Soluzione di un Problema che non Dovrebbe Mai Avere Successo

A few months (on maybe semesters) ago, someone managed to snap the screw on the tool holder of the lathe in half. How? I have no idea. It was replaced reasonably quickly, but with a carriage screw, which has no means of gripping it. So this is how we dealt with it for how ever ridiculously long period we did:

 Yes. By destroying it with vice grips. It was ridiculous. So, being propelled to action by anger at this ridiculousness last night, I took the snapped bolt home with me, and went to the hardware store this morning to pick up a hex bolt to replace it. Turns out hex bolts don't come with threads the whole way down- who knew? So I got a new carriage screw, but this one's got a square base that happens to be exactly the same size as the square top of the proper bolt. So I ground down the head.

 See? Lovely. Just gotta take out the old POS and put in my replacement. Only it only twists a little bit either way... So, I sawed off the top intending to twist the sucker back out.

 Oh noes! The bottom is smashed! Sawed that off with my jeweller's saw. But, the sucker's bent, and now it's sharp, so all that accomplished was wasting my time and arm strength and getting my blood on everything.

 A quick conference with the nice men down in sculpture and we ground a slot into the top and forced it out with a power drill. Yeah!

 FIIIXED! Fixed and 2 inches too tall but check it out!

Oh, and I bought a respirator with the last of my money today, so now I can't buy food for a week, but I will still be breathing by the time I get paid next!

Moral of the story: don't crank on a bolt with a mallet, don't replace the broken one with something that's complete crap, and don't try to twist out a freshly sawed screw with your bare fingers. Now to anodize.


Oh, and I'm keeping the broken ones as a trophy attesting to my problem solving prowess. If it were bigger I'd mount that sucker over a mantle. Pshaaah!

Uncinetti in Vendita

Custom crochet hook for a lady on etsy. People never do want what you've already got, do they?
It'll get anodized as soon as she chooses some colours.

Alcune Immagini

 It looks like Science!

Weirdness corrected... Still not sure about the center though.

PEZZO FUSO!

 Toootally did these waxes while watching Farscape. See it in the background??!

 White bronze + copper plating + spot grinding = the appearance of the worst solder seams EVAR. Will be buying peroxide and vinegar tomorrow.

This is the design for the final pair. Buffalo horn for the handles.

Stato di Fusione ...

...among other things. This first one is why I will be grinding silver for a few days. Those waxes were committing seppuku left and right and I'd had enough! So, wax blobies got cast and that's that.

A brief interlude for compulsive sellable jewellery making...

A little flashing on the tops, but not bad considering the centerfuge wasn't even plugged in when I tried to cast. Had to reheat everything and hope for the best.

Intergalattico Tè Ammiraglia Commercio

Anello pietra di luna

I made this ring for myself a little over a year ago and had a sapphire set in it, but it was too big and too traditional for me, so today I set a moonstone in it, polished it up, and put it on etsy.  Funny how all I want to do right now is make sellable jewellery. I know the second I graduate all I'll want to do is cast and use large power tools and anodize all all the things I won't be able to do.

Occhiali

Stampa Prevista

Will be done in black on cream paper in faux intaglio. Might make the lettering red again... not sure.

Cere sono Noiosi in Tempo al Lavoro del Metallo

Design progression. If you couldn't tell there's an oval cabochon going in there.

Io non Sono così Bravo a Stampa d'Arte

But I am a pretty decent calligrapher.

Disegni e Modelli più Forbice