Love this tool modification from @estona_sieraden - “Alter your tools if something doesn’t feel right. I have been slipping with this bezel rocker because it was a bit too long for me. It just didn’t fit in my hand comfortably. If you have the same... more
I’ve decided to occasionally post about the beautiful merch available in my shop. For the foreseeable future I will always do the daily tip, but I will occasionally post a second time about something awesome you can purchase on my website to help... more
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
