Metalsmith Society Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Tips

Here is a stone setting tip from @mandanastudios - “When you have a setting with corners, always set them first!” Thanks for letting me share, we have shared before but this tip definitely warrants a revisit as this tip is game changing for beginners... more

HAPPY SUNDAY (or whatever day the algorithm has you seeing this 😂) I wanted to show off these gorgeous holographic stickers (created by @towerpress if you need some holographic stickers made 😉) your purchase of this sticker helps support the page ❤️ I... more

Here is a tumbler tip from @babelsmit - “To prevent flat pieces from sticking together or to the walls of the tumbler I use metal paper clips (not coated)! Super easy and also helps me find my pieces in the steel shot afterwards. :) “ 🙌 this is great!... more

Here is a tip for organizing your stamps from @paviennadesigns - “I had been using an empty candle glass container to keep my metal punches in one place. Today, while shopping at my local craft store, it occurred to me that I could use a box and... more

Here is a tip to warm your pickle or other fluids from @therealtonyadavidson - “Forget your old pickle pots. I always have several different acids needed when I work, or water with cleaning solution, or patina or other liquids that need heating. The... more

Here is another use for alligator tape while setting bezels from @flameandstone - “Ok so the alligator tape trick is nice because it protects both the metal and the stone. It also provides a bit of slip resistance. I had leather on there but it... more

Here is another use for painter’s tape from @camanchemesa “I use tape as a masking tool for sanding raised overlays on my engraving work. As a final step before patina and buffing, I like to go over the raised brands or letters with several grits of... more

For this week’s #tooltalktuesday I want to revisit a tool that was one of the first tool talks I ever did back in March of 2018 (when there were 1000 people in the community) the Matt Miter Box + Saw. For wax workers this thing truly is a game... more

Here is a tip to give your sandpaper some reinforcement from @leilani_smith_ - “I back my sandpaper with blue tape before cutting strips to give it added strength and stability. This little extra step really adds to the life of the sandpaper and... more

The end of this video is so awkward 😂 hey guys! Corkie here and I just wanted to tell you all that aprons are back in stock (I’m having them made locally here in Rhode Island now 🙌) but they do have some subtle changes. They are still adjustable but... more

Here is a mini #DIY sander for your flex shaft from @ebj.escoladejoalheria - “Cut your sandpaper into a triangle and then insert the thin end into a large needle. Before using it on your piece, rotate the needle with the sandpaper between your... more

Here is a technique for securing a coil to saw jump rings from @nicholewestdesigns - “I use my @grstools shelf ( #004-665 ) and vise (#003-684) that is lined with padding (I purchased from grs as well #003-609 ) to tightly hold the jump ring coil. The... more

Here is a small part sanding tip from @mooncoocoo_jewelry - ”My thumb hurts from sanding many tiny details for 2 days, so I've decided to use a sticky paper double sided tape, it goes much faster now, I don't loose pieces and my thumb doesn't hurt... more

Here is a tip for polishing the hard to reach spots from @meszarosjohn “Cotton cooking twine works well when thrumming in those hard to get in areas 💎💎💎” You can apply different polishing compounds to the cotton twine. If you use a similar technique... more

2020 PANTHER DESIGN ⚡️designed by @butterystudio I have been waiting patiently for the new year (HAPPY NEW YEAR BTW 🥳) to show this off to all of you!! For those newer to the page (welcome 👋) every year I hire a new artist to create a special design... more

TIP OF THE YEAR 🏆 Here is a soldering tip from @marionwild - “I use binder clips on the ends of cross locking tweezers for help with soldering things in place. I prefer this over the swivel base because it’s using gravity to keep the tweezers in... more

For this week’s #tooltalktuesday I’m showing off my #topnine2019 tool talk posts for this year! For a quick reference head over to my blog on metalsmithsociety.com where I linked all the original posts and places to purchase the items! 1️⃣ Luxi... more

In this episode I’m talking about the beautiful, ethically stones from @conscious_creators and doing a GIVEAWAY for a gorgeous amethyst cabochon, smoky quartz crystal and variscite cabochon. Entering is easy! Please leave us a comment and tag a... more

Here is a tip for those that want to experiment with tumbling a piece with a stone set from @kjs_heart -“ I tumbled this pendant and after tumbling I set the stone. Although I used some tape on my tools to protect the bezel it got a bit damaged by... more

Here is a tip for setting studs from @wanderingdesigns - “I drill a hole in my bench block for setting cabs on post earrings and use a piece of nonslip rubber between the wood and the earring!” I love this! I bet the non-slip helps prevent the stud... more