Dawson Broaches

DAWSON CITY BROACHES - PHASE 3

May 12, 2000

Refining as I go, it is interesting to make some comparisons between this phase and the last. I have gone off track a little on faces of the mammoth and the wolf. Also, I have lost a little of the overflowing nature of the water coming out of the gold pan. The pattern behind the caribou is a little distracting, particularly the head - I will simplify the area and clean up the lines on the mountain. Though it is not visible in the pic, the background behind the wolf and raven is a book, symbolizing the paper nature of First Nation life today. They have been in the midst of negotiating land claims and self government agreements for the last three decades, and now face the complexities of living with those agreements.

The small burrs used for this portion are from my trusty neighbourhood dentist. Thanks Gord. I find it a little difficult to control the tools to achieve the level of modeling that I am after, but I will use a magnifying lamp for the finishing work. I have also renewed my supply of smaller Dremel carbide burrs. Missing the smallest carbides has been a handicap, but they should come in handy now for the final details and edges.

For the final phase, I will finish the shapes, apply the surface textures and then polish. They should be done within the next week. Dawson City has chosen not to mount the broaches at this time. The cost is far greater than I imagined, but no searching for a substitute mounting method has born fruit. A local goldsmith will mount the broaches when funds become available.

As a postscript to the discussion of politics in the last phase: we now have a new government in the Yukon. The Liberal Party won a majority and are now in the midst of getting things sorted out and rolling. Interesting times indeed. Also, it appears that there is gold in the Tombstones, according to the company that is interested in proving-up their claims in the park. If they pass the regulatory process at the federal level, they will be allowed to mine. What a shame.

Till next time,

Shane

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