This month’s Patreon Q & A is about laying out a studio. It’s going to take multiple videos to cover this topic. In this first one I am simply identifying the main areas of a jeweler’s studio: Workbench: This is where the actual jewelry making... more
Here is an amazing tip to help ensure your pieces are centered and aligned while soldering from @pyrus_designs - “On the flat side of a honeycomb soldering block, draw grid lines with a fine point sharpie marker to help you line up your pieces... more
Here are some tips for ordering WIRE from @riogrande particularly what gauge and hardness! First you need to ask yourself: what kind of project are you making and where on the body will it be worn? If we use the image of rings as an example we can see... more
Love this soldering tip from @letsmakejewelry - “A simple soldering tip from Master Jeweler Jurgen Maerz. When soldering one flat piece to another, use a ball bur to make divots in the back of the plate, then add solder and fill the divots. When the... more
#sponsored For this week’s #tooltalktuesday I am so happy to show off the Hold-It! Positioning Clay for Soldering from @reneefordmetals (Jeweler + Instructor) this amazing clay can be molded into all types of shapes and then you can use it as a prop 🤯... more
Here is an awesome production tip from @swampwitch - “"I use the soldering clay in place of offset crosslocking tweezers when soldering dozens of earrings at once. This method works with round hoops and stud earringsas well, plus oddly shaped pieces... more
Here is a tip for soldering cuff links from @Lydia.tucci - “When soldering the hinged one-piece backs of cufflinks, I use a heat shield such as Kool Tool to protect the mechanism. Going in and out as quickly as possible with the flame. It rinses off... more
Here is a soldering tip from @serendipiastudio - “As a soldering surface, I use kiln brick (also known as fire brick). It has excellent heat retention and reflects heat well too, making it an ideal soldering surface. Look for soft kiln brick at... more
Here is a soldering tip from @tkiplinger - “When I’m soldering a jump ring onto a chain, I wrap the chain behind a third arm; the metal in the tweezer provides just enough of a heat sink to protect the chain from the flame. When I’m extra-worried that... more
Here is a soldering tip from @rootsmetals (be sure to check out her episode of SOCIETY CHAT today 😄) - “This soldering tip, which I got from a @riogrande video, has saved so many bezel wires from melting at my hands. It's pretty simple. First, you... more
Here is a soldering tip from @mi.chi.mi - “I use dirty pieces of metal as heat sinks to protect previous soldered joins. Since they’re so dirty I don’t worry that they’ll get soldered to my piece. I’ve used these copper pieces for over a year now with... more
Here are some instructions on refilling a Butane Torch from @arcanasilver - “I've been using butane torches in my home studio for years. It's a great affordable way to get started soldering. I started with the Proxxon Microflame Torch from Rio. It's a... more
Here is a soldering tip from @allieperrydesigns - ““I love using a third hand to support small findings for soldering, because it not only frees up both of my hands for torch and pick work, it keeps the jewelry up off of my soldering pad. This creates... more
Here is a soldering tip from @violetstreetdesigns - “Titanium clips from Knew Concepts hold bezel wire against a textured backplate, ensuring easy and even soldering.” Thank you Kristin! This is so helpful and I appreciate you taking the time to... more
Today is America Recycles Day ♻️ I’ve partnered with @sullerinc to GIVEAWAY a $1000 shopping credit to one winner. TO ENTER:⠀ • Must be following @metalsmithsociety and @stullerinc • Like this post⠀ • Tag a jeweler friend in the... more
My @sunstoneweld pulse arc welder is very useful when I want to tack a component (like a bail) in place! It ensures my jump ring here is exactly where it needs to be so I can accomplish a quick solder. This helps prevent me over heating my piece and... more
Here is a soldering tip for those little jump rings from @embercanyon - “Rather than messing around with tiny solder pieces and tiny jump rings that constantly move around, fly off your pieces, or just generally don’t do what you want them to do - try... more
Jump ring soldering tip from @willowandtwigg - “Little realisations that make life so much easier! ⚒️ I do a LOT of jump ring soldering for various designs in my collections, and used to just lay them out on the soldering block. But in doing this I... more
Back in 2020 @swampwitch shared this amazing production tip... if you are newer to jewelry making "production" is when you are creating multiples of the same piece of jewelry in one go to be more efficient and cost effective with your time! - “"I use... more
✨ Comment “soldering fun” and I’ll DM you a link to grab this game-changing tool! 🔥💪 I’m loving the Ring Topper Accessory for the Original TI-Quad Soldering Stand from small business @lionpunchforge ! It’s a total game-changer when working on rings,... more
