Nope, not the subculture that rose to prominence in London in the swinging 60’s, I’m afraid. Not quite (but at least a little closer to) case modding practiced by our brethren, the computer geeks. What I’m talking about is modding tools.
You know, how you put emery paper into the clasps of your saw-frame to sand the inside of enclosed rings. Or this. How you use an adjustable spanner (you US peeps will know this one as a wrench) as a vice.
I’ve been using this for some very awkwardly-shaped pieces of wood of late, but they’re all drilled now so this chopstick end (which I would admittedly drill without the tool…) is a stand-in.
I was talking about this to Michelle Kelly while she was visiting Seattle from Adelaide just yesterday (before she began the arduous journey back home) and how we thought the modding tricks performed by jewellers say so much about their practice, and can be really valuable when shared. So, what are yours? Comment or send me a pic/email describing them and I’ll put them up here. Probably un-modded…