General
1. All members are required to conform to the rules and to all regulations promulgated from time to time, governing the activities of the Club.
2. A copy of the Constitution and the rules governing the activities of the Club will be on the Club website.
3. Membership and Subscriptions;
Junior $5 (16 or younger, or school students)
Associate $16
Single $25
Family $35 defined as:
A. Married or de facto couples or solo parent together with dependent children or
B. One or both grandparents and their grandchildren or,
C. Legal guardians and their wards.
• Junior members shall be those members aged sixteen or under, or those members who are school students. Junior members shall have no voting rights.
• Membership lapses 3 months after non-payment of subscriptions. Newsletters and other communications will cease 31st July after subscriptions become payable.
Field Trips.
1. A designated meeting place is to be notified prior to trip. The leader and subsequent vehicles should be in convoy to ensure changes in direction are visible to following vehicles so that all arrive at the destination. A ”Tail-end Charlie” who has full directions to the destination is to be appointed.
Whangarei Rock and Gemstone Club Inc.
Waiver - Potential Field Trip Hazards.
Date; Trip;
We, the undersigned, declare we have read and understand the potential hazards of this field trip as listed below. Should we ignore these hazards or the Club Trip Rules, we do so entirely at our own risk.
Hazards.
Signatures
WORKSHOP RULES – SILVERSMITHING
Prior to Workshop.
1. The number of participants in a workshop may need to be restricted.
2. Where numbers are large, separate workshops may be held for beginners and for those with some silversmithing experience.
At Workshop - Introduction.
1. Silversmithing introduction by tutor. Beginners to do the same project at first to learn basic techniques.
2. Explanation of workshop rules, where applicable, see below.
At Workshop.
1. One person should be responsible for club silver to prevent wastage etc. This includes weighing of the silver before it is worked and costs accepted by the pupil. Bulk silver and solder to be retained in correctly labelled packaging.
2. A workshop fee is payable by all participants. Club silver may be purchased by participants at current market value.
3. Silver scraps and filings to be collected into scrap jar (lemel jar) for resale.
4. Scales required at beginning of weekend as silver is to be weighed when cut, NOT the finished article. Use of large amounts of silver {eg for armbands) is to be discouraged. Pupils to note that although silver is relatively cheap (per gram), it is also heavy and heavy objects are expensive!!.
5. Borrowed equipment is to returned to owner (or to person from whom borrowed). Perhaps also, check with owner that the equipment you are borrowing is suitable for intended use. For example, pliers are not intended for heating in a flame or dunking in acid.
6. All tools to be marked with owners name, or otherwise identified.
7. Proper use of tools to be explained by tutors.
9. Do not dip iron objects, or articles bound with iron binding wire into the sparex (acid).
10. After using the tripoli buff to remove all scratches, articles should be thoroughly washed with warm soapy water before polishing on the rouge. Failure to do this, causes the rouge buff to become contaminated, causing scratch marks to appear on articles subsequently polished.
Care of Silversmithing Tools.
General.
• Your tools are a very important and necessary part of silversmithing or of any lapidary work and need to be treated as such. They are an extension of the fingers.
• Care and maintenance of tools makes them easier to work with and a good result more easily obtainable.
• Different tools are made for different jobs. Learning the application of each tool makes the working of the metal easier with less finishing to erase tool marks etc.
• Faces of tools which contact the work piece should be free of pits and scale. Many smiths rub the face of the tool before use with a lightly abrasive cloth.
• Burning with the flame or contaminating with acid or water encourages the development of rust with consequent damage to the surface of tools.
Pliers.
• Used for holding and bending, but are not meant to be used in the flame or dipped - even inadvertently - into the acid. You wouldn’t put your fingers into the flame - or the acid !.
• For the acid use stainless steel, brass or titanium tweezers kept especially for the job of pickling.
• In using heat, parts can be supported in pumice blocks with small pieces, or steel wire, or a third hand (these are tweezers especially made for the job). All these tools should be cleaned properly after use. A light polish with an oily rag will keep their new look.
Files.
• Files are shaping and finishing tools. They should be kept separate, and ideally individually wrapped if you want them to last. Cleaning consists of brushing with a wire brush after use.
Saws and Snips.
• Saws and snips used in lapidary work are better kept for this work and thus keep their edge for fine work.
Gas.
• Turn off after use. To check for leaks, listen and smell. Do not light a match to see. Direct the nozzle away from the bench or other workers when lighting the flame. Treat handpieces, tips and bottles with care.
GENERAL WORKSHOP RULES
Summary
Members of the general public may not enter the workshop unless accompanied by a club member.
The entrance door to the workshop must be kept closed when the workshop is in use.
Members must not work unaccompanied in workshop – take a buddy.
Members may only use Club Workshop under the direct supervision of a club member approved by the Club Workshop Supervisor.
All juniors under the age of 16 years must be accompanied by an adult.
The Club will not accept responsibility for accidents incurred by any participant.
Safety is the responsibility of everyone. Report any new potential hazards immediately to the workshop supervisor.
All breakages to be reported. Members / participants may be liable for the cost repairing damage to equipment / tools caused by failure to adhere to rules.
Protective goggles to be worn.
Ear muffs and protective goggles; please bring your own (Health and Safety Requirement)
Shoes must be worn in the workshop.
Please note the instructions for each machine
Any breakages to be reported. There may be an apportionment of the cost of repairs.
The club has a folder entitled “Guidelines for the Use of Club and Member’s Equipment” which includes instructions on how to safely cut and polish rocks, carve bone, and silversmith
Be SAFE and have FUN !!.
LAPIDARY
SAWS
Ensure rock is securely held in vice before starting saw. Never leave a saw unattended while cutting. A rock can move in the vice, causing a jam. (Expensive!!) Never force feed.
Make sure the saw has sufficient coolant for correct operation. Do not run dry.
A trim saw is for straight cuts only; it will not cut around corners.
When placing a rock in the vice, make sure that the top is lower than the upper edge of the saw blade and blade guard, and that the vice is positioned so that the blade will clear the leading edge.
Only authorised operators are to use any of the saws. Authorised operators are Terry Fowke and Susanne Huebner
WORKSHOP RULES – LAPIDARY
WATER
Water must be turned on before using machines and turned off when finished.
EXPANDING DRUM
This may be used with silicon carbide belts and water as coolant.
Never run an expanding drum without first putting on a belt, as it will expand and distort. Install the drum so that the direction of rotation is in the direction of the arrow on the side of the drum.
DIAMOND GRINDING WHEELS / PADS
Expensive items, which MUST be used with a water coolant. NEVER grind dry, as the diamond grit will be plucked out of the wheel /pad.
GRINDSTONES
These MUST be used with a water coolant, and the wheel kept wet evenly all over.
Water to machinery to be turned off BEFORE switching machine off. Grinding wheels become imbalanced if allowed to absorb water on one side only & may fly to pieces when turned on.
EQUIPMENT FOR HIRE
Charges and conditions apply for the hire of machinery
Hire Conditions;
Available to members only. New members to have a minimum of 6 months membership and attendance at two tutorial sessions.
Machines to be returned in clean, tidy and working condition.
Deposit to be paid; refundable on return of machine.
Grits available from Club Workshop at cost.
Hired machines to be signed for on uplifting and on return to workshop. The hirer must also return the machinery.
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