One of the most common questions is: what gauge bezel wire should I purchase? Here are some tips for ordering BEZEL WIRE from @riogrande. It typically comes in gauges 24 (.51mm) - 30 (.25mm) and in various heights. First, let’s focus on gauge. If you... more
Here is a tip that will not only impress your customers but give you an opportunity to educate them on how to care for their jewelry! Include a custom Klean Karat® polishing cloth from @stullerinc in every order! This small gesture gives your customer... more
For this #tooltalktuesday I wanted to more thoroughly discuss Sanding Discs. I have been using these for over a decade and they are absolutely a must have if you own a flexshaft. I use Moore’s snap on sanding discs. They come in many different grits... more
Here is a tip for preparing your pieces for patina from @aliciahannahnaomi - “Basically once the piece has gone through to triploli (polishing compound), I clean it all off in my boiling water, cloudy ammonia and dish soap solution. Then I rinse it in... more
Here is a tip for removing patina and polishing the inside of a ring shank from @cbgems - “I use @riogrande Brass Brush Item #338335 in my Foredom flex shaft to easily access the inside of any ring shank and give it a quick polish. Just be sure to... more
Here is a method for selectively removing patina from @seaglassbylill - “I use the 1000 grit radial bristle disc. It's amazing to get in the nooks and crannies!! They work great for other polishing applications, give a nice brushed texture. I made... more
For this week’s #tooltalktuesday I’m showing off the amazing Whaley Hand Vise available from @ottofrei1930 🔥(I’m actually showing off two of them because they are so awesome you’ll likely want two!) This simple hand vise (created by @whaleystudios)... more
For the first post of this mini series I wanted to discuss the differences between the various flex shaft motors from @foredomelectric. Before I get into that I want to explain why I chose to showcase Foredom, they are the only brand of flex shaft I... more
Here is a tip for protecting your work while polishing from @mcmillanmetals - He covers his bench pin with leather (scrap from a local leather worker) and secures it with push tacks! This ensures he doesn’t get any unwanted scratches onto a mirror... more
For this week’s #tooltalktuesday I wanted to (finally) chat about magnetic tumblers 😄🔥 I often get asked about them and I thought it would be a great topic to discuss! There are many options on the market, but I wanted to show the Arbe KMT-15V... more
Here is a great plier modification from @jonesingforjewelry - “I’ve been really struggling to lately with my grip and particularly holding small bezels while filing and sanding. Unfortunately all the conventional holding tools crush the bezels. I had... more
For this week’s #tooltalktuesday I wanted to show off an option for achieving a satin finish on your polishing lathe - Technique Bufflex Satin Wheels! I received these wheels from @ottofrei1930 and they have three different options: TF (Very Fine -... more
This is actually a super important safety tip from @headyhousewife - “I keep hair ties right in front of my dremel so I don’t forget to pull my hair back!” This is SOOOO important!! Getting long hair (or loose clothing) caught in a rotary tool or... more
For this week’s #tooltalktuesday I wanted to discuss PAINTER’S TAPE, it’s an inexpensive tool to keep in your studio that you will find countless uses for. I thought it would be fun to compile all the amazing tips we have shared that used painter’s... more
For this week’s #tooltalktuesday I’m showing off my #topnine2019 tool talk posts for this year! For a quick reference head over to my blog on metalsmithsociety.com where I linked all the original posts and places to purchase the items! 1️⃣ Luxi... more
Here is a tip for polishing those super tiny bits from @jessjewelry - “Cleaning up my tiniest coppers (6mm) for my studs. I use regular tape wrapped around my finger backwards (sticky side out) 3M scouring pad in red on a flexshaft mandrel. Zip zip... more
Here is a tip for holding those tiny pieces while filing, sanding and polishing from @thesovereigncrow - “Props to my ring clamp for saving my fingertips tonight. This is most likely not news to any smith out there 😜 but I've been trying to figure out... more
Here is a tip to safely UNSET heirloom stones from @izzyizzy_ - “I find myself needing to safely unset heirloom stones a lot, and after trying various techniques with sawblades, gravers, cutters etc. I found that a gray pre-polishing wheel (sold at... more
Here is a tip for shaping prong settings from @moonhoney.jewelry - “Here's one of my favorite (and often overlooked) ways to use jett sett compound- if I'm working on a prong setting and need to clean it up/shorten it, I'll embed the prong side in a... more
