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

Tips

#affiliate For this week’s #tooltalktuesday I am showing off my  foredomelectric Angle Grinder Attachment (SKU:8501358 ) available from our friends gesswein.jewelry This tool is designed for use with the #30 Foredom Handpiece. I am securing it for... more

Here is a sawing tip from @maggiethebear - “Here’s at a tip on how I put my designs onto silver. I use double stick Scotch tape! Rubber cement is often a suggested adhesive, but I find that it reacts to the heat & sweat of my fingers, causing my... more

Here is a bench pin tip from @jennwellsstudio - “Here I’m using an old leather wallet, cutting the outside off and then using that as a cover for my bench pin. You could also use any scrap leather. This allows me to work on pieces at my bench pin and... more

Here is a tip for opening a bezel 🙏🙏 from @iamweathergirl - “I started using watchmakers tools to open bezels on my pieces for repairs and resizing so I don’t ruin stones with heat. The tips of the tools are perfectly chamfered and polished so they... more

One immediate benefit of using my sunstoneweld Orion 150s Pulse Arc Welder has been working with chain. First I hold the link I want to weld with grounding tweezers that are attached to the welder. They allow the electrode to fire when I touch the... more

⚡️Apron Restock⚡️ if you are on my email list you already know ☺️ I have three options: Black Denim (featured here) Black Cotton Canvas & Gray Cotton Canvas. I also have 2022 Moth Raglans available in the shop for those that are obsessed with that... more

Here is a jump ring tip from @lucywalkerjewellery - “How to use your jump ring winder with the smaller mandrels that have no hole? 😏 All I can say any hole is a goal! And there is a perfect little hole right inside the chuck, just put a little bend in... more

Here is a tip for saving your metal dust from @kimafinejewelry - “I use regular black tissue paper to line the bench drawer in my standard Rio bench for setting jobs. It fits like a glove! It's easy to see small stones on the black when you drop them,... more

Trimming 28g (.32mm) bezel wire with Joyce Chen Scissors. When I need to trim bezel wire or a thin backplate, these are my go-to scissors for the job! I have also used them to cut bits of solder or other wires. They are extremely sharp! I found out... more

Here is a texturing tip from @martindenoch - "Using a hammer handpiece to create some interesting texture on a silver ring". I’m mesmerized! Lol. This is a hand piece attachment used with a Foredom flex shaft. You can attach different anvils and they... more

Follow up to yesterday’s reel ☺️ a bunch of folks asked about how you go about setting thicker bezels. I often hammer set when working with bezels that are .6mm-1mm thick. This can be done in several ways! In this video I’m using a setting punch made... more

This demo on shaping thick bezel wire (that is 1mm + in thickness) is sponsored by our friends at lindstromtools Using their ergonomic RX series pliers I make small bends in my annealed wire, shaping and comparing it against my stone. I like to... more

Here is a post soldering tip from @baystateopals - “Even the most experienced jeweler sometimes has solder that doesn’t flow completely when soldering a bezel to a backplate. It can be difficult to see where more solder is needed. We use a flashlight... more

Here is a refining tip from @jen_surine - “This tip is one I picked up from @metalsmithsociety a while back, but it is such a great one, I had to share. Running my tumbler water through a coffee filter catches particles of silver and gold. It... more

Here are some bezel setting tips from @spiritmountainsilver - “During the stone setting process a lot can go wrong… especially with a square cut stone. The corners tend to be very fragile and one wrong slip or too much pressure and welp, you’ve got a... more

For this week’s #tooltalktuesday I’m sharing a new tool I got that attaches to my Foredom H.30 Handpiece (which is the standard one you get with an SR flex shaft) the Foredom Belt Sander Attachment. This little tool is great for sanding my little... more

Here is a tip for when creating with a shot plate from @buenaonda.handmade - “I use my @pepetools_usa disc cutter to trim up those pesky edges on round shot. Once you have your shot mold, determine which hole it’s going to fit, then flip it upside... more

Here is a polishing tip from @isabelasopkova - “I would like to share my tip for cleaning small bezels after soldering, it is perfect for white gold especially. I use a interdental brush with polishing paste and it works very good :))” Thanks for... more

Here is a stamping tip from @thesovereigncrow - “I use FrogLube to prevent rust and I store them in a rifle shell holder and it works great.” I love this two for one tip! FrogLube has a great smell too! Useful for all types of steel tools! Thank you... more

Here is a tip for prepping sand for casting from @norosesjewelry - “I've been watching everyone prepping their sand/clay for casting by chopping chunks with a ruler. Great idea, but I was inspired to a more ergonomic and efficient method. After... more