Here is a tip to repair your broken honeycomb from @mylnebridgehouse - “Your broken soldering mat can be repaired very effectively by sewing it back together with fine iron wire (28g binding wire)- this one has been broken and repaired for longer than... more
Here is an opportunity to discuss CHAIRS (I think I promised to discuss this ummmm eight months ago?!? 🤦♀️) this chair recommendation comes from @petersonmade - "I liked this chair so much I purchased a second one, I wanted to show them side by side,... more
This month’s theme for the #metalsmithchallenge is RIVETS 😄 here we have an awesome tip from @copperhead_queen on achieving uniform rivets - “To get a consistent, uniform finish to the back of my rivets I use an 18 gauge copper washer as a cutting... more
In this week’s @pepetools_usa Rolling Mill Mini Series post, I want to discuss some of the main uses and benefits of having a rolling mill in your studio (besides texturing sheet which I promise to cover in greater depth in a future post!) If you have... more
Obsessed with this time saving tip from @wyckoffsmith “Links galore just out of the pickle. I’m working on another group of Olga chains today. I use this silicon grip from Ikea to keep all of the links together, so it is quicker to fish them out of... more
Here is an awesome way to heat your pickle from @thenumberthirteenjewellery - “This one was my version of a pickle pot. I use a single cooking plate and a glass oven bowl. It's cheap and effective!” I love that the glass bowl has no metal parts which... more
Here is a technique for getting your ring filed perfectly before you solder from @drenchedinsilver - “My little short cut, using a nail file to get a flush meet on a ring joint!” So critical to get those two sides nice a flush, and I love this... more
For this week’s #tooltalktuesday I’d love to discuss sanders! Thank you @dogvioletjewelry for sharing yours 🙏🏻 “This is the Ikohe Belt Sander, found on Amazon, price $185. This sander will definitely be a game changer for me. As all of us Smiths... more
Here is another technique to try when soldering a jump ring onto chain from @lumenrosejewelry - “This is my little trick. I just hold the tweezers over the chain to shield it from some of the heat so that the jump ring solder flows before the chain... more
Here is a tip for working with small gemstones from @objectif.bijoux “To handle small gemstones, I use beeswax glued to the tip of a toothpick.” When you are setting small stones it’s helpful to have something like this to help pick them up and take... more
Here is a method for holding your work in place while texturing/hammering from @makeitkimtoday - “I use masking tape all the time while teaching. It’s brilliant for saving your fingers while hammering. It's sticky enough to stay in place but is clean... more
In this week’s mini series post we are going to discuss how to get rolling 🙊😂 now that my equipment is safely secured my next step is to create a “sandwich” which is used when texturing metal and protects my mill (my precious 😂). I created mine with... more
Here is a tip to ensure your solder joint is 100% - - have a loupe on hand, I like the ones with 10X magnification. Often times I get messages from members of the community who thought something was fully soldered but it wasn’t (no shame, we’ve all... 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 is an awesome technique for sharpening your gravers from @jewelleryinstitute - “To polish this square graver on the fly instead of taking it to the sharpening table, we use a Ceragloss yellow fine diamond wheel, make sure it has a backing on it... more
If anyone has a hard time finding the center of a circle 🙋♀️ this tool for #tooltalktuesday will be a game changer. It is simply, a center finder. You can slide your circles, squares, hexagons etc. into the center finder and you use your scribe to... more
Here is a tip to get your bands perfectly round from @refraction_manufacturing ”After bending up the band (on a ring bender) , soldering and cleaning it up we use a doming punch to true up each side for a perfect side profile.” We once shared this... more
Here is a great solder organizing idea from @bossy.bootz -“I found this escargot plate which is heavy ceramic (less than $10) and is perfect to conveniently keep my solder close by! It doesn’t get mixed up, I’m no longer tipping over my little plastic... more
Here is a tip for when your torch tips get clogged. Someone from the community suggested this last year and we did a story about it (I’m sorry I can’t remember who it was!) Use distilled water and boil them for ten minutes! Easy peazy! I wish I had... more
WELCOME TO THE MINI SERIES 🎉 every Friday (for at least 6-8 weeks) I will be posting about my rolling mill! Please tune in and share your thoughts and questions! This first post is going to be about the proper securing and care of my @pepetools_usa... more
