Here is a tip for straightening pieces of wire from @millathegoldsmith - “A good way to straighten wires is to take a flackjärn (that’s the Swedish word for a steel block :) and roll with light pressure over the wire against a solid surface (I’m... more
Here is a tip for rusty tools from @jewelleryworkshops - “I've been de-rusting my mandrels after 6 months off from workshop fun so thought I'd share what worked. I used a rust remover (Hammerite Kurust) and painted it onto the mandrels. I left them... more
Here is a tip for making bezels for uneven cabochons: take a fine marker and trace a line around the inside. It will give you a visual on where you need to file and sand! *be CAREFUL with porous stones and sharpie. With this stone the marker wiped off... more
Here is a video and tips on photo etching from @littleoscilla - “There are a couple different ways to etch. One way is hand drawing using a black sharpie. The sharpie creates a natural resist, so wherever you draw, the metal won’t get etched and... more
#sponsored For this week’s #tooltalktuesday I’m excited to show off my @pepetools_usa Jump Ring Maker, which works with my Foredom Flexshaft to create jump rings fast! It has three main parts: a mandrel base which you use to create coils, a cutting... more
Here is a technique for organizing your cabochons from @kosmo.jewellery - “ I place the stones on these boards with double-sided adhesive tape. I write their prices on the back and whatever other information I need. I have put everything in... more
Here are some great storage solutions for tools from @tribomo - “I like to have the tools that I use more frequently right on my bench so I can access them easily but my bench, which is not a traditional jeweler’s bench, doesn't have drawers! Instead... more
Here is a #diy sandpaper roll mandrel tutorial from @meda.orfebre - “You start with steel nails that are the same diameter as the mandrels for your flex shaft, then you saw off the heads of them and put a piece of tape, folding it over like in the... more
This is a review of what was inside the August 2020 #benchtooljunkies box! Full disclosure I receive the box as a PR gift but all opinions and reviews are honest. This large box included an adjustable ingot mold from our friends @pepetools_usa With... more
Here is a tip for your wire solder from @thomasmakaylajewelers - “This is how I store/organize my wire solder. Having the coils from Rio laying around drove me crazy. I take my solder and spool it around a straight mandrel using my drill chuck,... more
Here is a tip to help you save every bit of silver dust from your bench from @heatherlouisejewelry - “I was always dreading cleaning my catch tray because I had to sweep up and spoon everything into a jar bit by bit 😣 I bought some poster board and... more
Pre-sale ends in two days! These crop sweatshirts are insanely soft and the Panther design is available only in 2020 on this crop! Sizing is S-2XL. (I have other sweatshirts that go up to 5XL at metalsmithsociety.com) a tree is planted with each... more
For this TUBE SETTING #metalsmithchallenge for August 2020 we had so many amazing submissions, a bunch of people created tube settings for the very first time which is truly the spirit of this challenge! Thank you to everyone who participated! I do my... more
Here is a tip for getting a perfect bezel around uneven stones or sea glass from @redappleroadjewelry - “I use a sewing needle and scratch alone the inside of the bezel while my glass (or cab) is in place. I remove the glass and then use my flexshaft... more
Here is another way to hold your work with the GRS Benchmate from @sunandselene - “I was bezel setting stones that needed some extra support so was working with my thermoplastic. Molded the JettBasic to the ring and then to the bench mate/ring clamp... more
Here is a tip for soldering cuff links from @Lydia.tucci - “When soldering the hinged one-piece backs of cufflinks, I use a heat shield such as Kool Tool to protect the mechanism. Going in and out as quickly as possible with the flame. It rinses off... more
Here is a tip for your soldering area from @allieperrydesigns - “Sound on for this one. 👂 Here’s a handy habit to prevent burns: if you rest your tools on the side of your soldering board it’s pretty much guaranteed that you will end up burning the... more
I would love to add to this list of tip requests! You can comment below, you can email me at corkie@metalsmithsociety.com. Thank you so much for tuning in and for sharing with us!!
What is firescale and why is it our nemesis?!? Firescale, also called fire stain, is the purple discoloration you can see in my sterling silver piece here 👆 More often than not I don’t notice firescale is on my piece when I take it out of the pickle... more
Here are two steps to achieve a perfect tapered bezel from @lucywalkerjewellery - “File them flat while they’re still in the bezel block, then you can use the top as a guide to scribe a line around the base and ensure that’s level too! I used a little... more
