Here is a tip for saving your metal dust from @kimafinejewelry - “I use regular black tissue paper to line the bench drawer in my standard Rio bench for setting jobs. It fits like a glove! It's easy to see small stones on the black when you drop them,... more
Trimming 28g (.32mm) bezel wire with Joyce Chen Scissors. When I need to trim bezel wire or a thin backplate, these are my go-to scissors for the job! I have also used them to cut bits of solder or other wires. They are extremely sharp! I found out... more
Here is a texturing tip from @martindenoch - "Using a hammer handpiece to create some interesting texture on a silver ring". I’m mesmerized! Lol. This is a hand piece attachment used with a Foredom flex shaft. You can attach different anvils and they... more
Follow up to yesterday’s reel ☺️ a bunch of folks asked about how you go about setting thicker bezels. I often hammer set when working with bezels that are .6mm-1mm thick. This can be done in several ways! In this video I’m using a setting punch made... more
This demo on shaping thick bezel wire (that is 1mm + in thickness) is sponsored by our friends at lindstromtools Using their ergonomic RX series pliers I make small bends in my annealed wire, shaping and comparing it against my stone. I like to... more
Here is a post soldering tip from @baystateopals - “Even 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 refining tip from @jen_surine - “This tip is one I picked up from @metalsmithsociety a while back, but it is such a great one, I had to share. Running my tumbler water through a coffee filter catches particles of silver and gold. It... more
Here are some bezel setting tips from @spiritmountainsilver - “During the stone setting process a lot can go wrong… especially with a square cut stone. The corners tend to be very fragile and one wrong slip or too much pressure and welp, you’ve got a... more
For this week’s #tooltalktuesday I’m sharing a new tool I got that attaches to my Foredom H.30 Handpiece (which is the standard one you get with an SR flex shaft) the Foredom Belt Sander Attachment. This little tool is great for sanding my little... more
Here is a tip for when creating with a shot plate from @buenaonda.handmade - “I use my @pepetools_usa disc cutter to trim up those pesky edges on round shot. Once you have your shot mold, determine which hole it’s going to fit, then flip it upside... more
Here is a polishing tip from @isabelasopkova - “I would like to share my tip for cleaning small bezels after soldering, it is perfect for white gold especially. I use a interdental brush with polishing paste and it works very good :))” Thanks for... more
Here is a stamping tip from @thesovereigncrow - “I use FrogLube to prevent rust and I store them in a rifle shell holder and it works great.” I love this two for one tip! FrogLube has a great smell too! Useful for all types of steel tools! Thank you... more
Here is a tip for prepping sand for casting from @norosesjewelry - “I've been watching everyone prepping their sand/clay for casting by chopping chunks with a ruler. Great idea, but I was inspired to a more ergonomic and efficient method. After... more
This tip was shared by both @lm6d and @refraction_manufacturing years ago and it’s one I use on a regular basis in my studio. The dapping block can be used to true up/round a heavy gauge jump ring or ring band by giving it a few hits on each side.... more
Here is a magnification tip from @arcanasilver - “Thought I'd share this tool that has been a game changer in my jewelry making. For those of us that can't afford a microscope, these magnifying lamps from Amazon provide 5x magnification and... more
#tooltalktuesday I got this @durstontools bench from @ottofrei1930 they have a few in stock and ready to ship. Mine was delivered in a few days and as you can see very quick to assemble. If you are in the US and order one from Otto Frei use code MMSZ... more
Hey friends, today I am finishing up some very important work for the book so I thought I’d just share some of the fabulous new merch created this year with designs from @lloydstratton thanks for cheering me on and giving me some grace while I’m... more
Here is a tip to help you remember which grit is which from @gabitimm_ - “Finally sorted out my emery paper mandrels, - made a little colour chart with corresponding grits.” Thank you SO much for sharing. I rely on these types of systems to remember... more
Here is a stamping tip from @efflorescentmetals -“I enjoy using an ink stamp with my metal stamps on paper for getting ideas on layouts and getting to share these ideas to customers. Saves time and materials, then once the design is selected I know... more
If you follow my jewelry page you already know, but my book: 𝙼𝚎𝚝𝚊𝚕𝚜𝚖𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚂𝚘𝚌𝚒𝚎𝚝𝚢’𝚜 𝙶𝚞𝚒𝚍𝚎 𝚃𝚘 𝙹𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚕𝚛𝚢 𝙼𝚊𝚔𝚒𝚗𝚐 is now available for pre-sale!! I have been working incredibly hard on this book for the past nine months and it’s amazing to see it come to... more
