oops!

[CometKeith]

I was a jeweler, designed and executed pieces I designed by hand since a kid.Also did repair work. Retired 4 years ago. I do construction, plumbing, electrical and fix toys for the grandkids, you name it ... lol ... Regardless what it is, I seem to know how to do it. It's definitely innate, not completely learned. In college I took engineering and business.
So, let me know, I do you electric ... hahaha .... I'm never bored and my wife always gets things done as I do it. Being a hospice nurse 3 days a week, she rather spend the other days with the kids ... and me, but mostly them ...lol ... It's all good!

Hi. I was a jeweler for 25 years and also in construction a long time.... but the only thing I ever did myself was change watch batteries as a jeweler, and make keys and pick up supplies in construction! I usually let professionals do what they are best at instead of me goofing something up!

 

[barryian]

If the repaired connection will be submerged, I would cover the repair with shrink tubing and then coat the whole repaired section with Flex Seal until you can't see it anymore. You can find Flex Seal at any hardware store. Yes the infomercials are cheesy, but the stuff does work.

I would not trust shrink tubing alone on a submerged connection.

Agreed! I didn't realized this was going to be submersed so definitely coat the shrink wrap well several times with Flex Seal. Infomercials are so cheesy, one would never think it would work but, yes, it does. I assume you have a GFI just in case

Hi. I was a jeweler for 25 years and also in construction a long time.... but the only thing I ever did myself was change watch batteries as a jeweler, and make keys and pick up supplies in construction! I usually let professionals do what they are best at instead of me goofing something up!

I was actually a jeweler for 40 plus years since I was 15. learned young, went to school and still came back to jewelry. Had my own store locally where I lived. When I mentioned construction, electrical, plumbing etc, I meant around the house or for my kids, not for a living. What made you change? Did you work in someones shop?

 

[CometKeith]

Hi Snoozer . Sorry to hijack your thread!

Agreed! I didn't realized this was going to be submersed so definitely coat the shrink wrap well several times with Flex Seal. Infomercials are so cheesy, one would never think it would work but, yes, it does. I assume you have a GFI just in case


I was actually a jeweler for 40 plus years since I was 15. learned young, went to school and still came back to jewelry. Had my own store locally where I lived. When I mentioned construction, electrical, plumbing etc, I meant around the house or for my kids, not for a living. What made you change? Did you work in someones shop?

Hi Barry. I got into jewelry when I was still in graduate school in the late 70's and took over the family business which I thought was going to be temporary because my father became sick. At that time I knew actually nothing about jewelry and started selling thin gold chains at $1/in. The first year doing that I sold almost $1 million dollars of thin gold chains and charms! Later we moved into buying gold and I went to the GIA and received my diamond and colored stone degrees and the store moved full force into diamonds and engagement rings etc. I tried taking some classes in doing jewelry repair, but I was always busy in the store doing sales so I never really had time for it. About the same time we were selling a lot of engagement rings I started buying residential properties to rehab and rent out. After doing that for a while in the mid 90's I started developing new construction projects with some partners starting with single family houses and then doing as many as 50 units a year until the crash. At the same time I was still buying rental properties and rehabbing those and renting out apartments. I was doing all this simultaneously for about 8 years and I finally closed the jewelry store because there was too much profit in the real estate stuff compared to the store and the store was too time consuming. When i closed the store it was sad because you really become part of your customers lives as they plan out purchases. i had one couple buy the next 5 years of gifts because they couldn't see themselves going to another jeweler. I always like creating things as a jeweler, but once you were done you wouldn't see the ring unless the customer came by. When I was involved with working with the architects and creating housing developments I could always drive by and see them anytime I wanted! I still see them and actually recently went to help some folks at a 31 unit townhouse development I built. After the crash I helped banks with their REO's and now I just do gut rehab and construction as that is something I always supervised when I was a real estate developer and am very familiar with.

 

[Ronfire]

If it is not submerged I would just put a plug on it and run a good quality extension cord.

 

[GBBUDD]

I would hand it to your son and tell him a home cooked meal awaits after he repairs the pump!

When it comes to an electrical pump that will run constantly I would recommend getting a water proof plug and installing at the cut or replace the cord.

Hubby a good man, just tends to ummmmm say get to it later

The wife always says you make it LOOK so easy . so she gives it a try and that usually doesn't last to long. But says the same when I tell her it's on the list.

 

[barryian]

Hi Snoozer . Sorry to hijack your thread!


Hi Barry. I got into jewelry when I was still in graduate school in the late 70's and took over the family business which I thought was going to be temporary because my father became sick. At that time I knew actually nothing about jewelry and started selling thin gold chains at $1/in. The first year doing that I sold almost $1 million dollars of thin gold chains and charms! Later we moved into buying gold and I went to the GIA and received my diamond and colored stone degrees and the store moved full force into diamonds and engagement rings etc. I tried taking some classes in doing jewelry repair, but I was always busy in the store doing sales so I never really had time for it. About the same time we were selling a lot of engagement rings I started buying residential properties to rehab and rent out. After doing that for a while in the mid 90's I started developing new construction projects with some partners starting with single family houses and then doing as many as 50 units a year until the crash. At the same time I was still buying rental properties and rehabbing those and renting out apartments. I was doing all this simultaneously for about 8 years and I finally closed the jewelry store because there was too much profit in the real estate stuff compared to the store and the store was too time consuming. When i closed the store it was sad because you really become part of your customers lives as they plan out purchases. i had one couple buy the next 5 years of gifts because they couldn't see themselves going to another jeweler. I always like creating things as a jeweler, but once you were done you wouldn't see the ring unless the customer came by. When I was involved with working with the architects and creating housing developments I could always drive by and see them anytime I wanted! I still see them and actually recently went to help some folks at a 31 unit townhouse development I built. After the crash I helped banks with their REO's and now I just do gut rehab and construction as that is something I always supervised when I was a real estate developer and am very familiar with.

Wow - Quite the story! We had a similar start. When I was in undergraduate school, my dad was in a bad accident.
Ironically parallel to your story, I also went in to help out. I knew quite a bit as it was always a family discussion since I was a young child. At 10-12, I was doing errands for my dad in the city, carrying jewelry around the corner etc, the midtown jewelry center in NYC. I learned from many european jewelers in the city who taught me techniques in jewelry making and design, even repair and restoration. Time went on and in the late 70's, gold was already deregulated many years. We now had a store on the island but my folks were old school and afraid to raise prices on older stock that cost very little. Well, that was an accident waiting to happen. How could you replace stock selling it at old prices with gold prices so high. They were also older as my dad was 40 when I was born. It was tough working together so I made them an offer. Long story short, they retired down south and I paid them for 5 years buying a failing business. Then in late '79 going into 1980, we hit the gold rush. We had lines at the door from my bombardment of ads. I rebuilt the shop which then became a full fledged jewelry store from repairs, restoration, engagement rings, watches and even then collectible gifts such as lladro & Hummel. I wore many a hat from owner to designer, buyer and all inbetween. My wife and I also took the GIA courses. Later on, while all in college, each of my 3 daughters worked for a period of time along with the sales help. My wife became a gemologist, now hospice nurse. Basically closed 4 years ago and retired. It was a long journey. Now people ask, " What do you do with yourself all day " and the answer is ... Whatever I want ... ... I started the koi pond 27 years ago and did a third and last rebuild in 2013. We travel, have fun, grandkids ( 6 ) and listen to our married daughter's complain about their husbands. Regular STUFF ...

 

[CometKeith]

Wow - Quite the story! We had a similar start. When I was in undergraduate school, my dad was in a bad accident.
Ironically parallel to your story, I also went in to help out. I knew quite a bit as it was always a family discussion since I was a young child. At 10-12, I was doing errands for my dad in the city, carrying jewelry around the corner etc, the midtown jewelry center in NYC. I learned from many european jewelers in the city who taught me techniques in jewelry making and design, even repair and restoration. Time went on and in the late 70's, gold was already deregulated many years. We now had a store on the island but my folks were old school and afraid to raise prices on older stock that cost very little. Well, that was an accident waiting to happen. How could you replace stock selling it at old prices with gold prices so high. They were also older as my dad was 40 when I was born. It was tough working together so I made them an offer. Long story short, they retired down south and I paid them for 5 years buying a failing business. Then in late '79 going into 1980, we hit the gold rush. We had lines at the door from my bombardment of ads. I rebuilt the shop which then became a full fledged jewelry store from repairs, restoration, engagement rings, watches and even then collectible gifts such as lladro & Hummel. I wore many a hat from owner to designer, buyer and all inbetween. My wife and I also took the GIA courses. Later on, while all in college, each of my 3 daughters worked for a period of time along with the sales help. My wife became a gemologist, now hospice nurse. Basically closed 4 years ago and retired. It was a long journey. Now people ask, " What do you do with yourself all day " and the answer is ... Whatever I want ... ... I started the koi pond 27 years ago and did a third and last rebuild in 2013. We travel, have fun, grandkids ( 6 ) and listen to our married daughter's complain about their husbands. Regular STUFF ...

That's really interesting! There are a lot of parallels with the jewelry business as I worked with my mother for a long time until we closed in 2002. Fortunately my wife was never too involved and we still get along I never talk about jewelry or diamonds either on line or in person because of all the years of being very cautious over obvious concerns. When I was in my 20's and 30's I could walk to jewelry row and pick up diamonds or go on buying trips and put them in my shirt pocket and no one would know. Now that is years ago so not really a concern about secrecy, but it's hard to change habits! I also have three daughters and one grandchild so far. The older two were 9 and 12 when my wife and I got married. I'll hit full retirement age in 4 years but I'm not sure if I really want to quit altogether even though financially I will be able to. I have some good employees and some nice clients and not sure if I want to give that all up and I have always been an entrepreneur and I'm not sure if i could actually wake up everyday without a plan how I'm going to make a buck! My wife wants to travel a lot and that is the only the only thing that is hard to do when you have your own business. We have taken some nice trips but it's always really stressful to plan to be away from the business for a few weeks. It has very been interesting chatting with you and sharing stories! Keith

 

[barryian]

That's really interesting! There are a lot of parallels with the jewelry business as I worked with my mother for a long time until we closed in 2002. Fortunately my wife was never too involved and we still get along I never talk about jewelry or diamonds either on line or in person because of all the years of being very cautious over obvious concerns. When I was in my 20's and 30's I could walk to jewelry row and pick up diamonds or go on buying trips and put them in my shirt pocket and no one would know. Now that is years ago so not really a concern about secrecy, but it's hard to change habits! I also have three daughters and one grandchild so far. The older two were 9 and 12 when my wife and I got married. I'll hit full retirement age in 4 years but I'm not sure if I really want to quit altogether even though financially I will be able to. I have some good employees and some nice clients and not sure if I want to give that all up and I have always been an entrepreneur and I'm not sure if i could actually wake up everyday without a plan how I'm going to make a buck! My wife wants to travel a lot and that is the only the only thing that is hard to do when you have your own business. We have taken some nice trips but it's always really stressful to plan to be away from the business for a few weeks. It has very been interesting chatting with you and sharing stories! Keith

Hey Keith - It all sounds so familiar from the security to working with my wife. The last 20 years of work, my wife, an RN did hospice care, a good thing as we're still together happily married for many years ... It took me quite a few years to pull the trigger but I miss nothing. Almost sociopathic ... lol ... Great chat bro! All the best! Barry