Here is a tip for soldering or repairing a prong from @Karusade_Kreations - “Kool Jool is great for protecting solder joints. I needed to solder 4 prongs & was really nervous about melting the previous & having the whole thing come apart. Just coat... more
#affiliate For this week’s #tooltalktuesday I wanted to show off my sanding sticks from @excelblades I featured them almost two years ago and I still find I’m using them on a regular basis and wanted to share with the 100,000 of you that weren’t... more
Here is a sanding tip from @8thfloor_studio - ““When I need to work on a piece of jewelry that has very narrow spaces in its shape (and regular sanding sticks can't get in there) l use the average metal nail fail as a sanding tool! It's great because... more
Here is a tip to protect your fingers from @mariannejenningsstudio - “When I’m using my flex shaft to polish or sand a small piece I wear these finger booties from Rio so when the metal heats up I can still hold onto the piece and finish... more
Here is a tip to hold down small parts from @foxtailjewelry - “This little hack I discovered is great for dapping and drilling multiple components at once without holding each one. It just requires a strip of duct tape! I place my pieces in the order... more
The #metalsmithchallenge for September was very inspiring! The theme was “REWORK”: to take an old piece you had created and redo it. This is such a wonderful way to also see your progress. When you do something again and all the skills you’ve been... more
Here is a #diy hammer holder from @bench_jeweler - “ I was tired of having my nice hammers rattling around in the drawer with other tools. So, I found a scrap piece of PVC and cut a slit the entire length. I then space out the hammers and mark with... more
Here is a sanding tip from @lucywalkerjewellery - “lucywalkerjewellery And here’s what it looks like after a bloody good arm work out to get it sanded perfectly smooth with 100 grit sandpaper. I used double sided tape to attach it to a block of wood... more
#affiliate For this week’s #tooltalktuesday I can’t believe I’ve never talked about my 3M™ Wetordry™ Polishing Paper available from our sponsor @gesswein.jewelry I was first introduced to these when I was in college at Pratt Institute (shoutouts to... more
Just wanted to share a little tip that will help you avoid having your piece break and ensure your solder seams are perfect!
Here are some tips to achieve straighter stamping from @mineralandmine - “When I prep for a stamping project, I write out and measure my pattern on paper, and/or draft my pattern onto the metal. For a quote or words, I write it down, find the middle... more
Still one of my all time most visited blog articles. If you are new to jewelry making and haven’t already got my free download, head to the link in my profile and click on “DOWNLOAD MY GUIDE FOR BEGINNERS.” The download has links to this article, my... more
Here is a tip to prevent your paste flux from drying out from @ezukowskie - “I’m a sporadic solderer, and use mostly paste flux. Approaching the torch after a few months I discovered the usefulness of this idea. I keep a bit of paste flux in a small... more
Here is a tip for sizing a ring with a stone set in it from @marquisjewelryacademy - "If I need to size a ring after I've already set the stone I use this method for most silver and gold rings. I learned this paper towel technique while working at the... more
Here is a tip for tumbling chain from @showellstudios - “When tumbling chain in a rotary tumbler, thread wire through the links every inch or so to prevent it from tangling. Works beautifully! The entire chain is exposed and tumbles evenly and there... more
I’ve been meaning to share this for awhile, the price of silver was actually over $27 at one point recently and could have possibly been higher. It is time to re-evaluate your costs and pricing! Make sure that you are still making a profit with the... more
Here is a bench tip for when you break a sawblade from @corina_lunita - “Broken saw blades are such a common thing for us jewelers! Don’t leave them scattered amongst your precious metal scraps to pick them out later. I keep all the blade scraps... more
#affiliate For this #tooltalktuesday I want to talk about my beloved @durstontools padded stool (I actually have two of them because they are 🔥) These stools were a game changer because I used to have a chair that wasn’t the ideal height for my bench... more
Here is a tip to hold your work together while soldering from @tracey_michelle129 - “I’m using these Stainless steel cotter pins purchased from my local hardware store to keep the tension on these two pieces to solder together. Also great for securing... more
Here is an inexpensive sawblade holder from @ric_cerebo - “I have unused plastic test tubes (I used them for fountain pen inks for calligraphy). The tubes sell for like less than $2 for a pack of 10 and the length is perfect for saw blades. I bought a... more
