Silver II: Recycling & Reticulation - Zac Tedrow
Class | Registration opens 12/2/2024 9:00 AM EST
SILVER II: RECYCLING & RETICULATION
INSTRUCTOR: ZAC TEDROW
Every silversmith has a stash of scrap silver: broken bits, trimmings, and projects that didn’t quite make the cut. With this class, you can turn those scraps into brand new usable pieces of material! In the first two days of class, students will learn what it takes to prepare a crucible, categorize material, melt the scrap, and pour the molten metal into rods and ingots. We will then use a rolling mill and draw plates to transform the ingots into sheet and wire. After taking this class, you will never be without the correct gauge wire or sheet for a project...you’ll be able to make your own! Once our material is made, we will learn about a process called reticulation to make a beautiful, reticulated ring. Reticulation is a metalsmithing technique that involves concentrating heat on a particular silver alloy to create random and dynamic texture to the surface. Peaks and valleys, tree bark, and mountain range like textures are all a possible...reticulation is chaotic and organic process yielding a truly one-of-a-kind piece in every new application. This technique is a great way to repurpose scrap pieces of silver as well. In the remaining days of class, students will learn to prep a piece of silver alloy with depletion guilding, apply the proper heating technique to achieve reticulation, and inlay the reticulated piece into a sterling silver ring band that we will create in class. Learn to wield heat as a tool to create your own unique piece! The class fee includes instruction, and a crucible and wire whip. Scrap silver will be available for purchase. Students may bring basic metalsmith tools of their choice, and are encouraged to bring at least 1 Troy ounce of scrap sterling silver.
Class fee: $250
Est Material fee: $0+
Prerequisite: Silver I
Zac Tedrow
Hello everyone and thank you for joining us for this class! A little about me...I’m a father, metalsmith, and lapidary artist from a beach town in west Michigan called Muskegon. I’ve been a professional metalsmith and instructor for nearly 6 years, but my path to smithing was hardly linear. I’ve been interested in visual arts since I was 10 years old, spending most of my time as a child making clay figures and sculptures. Sculpting led to film-making and stop motion animation in high school, and ultimately my area of study at Grand Valley State University. After a few years at Grand Valley, I decided to shift to making edible art in 2009. I earned a culinary degree from The Culinary Institute of Michigan in 2011, and I pursued a career as a culinarian for several years. As a creative outlet, I decided to take introductory metalsmithing classes in 2015. I was instantly consumed by metalsmithing and stone cutting, and devoted countless hours to practicing the craft. After some time spent as a resident artist, I began teaching classes at Studio JSD in Grand Haven, Michigan. I have also had the pleasure of teaching at Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp in Twin Lake, Michigan as well as with Vivi Magoo Artist Retreats in Tucson, AZ. My passion for teaching evolved alongside my passion for metalsmithing, and it is immeasurably rewarding as an artist to share what I have learned with my students. I’m looking forward to meeting each of you and creating some wearable art!