Here is a great tip for when you are soldering multiple small pieces from @emilymarquisdesigns - “I use thick gauge copper wire to collect and keep together my small pieces after soldering. It's helpful when quenching or pickling to pick up a larger... more
For this #tooltalktuesday I wanted to show off Jett Basic - a fixturing compound. Many people ask what I use to secure my pieces for stonesetting and this is the stuff! As you can see in my slideshow I have a designated hot pot for heating up my Jett... more
Here is a tip for flush setting. Make sure you use a lubricant while you are drilling your seat AND on top of the the stone prior to burnishing. Lubricating helps protects the stone and helps the burnisher glide smoothly. I also keep my burnisher... more
Here is another technique to protect a gemstone during a repair or sizing from @flowmke2 - “It’s not foolproof, but a protectant like this #KoolJool can isolate gemstones from torch heat for resizing rings. This is a 20mm chalcedony. The gel is also a... more
Here is a #diy ✨Test Tube Sawblade Storage✨ tutorial from @lasa_joyas - “You need test tubes, these are 15mm x 150mm, this size works great for me and the saw blades fit perfectly. The wood piece I've used is hand cut to fit 5 test tubes, 220mm x 50mm... more
Here is a tip for all you folks with a rotary tumbler from @alwaysaleda - I have a necklace with a delicate chain that will need a bit of a polish after the chain goes on. So I put it in my small tumble with those soapy brillo pads from the grocery... more
Here is an awesome technique for accessing how a stone is sitting in its setting from @justinboehmecraftechcastings “If you raise and drop the metal in the flame, the soot deposits. Check fastidiously for the fine witness marks. You can re- deposit... more
Today I want to talk about packaging, specifically shipping supplies. I wanted to find a better company to buy my supplies from (I won’t name names 🤣) One that is environmentally friendly and had some recycled and recyclable options. Between my... more
For this #tooltalktuesday I’m so excited to talk about my new @greenlionsawframe 😍 i have had the same German saw frame since 2005 so I was very excited to try this! I’ve had the opportunity to use it over the last few weeks and here are the key... more
Here is a phenomenal breakdown of how to solder fine chain to a jump ring from @thebenchmarkcollection -“Step 1: cut jump rings with a slight gap if you can’t link it into the chain, place around chain a couple links down (this example is a 1mm box... more
Love this organizational tip from @jessiephoenix - “Organize your little burs and bits with a knife magnet! Takes so little room on the bench and makes each piece easy to see and reach for. I also drilled holes in the top for additional drill bit... more
Here is a photography tip - when working with chains have a small watercolor brush (clean, and good enough quality that it isn’t dropping bristles everywhere) handy to gently guide the chain where you’d like it. You can also put the top of the chain... more
Here is some fantastic advice regarding flush setting (this month’s #metalsmithchallenge just sayin 😏) from @lucywalkerjewellery - “Flush setting 101: IF YOU NEED GLASSES WEAR THEM – if you can’t see what you’re doing, you are most likely going to... more
Here is a little DIY polishing mandrel for your dremel or flexshaft from @azetama - she takes a toothpick and carefully winds steel wool around it to get inside details! Make sure you clean your pieces with a soft toothbrush and some mild soap to... more
Here is an awesome technique for cleaning your polishing buffs from @piecesofstarrjewelry (turn your sound on, to hear her explain 😁) she takes her file brush which has small steel bristles and uses it on her polishing wheels when they are in need of... more
For this week's #tooltalktuesday I’m stoked to discuss the Luxor® by Merard Polishing Kit from @riogrande - it includes four silica free, easy to clean off, polishing compounds and two cotton buffs. I recently invested in a Foredom Bench Lathe after... more
I wanted to share my process of making my earring wires soft and wearable and I’d love for you to tell me about yours! First I use a Busch Twincut Concave Cone Bur and this awesome tool rapidly rounds down the end of my wire (the macro video just... more
Thank you everyone who has supported the page with a purchase from the shop! If you are thinking of holiday gifts I’d get your orders in because the apparel is custom printed and unfortunately can take a few weeks sometimes to actually arrive in your... more
If you need the perfect tool to bend the titanium strips from yesterday’s post or if you need to close the gap on a heavy gauge band here is a suggestion from @meritmade - “I shared about how much I love the @knew_concepts titanium strips I got from... more
