Tool Time Tuesday - Center Finder
Well hello there. I cannot wait for the day that I get back into a normal routine. Teething babies tend to throw EVERYTHING off. Last week my baby got a new tooth. OH MY GOODNESS!!!! You would have thought the world was ending with the way she was acting. My heart just broke for her as nothing I did seemed to help. There were several nights of sleeplessness. My husband should be glad he was working the night shift. Due to all of that, I didn't even make it down stairs, let alone into my studio. Soooooooo, there haven't been any posts for a while. I really am trying to enjoy the stages that Kiari is going through, but she is by far the MOST difficult baby I have ever had. It is a good thing she wasn't first, there wouldn't have been any others.
Next week I will be in Vancouver, Washington (anyone want to get together?) as my husband interviews, so I won't have any posts for next week either. So I really wanted to have something to show for today, er, yesterday. Again, I haven't really made it down to my studio for a while so I was trying to come up with something simple and quick. As I looked around I saw a really simple tool that I had wanted for a long time and just never bought. So today the focus is on a handy little tool called a Center Finder.
It does exactly what the name suggests, it finds the center of an item. There are so many times when I want to drill something exactly in the center, particularly some of my domed shapes. I eyeball it, make my little divot with my center punch and find out that I am just "that" much off. UGH! I have known about this little tool for a long time, and interestingly, none of the hardware stores in my are carry them. So I did a search on AMAZON and found them easily. They are only about $3, but of course shipping is like $5. Figures.
It really is a handy little tool. I like to use it to get things set up right for when I want to make my own washers. Just put your piece in, follow the line with your pencil, rotate and repeat, rotate and repeat once more and Voila, you have the center. I created a short little video demonstrating how to use it. (Of course I did.)
I will also be teaching my wire angel class as we near the holidays. They make such pretty little ornaments and necklaces. They are a perfect gift for the season as well.
November 9 at 10:00 am - Riveted Pendant formed using the hydraulic press
November 12 at 10:00 am - Fold formed Anticlastic/synclastic bracelet using the hydraulic press.
December is kind of up in the air as we may be moving, but we will have to see how we feel about the areas where the interviews are happening. Wish us luck!
Next week I will be in Vancouver, Washington (anyone want to get together?) as my husband interviews, so I won't have any posts for next week either. So I really wanted to have something to show for today, er, yesterday. Again, I haven't really made it down to my studio for a while so I was trying to come up with something simple and quick. As I looked around I saw a really simple tool that I had wanted for a long time and just never bought. So today the focus is on a handy little tool called a Center Finder.
It does exactly what the name suggests, it finds the center of an item. There are so many times when I want to drill something exactly in the center, particularly some of my domed shapes. I eyeball it, make my little divot with my center punch and find out that I am just "that" much off. UGH! I have known about this little tool for a long time, and interestingly, none of the hardware stores in my are carry them. So I did a search on AMAZON and found them easily. They are only about $3, but of course shipping is like $5. Figures.
It really is a handy little tool. I like to use it to get things set up right for when I want to make my own washers. Just put your piece in, follow the line with your pencil, rotate and repeat, rotate and repeat once more and Voila, you have the center. I created a short little video demonstrating how to use it. (Of course I did.)
Upcoming classes
I don't have everything set up yet for November and December, but I am working on it.I will also be teaching my wire angel class as we near the holidays. They make such pretty little ornaments and necklaces. They are a perfect gift for the season as well.
November 9 at 10:00 am - Riveted Pendant formed using the hydraulic press
November 12 at 10:00 am - Fold formed Anticlastic/synclastic bracelet using the hydraulic press.
December is kind of up in the air as we may be moving, but we will have to see how we feel about the areas where the interviews are happening. Wish us luck!
Posted by Melissa Muir at October 25, 2011 9:41 PM 
Categories: Tutorials, Tips and Tricks, Tool Time Tuesday
Tags: Center finder Tool Time Tuesday Upcoming Classes Tutorial
Categories: Tutorials, Tips and Tricks, Tool Time Tuesday
Tags: Center finder Tool Time Tuesday Upcoming Classes Tutorial
What an AWESOME tool! I wonder if any of the big box hardware stores would have it.... must have!
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My Big Box stores are stupid. They didn't have them either. I checked, every time I went, I checked. Perhaps yours are better than mine.
~Melissa~
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