North Brisbane Lapidary Club

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COVID-19 Update

Until the 1.5m social distance restrictions are relaxed, unfortunately we cannot accept new members and attendance at the club by anyone is by invite/roster only.

Petrified Wood

By

by (Woodworm) Christoph

Here are some things about petrified wood which get me excited..... well, not just wood, all permineralised plant material.

It all started in Germany where I was born in the town of Chemnitz, world famous for its Permian petrified forest and the local museum specialising in petrified wood from around the world and particularly in Permian flora.

As a child I always loved going into the Museum für Naturkunde Chemnitz. I was amazed by the fine detail of preservation right down into the cell structure. An ancient plant turned into rock. As I grew up I met a few collectors, called wood worms, and I was hooked even more. We went on field trips all over Europe and I still have a large collection over in Germany at my parents place.

Now how does petrified wood form?

Most importantly is that the wood is covered and locked away from oxygen, so it can't rot away. In many cases petrified forests are links to volcanic activity. If things go right there is an eruption, which produces mostly ash and this ash will bury the forest. Over millions of years, minerals, predominantly quartz with other trace elements and metals will slowly impregnate the cell structure turning the wood into stone. This process is still not fully resolved.

The other way is wood gets buried by sediments such as sand. The process is the same, key is the presence of enough minerals to impregnate the wood. There have been cases that animal traces such as toredo borers (known as the famous peanut wood from the Kennedy ranges) or termites with their excrements (coprolites) have left their traces.

I'm more interested from a scientific angle of what species grew at which time, and how they have evolved through the evolution.

Petrified wood can actually be found on every continent. Yes, even Antarctica which was part of the super continent Gondwana.

There are some very famous petrified forests in the world such as the one in Arizona with its beautiful red petrified wood.

Or most exciting Araucaria cones from Argentina.

There is so much unknown still and only recently I have found a species of fern? which I haven't found in the literature yet.

Australia has got a good diversity to offer from the Permian deposits in the Bowen basin to the well sought after Jurassic woods, Donpoxylon and ferns from central Queensland around Miles and Chinchilla and Lune River in Tasmania. Cretaceous peanut wood from WA and more recent tertiary opalisiert woods from Springsure. There are many more places to find it.

A good tip is the display in the Miles historical village. It houses the collection of former Norman Donpon, a mad collector which I was privileged to meet a few years ago.

Now I could go on and on about it .....

Below are a few more pieces from my collection.

How to close your necklace (or bracelet)

By

by Katarina

Now that you are planning in participating in the jewellery competition you are probably wondering how to close your necklace or bracelet – because yes, you have to make your own clasps.

Of course you could make your own lobster claw, box clasp or other fancy methods of keeping that necklace around your neck but unless you are a pro it will take as much time as it does to actually make the show piece.

But do not despair, help is at hand. There are some easier solutions: the S-Hook and the Toggle

S-Hook

A S-Hook is exactly that: wire bent into the shape of an “S” that will hook into a jump ring.

It is easy to make and fairly secure. And you can embellish it as much or as little as you wish: hammer it, texturing, wrapping, flattening.

The other side can be a simple jump ring or another S-hook, this time with the ends closed.

Here are a couple of videos showing how to make a simple S-Hook:

For a variety of s-hook samples – remember you have to make it – check this website Artbeads.com

A variation of the S-Hook is the simple hook and eye clasp. In essence it is half a s-hook with a jump ring.

For a range of these, check out this website Rings & Things.com

And remember, if you like the design of one type you should be able to adept it to the other style.

Toggle

The next type of clasp that you can make yourself is the toggle.

A toggle is a bar that can be threaded through a jump ring without falling out and therefore securing the necklace, and in fact bracelet securely. I like toggles because they are easier to use when closing a necklace. Less fumbly so to speak.

For a tutorial, check out this video:

The following gets you to one of my favourite websites with loads of good tutorials, this one for a toggle:

And here is another favorite of mine:

And if you want to see a whole raft of samples, simply google “handmade toggle clasp” or even better “artisan toggle clasp”.

And if all fails, ask one of your friendly silversmiths at the next table.

And I am sorry to say, at the moment you cannot access the library.

Hollow Neckpiece

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by Carol Money

Hollow Neckpiece

Project 22 from Alan Reveres "Professional Jewelry Making

The Torque is made from 0.4 mm thickness copper sheet.  The process involved first making a couple of wooden stakes to form the copper sheet, and then being very gentle with the hammering as the annealed copper was very soft.  Soldering the long joint and forming the final shape using only your fingers was very satisfying.

Lastly I decided to colour it using the heat from the flame, this was lots of fun.

The design is not the best for either putting on and taking off or wearing, as the ends although rounded, still scrape my neck, and then it hangs a bit low, something to think about.  It was however another great learning project.

 

Friday Night learning Bezel setting

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For the last couple of Friday nights work sessions, a couple of members have been learning to do a bezel setting.

The stones were fairly small, so fine silver bezel wire was used, with a bezel pusher to secure the stone and a burnishing tool to finish.

Sharon chose to add hers to a ring.

Lois chose to add a decorative band of silver ball wire and then make hers into a pendant, adding a bail.

NBLC Presidents Challenge 2021

By

The Presidents Challenge is a group of four (4) competitions as follows.

  • Faceting,
  • Metal Smith Jewellery,
  • Cut a Standard Cabochon, and
  • Most Appealing Gemstone.

Individual sheets for each competition will be posted in the next week or so.

Traditionally winners are announced at the Gem Show. In 2021 we may not have a Gem Show, but we can and should still have the Challenge.

COVID  19 RESTRICTIONS

Some members like to work on their entry’s at home others like to work at the Club. Because of the limitations imposed Covid 19 My intentions are to.

  • Run day workshops starting at 9 am finishing at 4 pm. (cost $6)
  • Have no more than ten (10) member sat each workshop, 2 Faceting, 4 cabochon, 4 Jewellery.
  • Design competition so you should be able to complete your entry in two (2) workshops.
  • The number of workshops will depend on the number of members wishing to attend. Members should attend two (2) workshops they do not need to be consecutive

WORKSHOP DATES

I need some information from you so I can compile a list of workshop dates. Please send me the following as early as you can.

Presidents Challenge

Presidents Challenge







The competitions you would like to enter
*
Preferred workday
*

I urge you to enter, it could improve your skill level and hopefully you will enjoy the challenge.

Regards

Peter Smith

Your Club – North Brisbane Lapidary Club Inc.

By

by Ray Wilson for the Building Committee

About 3 years ago plans were formulated to improve safety around the soldering area, create a dedicated area for all of the hot working activities and consolidate the diamond saws into an area closer to the cabbing area and increase the power supply to 3 phase to ensure sustainable supply for the future.

In August 2019, the building committee started working on formal plans and drawings with a view to obtaining a grant to undertake the work.  In early December 2019 we were advised that we had been successful in getting a $32,000 grant from the Brisbane City Council under their Building Stronger Communities program.

The work commenced in early January with members assisting in clearing out the areas ready for the building contractor.  Around 20 members assisted in the project overall with clearing the site, painting, assembling furniture and re-establishing the work areas.  The final part of the construction work – installing 3 phase power – was completed last week.  There are still things to resolve and work out where they will finally be located ; like 24” saw and flat lap machines, but the majority of the project is now complete.

The collages below show the progress of the project with before, construction and fit out photos.

The removal of a wall has opened up the soldering area and now includes casting and enamelling equipment.  The main corridor through the building is now clear of naked flames making it a safer environment for members.

From a corner in the cabbing room a dedicated saw room has been constructed which now houses all 4 trim and slabbing saws.  This allows members who are using grinders to view the operation of the saws.  The volume of traffic  through the club has been reduced by having the saws proximate to the grinders.

We are appreciative of the support from the Brisbane City Council, our local Queensland government member and Patron Leanne Linard, our local BCC Ward Alderman Adam Allan and also of the many members who gave of their time to completing this project.

Family Bracelet

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Family Bracelet

by Mary Lancaster

  • Cut heart shape from silver plate. File and smooth edges. Punch a hole on each side.
  • Cut length of round wire (gold or silver), form heart and sweat solder onto heart plate.
  • Select decorative stamp eg. dragonfly, stamp onto silver heart.
  • Stamp letters onto heart, each one for a family member.
  • Make links for bracelets:
    • 11 x 8.5mm jump rings, pulled long (1mm, ½ round)
    • 11 x 3.0 mm jump rings (joiners)
    • 1 x 2.5mm jump ring (to attach clasp)
  • Solder links together and attach to heart plate. Attach clasp. Clean solder joins. Polish.

Live Love Bracelet

by Mary Lancaster

  • Cut length of silver plate, shape and smooth (file, emery paper). Punch hole each end.
  • Stamp chosen words, symbols.
  • Make bracelet:
    • 10x 8.5mm jump rings, pulled long (1mm, ½ round)
    • 10 x 3.0mm jump rings (joiners)
    • 10 x 2.5mm jump ring (to attach clasp)
  • Solder links together and attach to heart plate.
  • Attach clasp.
  • Make small wire heart (silver or gold). Attach with small jump ring.
  • Clean solder joins. Polish.

Broom Casting and adding patina

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by Fiona Watts

A lot of us have done broom casting at the club and I for one had a lot of fun. It’s so addictive, I think we have all done quite a few ‘pours’ and most of us have gotten some really good results. But what can you make from the end results?

I’ve made a couple of pendants (how many can one person wear though right!?!?), some earrings and STILL have some great looking broom castings left over.

The photo is of the same pendant, just showing different sides.....

So I thought about what else I could make and one piece really lent itself to a ring.

First I made a plain, simple ring shank or band. Then annealed the casting piece. And VERY CAREFULLY bent it little by little into a crescent shape. Carefully, as I didn’t want to mar the silver or damage the design. Annealed several times while bending.

Once it was kind of the shape and size I wanted, I made the ring shank the same shape as the casting using pliers. Like matching a bezel to a stone.

Then much to Carol M’s dismay, used a small butane torch to solder it together. She didn’t believe I could solder such a ‘large’ piece of silver with a small torch.

Success!

It’s kind of all about confidence and experience I guess.

Sorry I forgot to take progress shots.

As most of you know, I’m a patina girl. Love, love, love patinas.

And look what groovy colours I got!

Keep creating. And smiling.

Fiona