Any wisdom for someone new to pouring?

[Grufflehog]

Hello guys

I’m setting up my own tiny silver pouring business at the moment with absolutely no experience. As a bit of a back story I’m a nurse and I caught the dreaded virus off a patient in March and ended up in intensive care. Understanding all the numbers that come up on hospital monitors sometimes isn’t much of a blessing, I very nearly died (I was giving myself 50/50 at one point), the NHS are wonderful though and I know I’m lucky to be here

To be honest the experience has been good for me. It’s made putting money into a little venture much less daunting and despite how much time I’ve spent in end of life care, it’s made me realise that I haven’t got forever to keep putting things off that I’d like to try. I love silver/gold and stacking and I’m really looking forward to starting to work metal

I’m hoping that overtime I can build enough of a turnover so that I can drop a few shifts a month at work. I’ve never worked with my hands before so pretty much have no idea what I’m doing apart from a few vague ideas of lovely shiny things I‘d like to make and that I think other people may enjoy
 

Ultimately I’m not too worried if it goes no where and I lose some money on it, though obviously I’d like to make a success of it if I can. I want to start with bullion and if I enjoy it enough will probably take some jewellery making courses at a local college

Does anyone have any useful advice from their own experience? Any wisdom you can pass onto me would be greatly appreciated. I’ve registered with the Edinburgh assay office and that seems to have gone smoothly so far

I’d like to know any good places to get silver grain in the U.K.? I have 6kg of bars at the moment so that should keep me busy for a while

What tools people have found useful, especially blowtorches? I was looking at a dremmel versaflame. Also any particular kinds of crucibles that might be better than others?

Also any advice for good places to sell? I was going to make an Etsy and sell here on the forum but are there any other ways people know that I could generate a regular/semi regular cash flow from? eBay makes me quite nervous

thanks in advance