Here is a little #diy heat sink from @notjustredones - “I solder with a small hand held butane torch so heat control can be tricky. Discovering how to use copper heat sinks for soldering was a game changer. The photo shows the use of homemade copper... more
Here is a sawing tip from @andrewberryuk - “When piercing a straight line, tilt the piercing saw frame forward. This helps to keep you piercing straight. Then when you want to turn a curve or corner, move the blade vertical!” Thanks for letting me... more
This is a classic annealing tip that I included in my recent blog post for @stullerinc - use sharpie on your piece then heat with a large fluffy flame until the marker disappears. For those beginners out there that are concerned about overheating when... more
Here is a tip to make your own sanding sticks using a paint stirrer from @wendypatersonjewelry - “Here are the steps- 1: Gather sandpaper and paint stir sticks. I use the following grits- 220, 320, 400, 600. 2: tape 3 sides (third photo) 3: Lay down... more
For this week’s #tooltalktuesday I wanted to talk about my @moment Macro lens and how I’ve used it in my studio and to photograph my jewelry. I also own the Wide Lens which I sometimes use as well (it’s what I have in my phone in the first few photos)... more
Here is a tutorial on how to stamp the inside of a ring from @meritmade - “This is my favorite method. Tools: Bent shank marking stamp ( @riogrande #11213001) Brass mallet ( @riogrande #112137) Brass stamping anvil ( @riogrande #1120852) Tips: •Make... more
Here is an easy way to collect the dust and scraps created when sawing from @anamericanmetalsmith - “I notice some people don't keep the dust or extra pieces to their silver. It can add up quickly when you collect it. I have taken a piece of paper... more
IN SOLDER WE TRUST ✨ this design was created by @beardedcreative_studio for 2019 🖤 it will no longer be available in the new year as there will be a new 2020 design. I love this design so much and especially love that it has our three pillars:... more
Love this tip for creating even, tapered bezels from @lucywalkerjewellery - “A little trick to ensure your tapered bezels are perfectly level. File them flat while they’re still in the bezel block, then you can use the top as a guide to scribe a line... more
#sponsored Today is America Recycles Day! In honor of that I wanted to talk about something we can do in our jewelry making to help the environment, choosing to work with 100% recycled metals! At @stullerinc you can not only find recycled sheet, but... more
Here is a tip for prepping your ring shank to be soldered to a baseplate from @mothersonthemountainjewelry - “I use sandpaper and a tile board. Getting rink shanks nice and flat ensures a no fail solder!” This is super simple but such a great... more
Here is a tool modification to help you hold work while you solder from @fairbankandperry - “Grinding the tip of this old pair of cross locking tweezers to a fine point worked great for holding and soldering individual links of this 2.5 mm curb... more
For this week’s #tooltalktuesday I wanted to show a fantastic tool that makes your @grstools Benchmate System even more versatile, the Slide & Lock Tru-Axis available from @ottofrei1930 what this fixture does is allows you to quickly adjust the height... more
I love this wax working tip shared by @creativesidejewelry - “Use a q-tip to polishing up the inside of your bezel (shown here in wax) . Yes it looks crazy, but you're going to break a q-tip in half and lock it in your flex shaft (Thanks Kate Wolf... more
Here is a #diy needle file handle from @spindlekate - “I swiped a few of my kitty’s foam ball cat toys as really inexpensive holders for my smallest needle files. ⠀⠀ Choose a drill bit slightly smaller than file shaft and drill a small hole ¾ of the... more
Here is a set up for a flat sanding surface in your studio from @mariannejenningsstudio - “I use round adhesive sanding pads on a piece of acrylic. You can use any grit I use 220 but it gives you a flat surface to sand with. You don’t have to hold... more
I like this idea for holding small pieces while sawing from @aimeesutanto - I have this super handy clamp made locally by @tyler_brothers_tools. It saves me so much time (and skin!) when trimming out shapes in small bits of gold. I work more... more
Here is a classic tip for glueing a design to metal for sawing from @thistlehandmadejewellery - “Because I make a lot of multiples, I photocopy my patterns and arrange them on a sheet of paper in order to make production as efficient as possible, and... more
Here is a tip for polishing into tiny details from @makestuffwithyourhands - “ I rough up a toothpick or q-tip shaft, and then place in the chuck of my rotary tool. You can coat it in polishing compound and get into very small curves.” 🙌✨ love this!... more
For this week’s #tooltalktuesday I wanted to talk about a simple and inexpensive tool that is incredibly useful - my brass brush. I use mine to shine and clean my tiny hammered lines! All I do is add a drop of hand soap and some water and the little... more
