Metalsmith Society Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Tips

Love this incredible solder set up from @refraction_manufacturing He will solder the three bands together and after sanding each ring perfectly flat on both sides uses binding wire and what I think is old beading tools but I will confirm with Jake šŸ˜‚... more

For this week’s #tooltalktuesday I am showing off an invention created by @silversmithingretreat to help you quickly locate the center on your jewelry pieces and components to mark them for soldering. With a tip if you are new to jewelry making,... more

For this week’s #tooltalktuesday I am simply showing off one of my favorite books: Soldering Demystified by Jeanette K Caines @jewelryarts this book is such a treasure, it contains fantastic visuals and great information about soldering jewelry. I... more

For this week’s #tooltalktuesday I wanted to talk about annealing pans filled with pumice! Some of you may have seen these before and asked yourselves what they are all about and whether you should get one. Real quick, thank you to @gesswein.jewelry... more

Friday flashback to this top tip from @marionwild - ā€œI use binder clips on the ends of cross locking tweezers for help with soldering things in place. I prefer this over the swivel base because it’s using gravity to keep the tweezers in place, making... more

Here is a post soldering tip from @baystateopals - ā€œEven the most experienced jeweler sometimes has solder that doesn’t flow completely when soldering a bezel to a backplate. It can be difficult to see where more solder is needed. We use a flashlight... more

Here is a production tip from @martindenoch - ā€œI prepare each pin by melting some solder at each end. I then place the rings on an old hacksaw blade to get them up to the right level, and place them close in touch with the pins. Then I heat the pins... more

This is a little soldering tip I put together this morning for you! Many of my stud earrings will not sit flat on a file ring surface so I like to press them into my Kaiser Lee Board (shared by @thewildpine awhile back šŸ™Œ) this is also a useful... more

Here is a flux bottle tip from @rachel_hearne_jewellery @rachel_hearne_jewellery_school - repurpose a perfume bottle for applying flux! Thank you for sharing this with us! I also like your set up for soldering the setting onto the ring. Always good... more

For this month’s adventure in Pulse Arc Welding I am showing off one of the most practical uses. I buy chain in bulk and attach my clasps using my @sunstoneweld Orion 150s Micro Welder. I do like this better than soldering because chain is delicate... more

For this #tooltalktuesday I’m showing how you can use Hold-It! Positioning Clay by @reneefordmetals while soldering multiple prongs. This amazing stuff is available at @pepetools_usa (International folks can get it from them as well šŸ˜„) the clay speaks... more

Here is a bezel tip from @hammeredheartjewelryco - ā€œI use this super easy tip to get my bezel joints to stay put. After I make sure the edges are straight, I take some flat nose pliers and gently squeeze the joint. This helps to create tension so that... more

Whenever you are creating bends in your metal, like I am for this princess cut setting..flow some hard solder into the bend to strengthen those corners. This is a crucial step šŸ˜Ž this video is sped up a bit but I’m using the pick soldering method. Hope... more

I love using my @sunstoneweld Orion 150s Pulse Arc Welder for tacking prongs and bails into the exact position I want prior to soldering. The few minutes I spend at the welder ensures all the components are where I want them making soldering an... more

Today’s tip is supported by @haroldstudio a small, woman owned business that sells castings including these fabulous ring blanks! šŸ”„TIPšŸ”„: when soldering components or rings with details, stampings etc. use a graphite pencil to prevent solder from... more

Fusing silver with @jen_surine - ā€œFusing! Somehow I feel like I experience magic and danger all at the same time while I’m fusing. Jump rings are the perfect place to start if anyone wants to give it a go. And Argentium silver loves fusing. I begin... more

Here is a tip to prevent solder from flowing into a texture or design from @mcoledesignz - ā€œFinished my square wire hoop earrings today. A big soldering concern was making sure that the solder didn’t flow into, or fill, the fine details of the... more

So many tips and techniques in this video from @melissajoymanning using a jump ring winder, snipping the coil, the way that each ring is in a little cut out of the soldering brick that holds them upright!!! The use of solder paste is awesome as well... more

Here is a tip for soldering a fine chain from @dreamsmith.jewelry - ā€œSometimes we need to solder a delicate necklace that is torn. I like to use a sharpie and draw a line on my soldering block, then I can align the torn ends of the necklace to either... more

Love this soldering video from @chrisbolanddesigns - ā€œI get a lot of questions about the wire base I’m soldering on. It’s just a mess of nichrome wire that I’m using to lift the piece and give it some support.ā€ Thank you Chris for letting me share!... more