Here are some #diy sanding mandrels from @byshane123 - “If you make sanding sticks out of sheets of sandpaper and paint sticks there is a small strip left over .. I cut a wire hanger and wrap the small strip of sandpaper around the hanger, put a... more
This is a collection of works created by members of our community for April’s #metalsmithchallenge. The theme was “kinetic”. Everyone did an amazing job! 😍🙏
You are Metalsmith Society! I’m so appreciative of how many of you show up daily to share your thoughts and knowledge! I can count on one hand how many times someone has been disrespectful in this community and that is seriously a MIRACLE. The fact we... more
For this week’s #tooltalktuesday I wanted to showoff these Japanese Rubber Finger Guards from @ottofrei1930 they are actually infused with bits of leather to add to their durability but still have the feel of rubber. My use for these has been to... 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 tip for sanding small items from @fishbonesilver -“I like using this gripper pad to sand small pieces, or polish small items such as jump rings, etc. The pad keeps the item still so you can work on it.” Love this idea! Thank you so much for... more
Here is an amazing #diy brass pusher from @thegarrisonjewelry - “Why buy pre-made tools when you can make them in 10 minutes? All you need for this brass pusher are some wood handles (purchased from @riogrande) and a solid brass ceiling hook. Brass is... more
Here are some fabulous tips for stamping straight from @everthine_jewelry - “We all thought that metal stamping would be easy, right?! Then you tried to stamp a word... your letters were all over the place, they almost seemed to be dancing. Here is... more
When you are sawing and want to quickly lubricate your blade, use this tip from @lisepomeroy - “I keep a gob of beewax on my bench pin.” Some of the best tips are simple, thank you so much for sharing this with us! 🙌 Hope everyone has a wonderful,... more
Today I posted my first ever, step by step tutorial on the Society blog! In it I show you how to create this ring which has a gorgeous American Mined Turquoise cabochon from @riogrande 😍 For today’s tip I wanted to talk about some considerations for... more
For this week’s #tooltalktuesday I wanted to show off these powerful cutters from @maunindustries 😍When I have wire that is thicker than 14g I put down my flush cutters and grab these. They are incredibly powerful! Perfect for trimming sprues from... more
Here is a tip for lining your vise jaws to protect your work from marring from @robinbaskindesigns -“Moleskin is great for lining the jaws of a branch vise. 😊” For those that aren’t familiar with moleskin it’s a type of durable bandage made out of... more
Here is an idea to keep your pieces or stones organized @the_silver_lining_market _market -”I buy these cheap silicone ice cube trays. A 3 pack with lids is under $10. I use these to store loose stones and cabs in drawers. The silicone protects the... 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 fantastic tip for forming larger curves (like bangles) from @metamorphpgh - “This is a cheap way to make accurately sized forms out of PVC pipe. You just drill a hole in the side so that you can secure one end while you wrap the wire... more
If you need to make jump rings of all different sizes use this tip from @goudsmederijlamoon - “My knitting needles..Here are some of them, various sizes and materials. Bought from a thrift shop. I use both plastic and metal! I made a little video of... more
Here is a tip for determining the length of bezel wire you need for your stone! In this example I’m using a gorgeous American Mined™ BlueBird Turquoise™ 10 x 8mm Oval Cabochon from @riogrande Stone height will always vary on hand-cut stones, and for... 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
Here is a #diy saw blade organizer from @sweetsilverjewelry - “Spicey” Saw blade organizer 😂: I use an old spice jar with shaker top and straws (that just happened to fit the jar I used) to keep the blades from getting snagged on each other. The... more
