Jonathan Young

Thanks mike. That necklace was made as a last minute mother's day gift. I've been rather tentative with my experimentation and I'd like to venture into techniques like repousse and more advanced jewellery techniques. Your work is fantastic.

Thank you. I use various gauges of C101 copper wire, most of the sheet I use is salvaged from copper pipes that I found in my attic, which I think are rather old and don't seem to react any differently from pure copper so I assume they are fairly pure. 

Thought I'd share some of my work. Mostly cold worked copper, some silver, simple soldering, a couple of chainmail items. Some of the older work is rather crude.

I don't particularly want to use a clear coat as they apparently tend to flake off and look a little unpleasant, but I think I will try the turp/linseed oil/beeswax mix. If that doesn't work out, I may just shell out for some Renaissance Wax. Thanks for the advice. 

I want to experiment with using beeswax to coat my copper penannular brooches to prevent tarnishing, but my question is this: can a beeswax coating be applied without darkening or blackening the piece? I tend to polish them to a high shine with rouge, and I want to preserve this shine with a thin coating, but I'm worried that heating it to apply the wax will spoil the finish. What is the best way to go about this? Any advice is much appreciated 

Hi everyone

I'm 18, and I've been fascinated by blacksmithing for quite a while, and I've spent countless hours researching the craft. I've built a small charcoal forge and made a couple of crude things, as well as doing some copper work, but recently I've decided to seriously pursue the craft and learn as much as I can. I'm almost done setting up a temporary outdoor setup with a decent sized anvil and a propane forge, and I'm looking forward to getting practical and forging all kinds of things.

Although it will be difficult, I'd like to make a career out of this one day, even if it has to remain as a hobby while I learn. I have an obsessive mindset and learn quickly when I'm interested in something. I haven't been on this forum long, but I've found it helpful, and I think it is fantastic that there is an online community where people can pass on vital knowledge about blacksmithing. I'm looking forward to getting involved with this community and getting to know you guys.