I Finally Did THIS (and didn't blow myself up!)

Tiny But Mighty

The Smith Little Torch transforming boring old copper into a universe of color

I’ve had mixed feelings about doing this…

My first concern was safety, my second was practicality. Would I really use it?

My teacher at Munson said it was overkill for most of the work that Art Jeweler’s do.

My teacher at New Approach said it would be life changing.

And well, I’m a sucker for new tools and that tiny little power house of fire…who could resist?

So, last week, my husband and I finally hooked up my new Smith Little Torch.

If you’re not familiar with it, it’s a dual system of gas (propane for me) and Oxygen. Super hot. Super precise.

We hooked it up to an Oxygen Concentrator as it is supposed to be safer than an Oxygen tank and we had one sitting around (I know right?)

We tested it for leaks and sure enough, our first set-up was leaking. This sent us back to researching and back to the hardware store to get different fittings for the concentrator.

I held my breath the first time I ignited the torch and probably for the first dozen or so times I used it.

I’m happy to say I’ve been using it for about a week now and it is so fun! Definitely a learning curve though.

I’ve melted some stuff (not on purpose) but I’m figuring it out and OH it is great for flame painting (which Lori is trying out in the photo),

Like everything else in smithing, we will improve with practic.

For me, this would definitely fall into that category of “doing things that scare you” that I am always blathering on about.

If you’ve been reluctant to try something that scares you, remember that it’s only scary at the beginning and then it gets easier.

Added bonus, it gets your heart pumping with the thrill of it which must be as good for you as exercising right?

I encourage you to shake things up and try something new.

That’s how I got into jewelry making myself, just following my curiosity in my late 40’s that morphed into a totally new career and life for me.

If metalsmithing is something you’ve always wanted to try but fire makes you nervous, rest assured, our classes will walk you through every step so you feel comfortable and supported along the way.

Here’s to your fiery new daring beginnings!

Kelly