rose
    • "Quercus" oak
  • Unique & Bespoke
    • One of a kind
    • Stacking rings
    • Bespoke
  • Lessons
  • About
    • About me
    • Awards & Exhibitions
    • Testimonials
    • Contact
  • More
    • Gallery
    • "Masquerade" Hare
    • Videos
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