Ben at the workbench

Over the weekend Ben came out to the workbench with me.  He wanted to make a pendant for himself and sketched out the design to saw from copper.  This was his first time using the saw so I gave him a quick tutorial and led the blade onto the piece for him.

He's a natural!  He followed the instructions and was able to get through most of the piece without help, even understanding how to back off at the turns and let the blade lead.  I helped with a couple of the really sharp corners and he only broke two saw blades.  My first attempt at sawing resulted in broken blades galore and a fair amount of swearing, so I was really surprised at how easily he cut out his design.  

I don't really know what the point of this calligraphy-ish letter L is...something about an Anime character.  

After the initial sawing, he filed and sanded the edges of the pendant and then added a hole for a jump ring.

We tossed it in the tumbler for a few hours and then he used the buffer to do the final polish.  I added the leather cording for him so he could wear the finished product as a necklace.  

He was so excited about the process that he wanted to make a second pendant.  This one was for him to wear for his math test this week; a good luck charm.

His new plan for the summer is to clear a spot in the workspace to add a small desk where he can sit and work with me.  I do most of my jewelry work in the early mornings and since we are both morning people, this could work!  Now I need to find a small desk at a yard sale...