Here is a tip for preventing solder flow from @hannah.lynn.jewelry - “Ochre powder is a paint pigment powder that can be found in most art stores for a fraction of the cost of some of the solder flow preventing jewelry products that are available.... more
Here are some tips for doing Keum Boo on a hot plate from @taylorsaleem -“Keum-boo is an ancient Korean gilding technique used to apply thin sheets of gold to silver. This technique is usually accomplished by repeatedly annealing and pickling sterling... more
Grid Soldering Boards can be helpful when you want to align a nail on a pendant or a bezel onto a ring. You can certainly make your own with a ruler and a sharpie or you can get one from our friend David at this link (which has an automatic discount... more
Here is a flux tip from @silversuspensions - “Thought I’d share a flux tip I’ve learned from my mentor, he’s an old school master diamond setter/goldsmith. Find a small container (I’ve re-used a face cream container) drill a small hole in the lid,... more
Here is a tip for adding a wire to the edge of a ring from @sinead_cleary_jewelry - “I start by making my band a bit long as I’ll trim it and the wires down. I also make my frame wires longer so I don’t have to fuss with lining it up perfectly or... more
Here is a prong fabrication tip from @wendyjonewmetaldesigns - “While fabricating a pair of earrings one day, I decided to use my @pepetools_usa Ring Bender with one of the angle inserts to fabricate my prong settings. As you can see in the photo, I... more
I am so excited to have the opportunity to work with this sunstoneweld Orion 150s Pulse Arc Welder. I am completely new to welding and will be sharing my experiences and journey monthly! Setting this up was very easy and I was working on my practice... more
Here is a polishing tip from @isabelasopkova - “I would like to share my tip for cleaning small bezels after soldering, it is perfect for white gold especially. I use a interdental brush with polishing paste and it works very good :))” Thanks for... more
Here is a #diy flux bottle from - @9th_generation_stx - “ Here is my tip for a recycled liquid flux bottle. I can’t tell you how many times I've knocked over my flux, or set the plastic tupperware that I used on fire🔥, causing me anxiety and giving... more
Here is a sanding tip from @dangbravegirl - “I use mine so often that I keep it permanently hooked to a 2nd flex shaft (and to my Quatro dust collector). I can quickly clean up and smooth cuff ends, prep ring shanks for soldering, level a bezel... more
Here is a tip for securing components during soldering from @mdtc_handmade_jewelry Alex uses clay. That is the green material you can see in this video that is used to secure the individual prongs of the setting. Then plaster is poured over that. The... more
Here is a soldering station tip from @cynosurej - “ I use a magnetic strip from IKEA to organize my solder station.” This is so simple but I love that you can make your station less cluttered just by giving the tools a home. Thanks for letting me... more
I use magnetic strips, so my tools can become magnetically charged. In this scenario I had to grind these tweezers down and the little bits of steel are staying attached magnetically. So a solution is to use the demagnetizer. It works in seconds. This... more
Here is a tip from @hghjewelryinstitute - “I use potato for fixing the prongs and soldering them, it makes supporting the prong setting very easy. I wish this tip be useful for our friends on Metalsmith Society.” Fun fact I started Metalsmith Society... more
Here is a tip for your lost stone from @ateliers_du_bijou_contemporain - “Looking for the lost ring or the 'grasshopper' jewel 💎 if you prefer. By the light of your phone 📱or your flashlight 🔦 Who has never experienced this problem? Raise your hand ... more
Here is a ring bender tip from @aimeesutanto - “One of my most often used tools in the studio: ring bender courtesy of @durstontools. Handy tip: using half round parallel pliers, bend the ends first to the required curve before bending the rest of the... more
For this week's #tooltalktuesday I wanted to show how having a pair of Ultra Flush Cutters from our friends @lindstromtools helps you cut your bezel wires flush in seconds. It is so nice and flat I don't have to do any additional filing or sanding. In... more
This video is in real time ☺️ our friend @silversmithingretreat has created an Ergonomic Bezel Setting Tool (this is the flat one) and I gave it a go. He designed this to make setting cabochons easier and less painful for jewelers suffering from... more
When soldering a ring shank to a backplate sometimes we end up with excess solder, in those instances I like these “Sanding Detailer Sticks” I’ll share some in my TOOLS story highlights, but you can find them from many retailers! You can get various... more
Amazing process video from @nevadaw @beamakerschool on creating hollow form beads - “Here’s probably my most time saving tip for soldering hollow form beads! Titanium wire ensures the solder won’t stick and spray flux is great for evenly coating all... more
