I use recycled and up cycled materials in a lot of my work. I thought it might be fun to share what that means, and what it looks like. There is fair amount of scrap that comes with working metal. One of the most common types of scrap is barely the size of the head of a pin. When any wire is cut, one half is cut flush (flat) but the other half is left with a point. Before the pointed wire can be used, the end is usually flush cut -- leaving a tiny bit of scrap silver on the cutting room floor (a.k.a., the scrap jar.) Other scrap is just made up of odds and ends that get cut off during assembly, or they might result from mistakes or mid-process design changes. Over time, these tiny pieces really add up. This is my scrap silver at the moment: What can be done with scraps like this?
1. The scraps can be incorporated into pieces as-is, using fire, guts, and creativity. 2. They can be shipped off to a metal supplier, where the scrap is analyzed, melted, and poured to create brand new wire and sheet metal. 3. The scraps can be melted at high temperature in a home studio, then poured to make sheet metal. I prefer option 2 but have dabbled with the other methods. Tomorrow I'll post some examples of each, and later hope to post photos of completed pieces using each method.
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Sue Lacy WiredThis began as a hobbyist's blog. Over time it became a quest to support & connect metalsmiths around the globe who use foldforming techniques in their work. See how it all turned out: www.foldforming.org Archives
July 2016
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