Confession time 😬 when I grind down gold pieces I don’t attempt to save the dust. I literally blow it off my bench pin like I’m blowing out a birthday candle. 🙊 One of my college professors always told us to collect filings on a clean piece of black... more
If you drink champagne start saving those corks! Thanks for the lovely tip @fwatsondesigns - “Use champagne corks as file handles! Their fat rounded tops fit perfectly into the heel of my palm, allowing my hand to adopt a natural, relaxed curve as I... more
Loved coming across this simple solution for storing your Smith Little Torch when not in use from @em_vee_es I have the magnetic stand sitting in my cart @riogrande, but am trying to keep to a tight budget 😫🤑 Do you have a torch stand? What piece of... more
Jeweler @junsuk11 provided a fantastic visual for his process of getting started with a new bench pin. If you don’t have an electric saw you can saw it by hand! Always sad to part with an old bench pin. 😭 Check out his work as well, it is incredible!... more
Jewelry teacher @midnightpacific modified a tool to get the job done - “I made a new custom stone-setting tool and finally got a perfectly snug fit on this bezel. 👌🏽 Phew! The stone was a tiny bit loose and I couldn't get the brass bezel tight enough... more
If you use a tumbler to polish small pieces this tip is a game changer @quiettimejewelry - “Tired of hunting through your tumbler material for those smaller components? Make a holder so that all of your pieces stay together🙌” I use the same technique ... more
My organization hero at the moment is jeweler @meg_girard, She has a dedicated area for packing all her orders. I feel calm just looking at it! As your business grows it’s always good to have a system. What has helped you organize orders?... more
3D models and precious metal clay?!? Tell us more @cheribourquedesigns - “The making of a fine silver pendant from start to finish... The design starts as a 3d printed stamp. The stamp is applied to fine silver clay. The silver clay is fired in a... more
For those of us that cut designs from sheet metal - “A bench tip to save time and material is to first measure the size of your sheet metal. Then, on your computer, make a rectangle and accordingly arrange your designs in it in a way you waste the... more
Thanks for this simple but important tip @mi.chi.mi - “When making a new design or learning a new technique I write it down in my #jewelryjournal it helps me remember how I did the design or worked the technique and sometimes I'll even tape the... more
If you are serious about making jump rings, @riogrande posted this ingenious rig for cutting them. - “The difficult part of making #jumprings for me has always been holding the coil while cutting off the individual rings. I use a saw to get the best... more
If you do a lot of sanding or polishing of small parts @lauriewelserjewelry found a great tool from wirejewelry.com - “This is a cushion clamp which can be used to hold wire to metal or a group of wires together while working on them. I find it very... more
I love how quick our little community is growing 💕Is there a jeweler out there that inspires you? Tell us about them and tag them below! Let’s spread the love! Today I’m sharing the work of @ringgoldnicole who uses fabrication techniques to mimic... more
Just want to piggyback off of my previous post. If you are concerned about your tanks leaking fill a cheap spray bottle with soap and water and keep it handy to spray your tanks. You will detect a leak right away. BOOM. #metalsmithsociety #metalsmithy... more
Over the years I’ve had many students say they felt nervous about using an acetylene or oxygen/acetylene (featured in this picture) torch system in their home or studio. I just set up my new Smith Little Torch (I had one years ago and am excited to... more
Last time I had to solder a piece with a gemstone that needed protecting I used ‘heat shield’ that I purchased @riogrande, before that I cut off a small piece of potato to cover the stone while soldering, a trick I picked up from @hnossdesign ANOTHER... more
Love this #benchtip for sawing out a design from @arrowsandstone - “When trying to get an even cutout around a design use a sharpie to draw around the design line I did with this fern. Use your saw cutting the inner or outer line. Make sure you keep... more
On the topic of cleaning sticky wax out of a file I just experimented with @googone and my wire wax brush I bought from @riogrande and it seemed to do the trick 🤔 don’t think there will be any negative repercussions from using googone on the file but... more
