Here is a stone setting tip from @marquisjewelryacademy - “You know those cute single serve cheese wheels? We save that red cheese wax for stone setting. This wax starts out a little sticky but after a few days of bench dirt (think, wood, abrasive and... more
PATREON GRATITUDE This is my weekly opportunity to thank my Patreons, monthly and annual supporters of Metalsmith Society! ☺️ It is the highlight of my week looking at your work and sharing with the rest of our community!! A first draft of the... more
Here is a fun tip for sawing shapes from @wildasterstudio - “One of my favorite things to use for shapes that I saw frequently, is foam adhesive sheets. I stumbled upon this one day when I couldn't find any paper in my work space, but had a bunch of... more
Here is a tip for tumbling fine chain from @adornmentbynicole - “This is my tip for tumbling fine chain. I use an endless earring hoop to link my chain up for tumbling. It helps prevent my chain from getting tangled and is super easy!” Thank you so... more
Here is a storage tip from @activefaultstudios - “Need help organizing all those tiny findings, jump rings and posts? Baby food storage containers are a great option. Silicon, easy to wash, and snap on airtight lids keep everything tidy and easy to... more
For this week’s #tooltalktuesday I’m throwing it back to a tip shared by @genne_laakso back in 2018, SILICONE LOOPS for your tumbler. Keep rings, hoops and other components together for quick removal. I also experimenting with using two of these to... more
Here is a tip for attaching a wooden handle to a file from @lija_jewelry - “I know you should drill it wider and such, but since I am not that strong and I wasn't really in the mood for finding a bigger drill, I used this tip I have seen this... more
Here is a wax working tip from @tossedfoundjewelry - “If you you use sheet wax then you know once it gets warm it can be difficult to remove anything you might be creating with it (i.e. gems, sea glass, stones etc.) Here is a tip for taking that piece... more
*safety update* try this tip with a baby wipe or a paper towel! Here is a refining tip from @mikeca1216 - “Recovering precious metal. Hopefully everyone knows to be conscientious about keeping track of all the saw dust, filings, grindings, etc. from... more
PATREON GRATITUDE This is my weekly opportunity to thank my Patreons, monthly and annual supporters of Metalsmith Society! ☺️ Sometimes I go to give a shoutout and the account is private or I can longer find it due to a name change. Don’t hesitate to... more
Here is a border tip from @thesilverschmidt @saltcitysmithery - “To get a perfectly consistent width on a border around a bezel I keep wire scraps of different gauges at my bench to use as a guide to trace around the bezel. Place the wire (make sure... more
Here is a tip for making ring shanks from @dcadefdesigns - “Remember making paper snowflakes?? You can use the same concept to make funky ring bands! Quick little vid on what I do to make the wavy gravy saddle rings. Or you can cut all sorts of... more
For this week’s #tooltalktuesday I am showing off my new ultrasonic, solution and basket all available at @gesswein.jewelry but first let’s back it up… What is an ultrasonic and is it a necessary item? An ultrasonic cleans jewelry using ultrasound... more
Here is a tumbler tip from @jewelryinstructor - “Older tumbler barrels may get a little smooth on the outside and lose their ability to grip the rollers properly. A couple of wide rubbers bands provide enough traction to keep things rolling along!... more
Here is tip if you have multiple texturing hammers from @jas_jewellery_ - “I like to hunt for old hammers in second hand shops to add different textures to my pieces. It can be difficult to tell what texture each hammer makes so I label them. I... more
Here is a tip for giving your charcoal block new life from @jwjewelrystudio - “Here’s a tip for all my fellow metal smiths and jewelers out there ! I use a concrete service or an asphalt driveway to clean my charcoal block. It’s amazing how well it... more
Huge thank you to my Patreons @avalunaco & @macksonstudio it can never be said enough how much your support means to me! It keeps me going everyday and allows me to focus my time on Metalsmith Society and for that I am grateful! I recently heard some... more
Here is a tip for a too tight bezel from @jewelryinstructor - “It’s happened to all of us: the bezel winds up just a little too tight for the stone. Wait - don’t scrap it! Here’s a simple tip to make it a bit larger! Use a pair of half round pliers -... more
Here is a tip for stamping your work from @drugstorecowgirljewelry - “We’ve all forgotten to put our makers or metal purity stamp on a piece and then soldered something to the top, like an embellishment. So annoying! Sure, you could stamp out a tiny... more
For this week’s #tooltalktuesday I have a special ring mandrel created by @pepetools_usa at the request of jeweler and teacher Jessica Jordan Coté of @rosyrevolver the Flat Back, Open Ring, Forming Mandrel. This mandrel is designed for making rings... more
