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What's going on in your shop? Show us whats going on, and talk a bit about your work!
- Thread starter WillSwift
- Start date
Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith
ilmarinen - MODERATOR
Moderator
Knifemaker / Craftsman / Service Provider
- Joined
- Aug 20, 2004
- Messages
- 38,537
I wish I had 10% more.
Even though a few years ago I retired, after nearly 50 years as a jeweler, I have been going back to my old jewelry store this month to train a new jeweler. She has some basics, but needs bench training and one-on-one teaching. I go one or two days a week for 3 or 4 hours and teach her. It was fun to sit down at the bench and do things just like I had done them a week ago. My foot reaches for the foot pedal and my hands reach into the drawer to pick up tools without even looking down. Jen is a really smart gal and picks up things fast. About 100 hours more direct training and she'll be well on her way. The rest she'll have to learn by experience over the next 20 years.
Even though a few years ago I retired, after nearly 50 years as a jeweler, I have been going back to my old jewelry store this month to train a new jeweler. She has some basics, but needs bench training and one-on-one teaching. I go one or two days a week for 3 or 4 hours and teach her. It was fun to sit down at the bench and do things just like I had done them a week ago. My foot reaches for the foot pedal and my hands reach into the drawer to pick up tools without even looking down. Jen is a really smart gal and picks up things fast. About 100 hours more direct training and she'll be well on her way. The rest she'll have to learn by experience over the next 20 years.
Nate’s Knives
Gold Member
- Joined
- Jan 7, 2026
- Messages
- 376
- Joined
- Jul 13, 2023
- Messages
- 1,211
Got a smoker for a cerakote oven. Hope it works alright for that!
I'm planning on building some kind of rack system I can put in.
I'm planning on building some kind of rack system I can put in.
Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith
ilmarinen - MODERATOR
Moderator
Knifemaker / Craftsman / Service Provider
- Joined
- Aug 20, 2004
- Messages
- 38,537
I got busy cleaning up the cleanroom in the shop. Cleanroom was definitely not a descriptive term. I cleared the carving bench and straightened the jewelers/metalwork bench up a lot. Once the carving bench was clean, I pulled out several carving projects that are 90% done and need the final details before pyrography or painting.
I attached a shot of my jewelers bench, carving bench, and some projects I had set aside until I felt like finishing them. I started the eagles head from a sperm whale's tooth yesterday. Took about 45 minutes to get it this far. Another hour of detail work and it will be done. I'll take good shots during the carving and post them.
The walrus is a knot from a walnut tree. A sawyer in NC cut it off the tree and sent it me many years ago. It certainly looks like a walrus.
The hobo is named "Happy" ... because he is,
The Ogre is named Marv, after a long time friend, Marvin, who posed for a few sketches to get the idea in my head. Marvin is long gone, but the ogre will get finished soon so he can live on. I have over a dozen birds, fish, critters, Santas, etc. on the bench to finish, and many more large carving projects in the storeroom to finish later.
I enjoy studying extinct species. I have done lots of research on the ivory billed woodpecker and carved a life size replica.
The great auk is my favorite extinct species. It was a large penguin like north artic flightless bird. Its species name in Latin translates northern penguin. Sadly, in 1830 a volcanic eruption destroyed the single island they roosted and bread on. The few remaining great auks tried to start a new colony on another island. In 1844 Norwegian fishermen killed and rendered the fat of every last living auk in a single raid,
About 25 years ago I was granted curators privileges at The Museum of Natural History in NYC. They have the largest taxidermy specimen collection of Great Auks in the world. I was allowed to examine three of their specimens that stay in vaults for preservation, and several skeletons. Individuals are rarely given curators privileges, but they made an exception in my case. I spent six hours measuring and sketching the birds in every detail I could find. I started a life size carving of one 20 years ago and set aside until I could devote the 100's of hours it would take to finish it. It will be my 2026-2027 project.
I built the downdraft carving bench 30 years ago. It has multiple light sources, two vacuum settings, and can switch between two power tools on the single foot pedal. As you can see, the post has about ten carving tools hanging on it now. Some are rotary tools and others are impact tools. I especially like my Automach power carver and the Fordham TX flexshaft.
The shot of the multiple handpieces is how I switch from burr to burr. I mostly use carbide burrs. I use the two outer quick-change handpieces the most. When I need a heavier shank burr, I just switch handpieces to the one with the burr I need. I have a dozen or so handpieces and it makes switching easy.
I have pneumatic high speed handpieces, but rarely ever use them.
I attached a shot of my jewelers bench, carving bench, and some projects I had set aside until I felt like finishing them. I started the eagles head from a sperm whale's tooth yesterday. Took about 45 minutes to get it this far. Another hour of detail work and it will be done. I'll take good shots during the carving and post them.
The walrus is a knot from a walnut tree. A sawyer in NC cut it off the tree and sent it me many years ago. It certainly looks like a walrus.
The hobo is named "Happy" ... because he is,
The Ogre is named Marv, after a long time friend, Marvin, who posed for a few sketches to get the idea in my head. Marvin is long gone, but the ogre will get finished soon so he can live on. I have over a dozen birds, fish, critters, Santas, etc. on the bench to finish, and many more large carving projects in the storeroom to finish later.
I enjoy studying extinct species. I have done lots of research on the ivory billed woodpecker and carved a life size replica.
The great auk is my favorite extinct species. It was a large penguin like north artic flightless bird. Its species name in Latin translates northern penguin. Sadly, in 1830 a volcanic eruption destroyed the single island they roosted and bread on. The few remaining great auks tried to start a new colony on another island. In 1844 Norwegian fishermen killed and rendered the fat of every last living auk in a single raid,
About 25 years ago I was granted curators privileges at The Museum of Natural History in NYC. They have the largest taxidermy specimen collection of Great Auks in the world. I was allowed to examine three of their specimens that stay in vaults for preservation, and several skeletons. Individuals are rarely given curators privileges, but they made an exception in my case. I spent six hours measuring and sketching the birds in every detail I could find. I started a life size carving of one 20 years ago and set aside until I could devote the 100's of hours it would take to finish it. It will be my 2026-2027 project.
I built the downdraft carving bench 30 years ago. It has multiple light sources, two vacuum settings, and can switch between two power tools on the single foot pedal. As you can see, the post has about ten carving tools hanging on it now. Some are rotary tools and others are impact tools. I especially like my Automach power carver and the Fordham TX flexshaft.
The shot of the multiple handpieces is how I switch from burr to burr. I mostly use carbide burrs. I use the two outer quick-change handpieces the most. When I need a heavier shank burr, I just switch handpieces to the one with the burr I need. I have a dozen or so handpieces and it makes switching easy.
I have pneumatic high speed handpieces, but rarely ever use them.
