| Creativity with PD by Ron Hutton My wife and I have collected antique English silverware for about 25 years. In the last 12 years of that time, I have had Parkinson’s Disease. Some time ago, we bought a pair of matching solid silver cups at an Antiques Fair. When we got them home, we found to our horror both were damaged, bent at the stem. Neither of us had spotted it, yet we are normally so careful. I was so annoyed, I took them into my workshop, and straightened them. We were both amazed that the original damage was undetectable! This set me thinking that if I could repair silverware, I could maybe make it. I found a local silversmith in yellow pages, phoned him up, and asked him to sell me some silver. He enquired what I wanted it for, and when I told him, he invited me down to his premises and gave me a 2 hour crash course. We covered equipment required, where to buy it, how to melt silver down, how to beat it into shape, how to anneal it and how to silver solder it. He would take no payment, and we have kept in contact ever since. Armed with my new knowledge, I had bought 12 ounces of scrap silver and I had bought a propane blowtorch to melt it down at around 900 degrees C!! I melted it on a mould cut out in a brick, in the shape of a long thin ingot, and beat it into the shape of a curved bladed paper knife. With the “extra easy” low melting silver solder I had bought, I soldered on two cross pieces on to the handle to make a dagger shape. After sanding and polishing, I then took it to the London Assay office and had it hallmarked. Many other items followed, ornamental bowls, cake knives, menu holders, spoons, fish slices, knife rests, candle holders, wine coasters, and even gold and silver jewellery for my wife, which amazingly, she wears! My 3 children bought me my own maker’s mark, which means I am registered at the London Assay Office as a silversmith. There was a famous London W. Hutton silversmith, but I doubt I will ever reach his standard! However, it has given me great pleasure and has shown me that PD is no barrier to new skills.
To view some of Ron’s work, visit his website at: http://www.ronssilverware.bravehost.com/
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