Hey Ted,

We have been firing our mokume billets with oxy acetylene torches with very limited success.  I saw some shots of you firing them in a forge.  My concern is that our forge is the old fashioned one with the top swing door and the air blower.  I think it definitely gets hot enough, but the fact that you can't see the press leads me to believe that it is not an option.  Have you ever tried to do the carbon chunk- stainless foil method in an electric kiln?  Ours will definitely get hot enough, but I have not done any billets that way.  Basically I'm looking for any tips to rais our success rate a bit.

Word on the 2012 thing. The message came through from SNAG twice and I noticed a different tag line the second time. I was just excited! Any year will be great! I am headed to Yuma and definitely look forward to meeting you. We hosted a Chris Ploof workshop at LBCC in October and got some rad tips on Mokume billet making and am looking to pick your brain a little on pattern techniques.

Thank you. Very kind of you to comment. I haven't been enameling all that long but vessels have been an interest of mine for a while. I really enjoyed your lures, especially the john deer lure. good to meet you.
Josh

hey tedd!
i still take classes every quarter at TMA (no teaching). Still feel like a student. The glass pavilion is great, especially at night. they just opened a new dale chihuly exhibit there this week--haven't seen it yet. It'd be great to see you again--let me know if you're ever near here and will go get a beer and a burger. I talk to Loring all the time and see Donna D'Aquino often too. She uses my house as "base camp" as she criss crosses the country all summer doing her craft shows. This works out pretty well since Toledo is right in the middle. I heard you were teaching again. UT's program is treading water, barely. No classes this semester but i hear they're trying to run a casting class next one. we'll see. I use that studio all the time. Talk to ya!

Wow kid #2! I remember little Oscar- in school already! I have a 1 1/2 year old boy Marcus. I'm still in Ohio working at a dental office part-time and trying to make a go at my jewelry stuff. Tell Becky Hi! It's so good to hear from you.

Heather :)

Man, your stuff knocks us out!! Absolutely 100% fresh and unique - and the craftsmanship is superb.

Hi Tedd,
Thanks everything been fine. You probably heard UT isn't runing metals fall quarter. Apparently, they will try to run a casting class in the spring but I think it's the last hoorah. I still work there all the time but that's because nobody cares and Tom L doesn't mind me hanging around. How are you guys? Loring was just here for a couple days on route to Penland last month and Donna D'Aquino's been staying here several times this summer as she crisscrosses the country. Are you and Becky still teaching?

Thanks Tedd:)