Here is a tip for making one side of your file “safe” while working from @makestuffwithyourhands - “A simple trick to 'safe' one edge of a file without actually grinding the teeth off the file - lay a strip of painters tape over the teeth. It keeps... more
Love this filing tip from @bd_mastermind - “For fine tuning small pierced or carved areas with a file, clamp a bench pin in your gravers block and drill a tiny hole for the file to pass through. the smaller the hole, the more 'square' (perfectly... more
Here is technique to create a flat area on a ball from @hartleyenough - “I have had the worst time filing a flat surface on tiny silver balls. They flip out from underneath my finger, or I file my finger 🙄 so, I started thinking about what I could use... more
Here is a tip to clean your files from @funlolacoker - “It's nothing revolutionary, but it doesn't require having file cleaning brush so it's one less tool to buy. Using a scrap piece of brass, scrape debris downward. Light pressure is usually... more
Here is a metal organization tip from @cindyliebel - “I like to keep my workspaces organized to ease the flow of production while I create. After many attempts in organizing all of my precious metal wire, I finally figured out what has worked best for... more
Here is a tip for identifying your files from - @pohpohcito - “I got this idea from an @mjsa_jewelrymaking book that @alanrevere wrote, 101 Bench Tips for Jewelers. In the book, he suggests using different nail polish colors for different file shapes... more
Here is a file storage tip from @kkmetalwerk4640 - “I use a big box craft scissor rotating carousel to store my files. I had to drill some holes on the bottom for the file handles to rest in so they wouldn’t wander but that was it. I use a piece... more
Here is a little video showing how I use champagne corks as file handles. Thank you to artifactprocess and emilieshapirojewelry for sharing this tip in the past! Writing the file cut on the end is super helpful for me to quickly grab the file I need... more
Files are not only an essential tool for filing and finishing jewelry but you can also use them to carve your metal, think of the endless design possibilities! For this demo I used my triangular Glardon Vallorbe needle file from @ottofrei1930 They... more
Here is a tip for file handles from @beautifulfiercewonderful - “An old hack with a bit of a twist - This awesome tip shared by @metalsmithsociety really saves my hands when using small files, and I found a quick and easy way to organise them so... more
Prong setting tips from @kristinabobin - “When you make the shape you want and solder that, you need to make groves for your prongs to fit nicely into your setting. Yes, they have to be fitting, otherwise the heat will move things around, and we don’t... more
Bench pins are meant to be modified, love this tip from @mklahn - “Another bench pin tip: sometimes you don’t want to hold a piece in pliers or a clamp because it won’t give you good access to where you’re filing. In that case sometimes all you need... more
