I was talking to Dave the other day and we were discussing how we were keeping ourselves occupied. He gave me some cherry flooring from a job his son did a few years age and I wanted to show how I used some of it. I ripped it on a table saw, ran it through a planer, and made a couple of boxes out of it. Here are two examples. I've also been doing a little work with silver, turquoise, and coral

Great job, Vern.

Do you have any recommendations for a ring box to hold 10-20 rings?

I have a few and bought some of the ones sniper33 is selling.

Johnz

Don't really have any recommendations as I make up boxes when I need them. They are very easy to make. The ring section in the above box measures 4 1/2" x 6 1/2" and will hold 28 rings. These rings are fairly large, so it could hold more if the rings are smaller. Once you have the size box you want, you just need a block of foam rubber that fits tightly inside and a piece of velvet. Start 1/2" from the top and cut slots about every 7/8". Try to leave 1/2" at the bottom, so measure first and adjust the slot distance as necessary. Make the slots deep enough to hold the ring shank. Usually around 1" deep will handle any size ring you have. Cover the foam block with velvet being sure to tuck the velvet into each slot. Then work the block into the box, tucking the edges of the velvet in as you go. The foam will securely hold the rings in place and the velvet provides a nice background.

Those came out great Vern!

" I've also been doing a little work with silver, turquoise, and coral"

You made that stuff Vern??

John You could do as Vern suggests. I can only add when your done you could buy a small piece of anti tarnish cloth and drape over rings . Would solve any out-gassing tarnish from foam,wood or cover material..

Yes, I make a few pieces from time to time Some of the items in the box I made as far back as the 1980's, and some just last week. The mounts are made from silver wire, rod and sheet. Thunderbird Jewelry Supply is a great source for silver. I buy the rough turquoise direct from the mines and cut and polish the stones. The turquoise is from mines such as Kingman, Sleeping Beauty, Blue Gem, and Santa Rita. The Kingman mine has been closed for awhile but you can still find rough material occasionally.

The turquoise market is almost as bad as buying WW2 collectibles. I did a bit of research to find out why similar rings or bracelets varied so much in price. You can look at several almost identical rings and the price can range from $50 to $250. The expensive ring is handmade with good quality turquoise. But lots of the turquoise is reconstituted, dyed or stabilized. You also find stones made of ground turquoise and epoxy or dyed howlite. Some dealers are even selling natural howlite (it's white with a black matrix) as "Mexican Turquoise". And there are some very nice looking plastic turquoise coming from Asia. And the other side of the market is to take a hand made piece in silver, make a mold, and make cast copies. Some are done in silver, some in nickle with a silver plate, and some in plated white metal.

It's a fun hobby that doesn't require much in the way of tools, and my wife, daughter, and sisters love it

Vern
Holly molly man, you have some great talent there.
The box is a beauty, but the turquoise items are fantastic.
No, I could not pick the ones you made , great job.
Yes boxes are fairly easy, I make my own, but jewelry is a totally different talent.
I have a small box of raw turquoise I got years ago from a pueblo in New Mexico.
Visited them often with a old friend that traded firearms for jewelry with the makers there.
Very nice Vern.
Thanks for showing
Ed

Thanks, your comments are much appreciated. Actually, I made everything in the box over the last forty years. The photo is of some of my rough turquoise, from left to right, they are Kingman, Sleeping Beauty, and Santa Rita. As you can see, you really don't know what it looks like until it is cut and polished.

Vern
ALL OF THEM !!!!! Even more impressive.
You are a artist.
My rough looks more like yours from Kingman.
It came from the Santa Domingo pueblo in New Mexico. Where originally dug, I do not know.
Have you sold any pieces to support the dagger collection?
They are all super.
Ed

Sold a few pieces over the years when the box got too full Based on the color and the location, if it was found locally, your rough may be Cerrillos or King's Manassa. Using color, streak, hardness, and specific gravity tests, it's possible to identify where the turquoise was mined. I have a big map that lists all the mines and has photos and specifics of the turquoise found there.

Thanks, Vern.

This is a big help.

J

Thanks, Vern.

This is a big help.

J

Glad to help I use the white foam that you can find in fabric shops for making pillows. You could use any type fabric as a cover. I usually apply a sealing finish to both the outside and inside of the box and with that foam and velvet, I've not had a problem with the silver tarnishing.

thats really nice work Vern!
I've heard about the 'false' and synthetic turquoise. We always go to the big NY Rock & Gem show just to look and learn from the pros.
All this with the dyed Emeralds, Rubies, Turquoise is crazy. Also the fakes. Saw a woman with a batt op pen type thing that produced a hot pin!, to test for fake enamel, plastic glass beads and 'gems'...

With the old 3rd reich rings many are lower grade silver 800, or even Alpacca, zinc etc. and when you mix them all together over time you might experience some tarnishing.. Some silver ware sets also use this cloth on them.


Vern, you are using Sterling. IF you wanted could you buy 800 and 835 silver from the supply or its not for sale?

I can get 4 grades of silver depending on the hardness and wear properties wanted in the finished piece. Fine Silver is 999 and is the softest grade available. Because any contact will cause it to bend or deform, it is usually used to make bezels for setting the stones. Sterling Silver is 925 and is used for most jewelry. Coin Silver is 900 and is used when you need a more wear resistant surface. It is also what the Indian silversmiths used up to the 1940s-50s. It is typically used for buckles, conchos, and buttons, or to duplicate an old original piece since sterling would id it as a modern copy. Mine Silver is 800 and is the hardest, most wear resistant silver available. It is typically used on bridles, saddles, watch cases, or anything that could be bent or twisted. Silver furniture and decorative inlays are usually 800 silver to save on costs. To my knowledge, 835 silver is not available here but might be available in Europe.

Your a Silversmith!! after reading this the guys will wonder why you don't post on the HR manufacture method topic!

Bet now is the time to stock up on supplies,,,,$15.5 an oz.!


- Do you draw your own silver?

I've owned a couple and have an excellent copy made by Bertold Peicl (he was one of the jewelers who made them for Gahr) but never handled enough of them to form a solid opinion. I can draw silver but unless its an unusual shape, it's easier to just buy it. You can get wire as round, half round, square, and triangle in any gauge from 2 to 40

There was some doubt a while ago Peicl did work for Gahr but I've seen some postwar personal letters and I do not doubt it.. I used to have a catalog from him, he did make some neat things..

I am sure the guys would love to see your Peicl copy in the HR forum!

Gaspare

Yes, silver is down under $15, or right above. BUT, if you look at the silver houses, they are not selling now, unless you are willing to pay $20 a oz or more.
I've kept my eye on it, they are all stating "out of stock"
It's the American way.
It's a rough time. People still have to make there mortgage payments on there house, but renters think they should live for free.
Stay safe
Ed

Luckily, I have a fair amount of silver in the shop. If I run out, I can always melt some down

Vern
I have a large stash of Morgans, Peace, Walkers and Franklins also.
Kind of hate to see them melted for the cost of silver.
But you are turning them into items worth more than there value as low grade coins.
Ed

I also have a stash of quarters and dimes, some worn enough that the dates are almost gone. Those would be used up first

Last year our niece got married. The theme for her wedding was country/western. This is the hat and bolo tie I wore to the ceremony

A few more pieces.........

I have been working through most of this [only had a couple weeks off during April i think it was, I'm in construction and what we were/are doing was/is deemed essential.

But when I do get some free time I fire up my CNC, made this the other day, am making a Harley clock as we speak

Very nice. You do some fantastic work!

Helps pass the time of day, I think I already posted TR designs I have done recently

Very cool!

Doug,,, start cranking out SS mein kampf caskets and you'll move a load of them!...... , Vern, those dimes and quarters are making some really nice pieces!

Thanks

This is about as far as I'd go towards that, caskets out of my realm.
I'd like to make some SA dagger grips, thats within my capability. Not with any mind towards fakes, I'd make them out of wildly exotic wood just for the coolness factor, and guys with beat up daggers and shredded grips just might want one.

Excellent work gentlemen.
You guys have some real talent.
Vern, as the others you posted, those are very nice pieces of silver.
Doug, beautiful eagle. SA grips for sure. 1911 grips?? Always a great seller.
Ed

Walther Party Leader and Luger grips would also be popular

Have made loads of 1911 grips, problem with them is there seems to be slight variations which require a notch here or there. Sold quite a few on etsy but complaints and returns about exact fit made it not worth the effort.

Best sellers were clear plexiglas, I probably have a dozen sets still sitting around, haven't made any in years. Most pistols these days are molded, and don't have detachable grips.

Forgot about this one, this is a lithophane, you can do most any picture. It is carved into corian and really looks like nothing special until it is backlit, then the carving pops to life as a lit up picture.

Probably about 10x8", has a remote which you can use to adjust brightness and flashing fading patterns [also color, this one I think I did with just white LEDS, who wants to see a blue Hitler ?

yeah sure ,,blue,,but blood red probably better..... You used to have a topic with some of your pieces featured,,,what forum is it in??

CNC/Printer in Other Hobbies and Collections

Yeah I have posted some before, many in long dormant/expired sales threads.

Here is my latest kick making TR stuff, these are pretty easy.
Can be any size these are about 4x4", I just take a white blank of corian or plexiglas and spray paint it black, from there it is simply a matter of etching the design then putting on a clear coat. Stuff like this CNC has an advantage over printers I think, laser I would think could do this.

Dunno, printer and laser are on my bucket list so I don't know a whole lot about either, I know a printer could spit out those grips pretty easily.

oh sheesh, here we go again, being told "File is too big (0.17 MB). Max size per file is 0.1678466796875 MB."

One of my projects done in gold. The stems and leaves are 14K with green enamel, the flowers and buds are carved in turquoise and the centers set with small diamonds mounted in platinum, and the vase cut from a quartz crystal. Inspired by a book I received about Carl Faberge's work in Imperial Russia

Vern
You are a true artist, with a special talent. Beautiful work.
My wife just said to get out in the shop and play around, thanks.
Judy loves the jewelry. It is super.
Thanks for shoeing.
Ed