316 brass belt buckle

 This was the first piece I ever cast.  It is a belt buckle depicting the logo and number of a masonic lodge in Seattle, Esoterika #316.

It came out okay, for a first attempt.  I did my design and layout in excel.  That really confused my professor, but - hey  - I am an accountant by trade.  Whadda expect.  I gave it to a friend and member of the lodge.

Masonic Reliquary

This is a Masonic Reliquary  that I made during the first quarter of my Metals class at Central Washington University.  It was the culmination of the quarter.

It is a pretty good looking piece and is filled with symbolism.  Some of the symbols are meaningful to any Mason and some - just to me.  The two coins were struck with a die to leave a square and compass on them, and they were given to me, so I would never be penniless.

Here are some larger format pictures (unfortunately I didn't really get any of the construction).

The pendulum (ray from the eye above) swings, but the coin can not reach the outer circle.  This is a standard masonic image which usually includes images of St. John the Baptist and St. John the Evangelist.

The text, on the coins and on both sides of the base, has to do with trust in god.

I think it is pretty good, considering I had never held a torch 9 weeks earlier
and had a bunch of other projects that quarter.  And yes, I did get an "A" for the project and out of the class that quarter.