36 Hour Classes
INSTRUCTOR:
Pete Acquisto, Fellow
COURSE:
Silversmithing and Machine Work
PROJECT:
English Spout Cup, Circa 1680-1700
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
Generally, the spout cup was made in England and America in the years from 1680–1725. The spout cup that will be used as a model for this class was made in England by George Wilkes between 1680 and 1700. It was later left to John Hancock by his aunt, Lydia Henchman Hancock, and is now in the Museum of Fine Arts Boston.
This unique piece will make an excellent project for the lathe. This class will be fun and slow-paced with a good introduction to the basic use of the lathe and some of its attachments.
Students will learn the basics of adjusting and using the lathe to make the body and lid of a cup. They will learn basic silver soldering by first practicing on scrap silver and then soldering the handles and spout onto the cup. Students will also be using the mill to mark the positions of the handles and spout. The flex shaft machine will be used to shape the spout and to polish the spout cup to a high polish.
TIME:
36 hours. Students will have time to finish the piece in the time allotted. There will also be plenty of silver available for those who finish early and want to make something else or just practice their turning skills.
POWER TOOLS:
lathe, mill, flex shaft, buffing machine
SKILL LEVEL:
Beginner and intermediate. This class is designed for the person who wants to learn to operate the equipment necessary in machining and silversmithing. However, more intermediate students who have had silversmith or machine experience will find this class to be the perfect opportunity to learn new ways of working with silver while refining and perfecting existing skills.
MATERIALS FEE:
$100