Speaking of multiples and manufacturing, for quite some time now I’ve been thinking about how I can make the process of creating findings for my handmade jewelry easier and faster, while not going down the path of buying mass produced findings which I feel might take away some of the character from my work and which I could easily make myself.

Unfortunately I mostly find the repetitive work involved with making components to be pretty boring - it’s not a job I ever really look forward to. Findings for my handmade earrings I find particularly tedious due to the number of steps involved, the need to make matching pairs and the fact that they always get used up in twos - so while I might think I’ve created a decent pile of of them they disappear very quickly.

My Dad is a toolmaker by trade and I mentioned this to him when I was visiting at Christmas. He was inspired to have a go at making a couple of jigs for me for two of the designs I use. But unfortunately what he thought would be an easy task turned out to be a lot more difficult than he imagined.

Some time later he handed the job over to a family friend who is an engineer and who has a history of creating machines which bend wire, from very basic manually operated jigs through to enormous, automated machines.

And this week finally these three little steel jigs arrived which will enable me to much more quickly and accurately shape the earring wires without the need of pliers. Hooray!

The earrings will still need their ends softened (to avoid scratching on the way into a piercing) and I will still hammer some of them to add some texture and shaping to the wire. But having these tools should save me some time - and hopefully some RSI as well!

Having said that, I’ve not yet figured out how to use them!!! But I will. And life will be good.

While I think of it, let me share with you a ‘tool’ that my Dad did make for me some years back after I complained of not having a tumbler - and not being able to afford one (bearing in mind that tools and equipment for jewellery makers are very expensive in Australia).

He pulled together some bits and pieces lurking around in his shed (including, as you can see, some leftover paints!) and made me this wonderful rotary tumbler. I’ve used it for years now on a very regular basis and it does such an excellent job.

Thanks Dad! And thanks also to Brian for his efforts with the earring jigs - it’s very much appreciated.