For discussion: Hand made

Even better, call the FTC and ask them yourself. Since every part of the process is controlled and can be altered by you, which is a primary clause in the definition, I think your work qualifies as handmade.

"...unless the entire shaping and forming of such product from raw materials and its finishing and decoration were accomplished by hand labor and manually-controlled methods which permit the maker to control and vary the construction, shape, design, and finish of each part of each individual product."

Furthermore: "As used herein, ?raw materials? include bulk sheet, strip, wire, and similar items that have not been cut, shaped, or formed into jewelry parts, semifinished parts, or blanks."

You don't have to smelt it yourself.

-Kalera

Hmmmm, still can't see it. But then very little the govt. says or does makes sense to me. There is nothing mechanized in my work, per se. Centrifugal casting. I mix the investment and pour it myself. Everything I do has a variable. My hands touch every step. Too confusing....getting dizzy....must have chocolate.....

Seems to me that would fall under "...manually-controlled methods which permit the maker to control and vary the construction, shape, design, and finish of each part of each individual product."

vj found this in rec.crafts.beads, from Kalera Stratton :

]Even better, call the FTC and ask them yourself. Since every part of the ]process is controlled and can be altered by you, which is a primary ]clause in the definition, I think your work qualifies as handmade.

good idea - thanks.

]"...unless the entire shaping and forming of such product from raw ]materials and its finishing and decoration were accomplished by hand ]labor and manually-controlled methods which permit the maker to control ]and vary the construction, shape, design, and finish of each part ]of each individual product." ] ]Furthermore: "As used herein, ?raw materials? include bulk sheet, strip, ]wire, and similar items that have not been cut, shaped, or formed into ]jewelry parts, semifinished parts, or blanks." ] ]You don't have to smelt it yourself.

it's the use of tools that Jeremy was referring to most, i think. and the use of the casting equipment and kiln.

i'll try to remember to let you know what i find out, now that we have the complete text downloaded.

vj found this in rec.crafts.beads, from "Barbara Otterson" :

] Hmmmm, still can't see it. But then very little the govt. says or does ]makes sense to me. There is nothing mechanized in my work, per se. ]Centrifugal casting. I mix the investment and pour it myself. Everything ]I do has a variable. My hands touch every step. Too confusing....getting ]dizzy....must have chocolate.....

LOL! that's exactly the way **i** feel. but jewelers who do appraisals say otherwise. and i think that's where most of this is coming from - the appraisal side.

vj found this in rec.crafts.beads, from Kalera Stratton :

]Seems to me that would fall under "...manually-controlled methods which ]permit the maker to ]control and vary the construction, shape, design, and finish of each ]part of each individual product."

vj found this in rec.crafts.beads, from Kalera Stratton :

]That's interesting... I wonder what side of the line a bead press would ]fall on? It's not a mold, technically... you don't pour molten glass ]into it and let it cool to form the shape, it's a fully interacive ]shaping tool. Hmmm.

that's part of why i posted it here.

As I read it, the fact that your tools are manually-controlled and not digitally-controlled or automatic is what makes the technical difference there, as well as your ability to alter and tweak the process for a different outcome every time. ie not mass-production.

Just a different reading... I hope you do contact the FTC, I'd love to know what they say about it!

-Kalera

vj found this in rec.crafts.beads, from Kalera Stratton :

]As I read it, the fact that your tools are manually-controlled and not ]digitally-controlled or automatic is what makes the technical difference ]there, as well as your ability to alter and tweak the process for a ]different outcome every time. ie not mass-production.

not mass production evidently doesn't qualify as hand made. the fact that the TOOLS are not hand made seems to be disqualifying right there. it's certainly stacked against all of us.