TOP NINE JEWELRY MAKING TIPS OF 2018

AS THE NEW YEAR APPROACHES I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE FUN TO RECAP THE TOP NINE POSTS OF 2018 ON METALSMITH SOCIETY!

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Here is some fantastic advice regarding flush setting (this month’s #metalsmithchallenge just sayin 😏) from @lucywalkerjewellery - “Flush setting 101: IF YOU NEED GLASSES WEAR THEM – if you can’t see what you’re doing, you are most likely going to suck. Drill a hole Use a ball bur (or several) to open the hole to ¾ the size of the stone. Next use a bud bur to open the top of the hole to exactly the same size of the stone – if you make it bigger than the stone – you’ll need to find a larger stone 😉 DO NOT MAKE IT BIGGER THAN THE STONE! Use a setting bur exactly the same size as your stone – drill deep enough with your setting bur so the table of the stone is flush with the metal. DO NOT USE A SETTING BUR THAT IS LARGER THAN YOUR STONE! If you don’t have the perfect size setting bur – which is usually the case, you will want to use the closest size SMALLER bur and ream out the hole – KEEP THE BUR PERPENDICULAR TO THE METAL AND MOVE METHODICALLY, we are not mixing pancake batter 😘 Ensure the stone is a tight fit – if it’s not, select a stone that is slightly larger 0.01mm can make a big difference here! The stone should not slip into the hole, but should require a LITTLE shove with a brass pusher (basically a tapered piece of brass rod in a graver handle) to sit nice and securely in the setting Use your needle burnisher (broken ball burs in graver handles work well – they should have a smooth rounded and polished end if you value the surface of your stones – and run it around the stone at an angle just off horizontal until the stone is set Turn over your work and give your stone a nice aggressive poke from the back with your brass pusher to see if you did a good job 😊” Love this and LOVE THE YELLING 🤣 such a clear video and solid advice ✊ what part of flush setting have you found challenging, have you tried it? Tell us about it!! 👇 we are here for you!! #flushsetting #metalsmith #stonesetting #metalsmithing #jewelrymaking

A post shared by Metalsmith Society (@metalsmithsociety) on Nov 16, 2018 at 5:03am PST

2. #TOOLTALKTUESDAY Kate Wolf's "WOLF CLAY"

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For this #tooltalktuesday I wanted to talk about Kate Wolf’s Soldering Clay (shoutouts to @katemallerjewelry who recommended this game changer to me) + a tip for holding things while you solder (it also protects elements from moving and from heat) - a product that is straight up wizardry. As you can see in the video it’s got the consistency of clay. You can mold into any shape, in this instance it allowed me to create a little pillow for the top of my ring. This particular ring has 18k wires soldered (which have been balled) to the top so it’s hard to get it nice and level on its own so this clay is the perfect solution! Then I was able to solder my ring and all the while the gold part of the ring is also being protected from the heat. Once it cools it comes right off. I clean with a little soap and water so I don’t get the clay in my pickle and then pickle as usual. I can’t even, there are so many uses for this stuff. I bought mine from Ronda Coryell’s website. #metalsmithsociety #jewelrytools #soldering #solderingjewelry

A post shared by Metalsmith Society (@metalsmithsociety) on Dec 4, 2018 at 5:16am PST

3. BEZEL SETTING TIP FROM @ANNA.MARIA.DESIGNS

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Here is a tip for making your bezel rocker extra special from @anna.maria.designs - “I cut the leather (from a pair of gloves) and hold it tight over the rocker and tape around the bottom to hold it on. I use painters tape so it’s easy to remove when I replace the leather piece. The leather helps prevent marring my metal or scratching my stone!” Thank you so much for sharing this! I couldn’t stop dancing while watching your video 🤣💃🏼 #jewelrytipoftheday #metalsmith #communityovercompetition #jewelrymakingtipoftheday #metalsmithsociety #stonesetting #bezelrocker #jewelrytools

A post shared by Metalsmith Society (@metalsmithsociety) on Dec 15, 2018 at 6:07am PST

4. CREATING A SPLIT SHANK RING FROM @RITUALFEMME

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Here is a tip for making a split shank ring with regular wire from @ritualfemme - “Start with two rings same size, line up solder seams before binding together. Use stainless steel wire to bind the two rings together, stacked upon each other. Place in third hand and place small pallion of solder in the seam (more solder means a larger area that is joined, and your original solder seams should be lined up underneath the additional solder). Solder, then insert something to pry the open end of the rings apart (directly across from the joined ends) and all done :-)” Thank you so much for sharing this! We had so many people asking about making these I thought it wouldn’t hurt to show a few different techniques! 😉 I love that everyone has different ways of doing things, it gives us so much to learn from one another! Show us your ways! #communityovercompetition ❤️ #metalsmithsociety #jewelrytipoftheday #splitshankring

A post shared by Metalsmith Society (@metalsmithsociety) on Nov 30, 2018 at 5:25am PST

5. USING A CANDLESTICK FOR LUBRICATION FROM @REVEL.DESIGNS.BY.SHELLY

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I like this system set up by @revel.designs.by.shelly to keep her sawblades lubricated while working! -“To lube your saw blade with ease as you’re working, tape a candlestick right next to your bench pin. Just give the blade a quick and easy swipe against the candle when you’re feeling the tension! I purchased this 12 pack of candles from Target for less than $8. I suspect it will last me for years to come. And shhhh 🤫...I prefer these over beeswax.” Thank you for sharing this! 🙏🏻😘 What do you use? Do you have a fun set up? Tell us all about it! Or ask us a question! #metalsmithsociety #ladysmith #jewelrybench #sawing

A post shared by Metalsmith Society (@metalsmithsociety) on Dec 6, 2018 at 4:39am PST

6. CUTTING BEZELS WITH CRAFT SCISSORS FROM @QUIETSPARKLE

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Absolutely love this tip from @quietsparkle - she uses craft scissors to cut decorative bezels from her plain 28g bezel wire 🤯 thank you so much for sharing this with our community!! 🙏🏻😘 #metalsmithsociety #jewelrycommunity #communityovercompetition #jewelrymakingtools #bezelsetting

A post shared by Metalsmith Society (@metalsmithsociety) on Nov 12, 2018 at 5:45am PST

7. CREATING A SPLIT SHANK FROM DOUBLE WIRE FROM @LA_SOUCIQUE_STUDIO

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Here is a tip for creating a split shank ring from @la_soucique_studio - “I have always had trouble getting split shanks symmetrical. Until a few months ago when I ordered a thicker double half-round wire. Gotta use it, right? It makes split shank fabrication so much easier - and if you saw following the line, you can hardly go wrong. Start with @riogrande double half-round wire (item #102005). I measure out my ring size, snip the wire and then mark about 1/2 inch (10mm) from each end. This is the mark to tell me when to stop sawing down the middle of the wire, and to help me make sure that each split will be the same length. I use my flat nose pliers to flare each split out - the wire is soft enough to not require annealing. Finally, I bend into a ring shape and file as needed to be attached to a bezel cup. It saves sooo much time and looks properly nice. Enjoy!” yasssss 🙌✨ thank you so much for sharing this with us! Someone had asked about this (admittedly over a month ago 🤦‍♀️) but we finally made it happen!! If there is something you are struggling with maybe comment below! No judgement and maybe one of us can come up with a tip to help! ❤️ #metalsmithsociety #jewelrytipoftheday #splitshankring

A post shared by Metalsmith Society (@metalsmithsociety) on Nov 5, 2018 at 5:21am PST

8. CREATING SILVER BALLS FROM @STUDIOJULESSILVERSMITH

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When you want to make silver balls use this methods from @studiojulessilversmith -“That block has about 2mm holes drilled. If you want larger balls you would need to make larger holes. My block is drilled with all the same size holes because I consistently use this size ball!” This is such a great technique! You can use a drill bit or ball bur! Be sure to wear a mask when drilling or sanding down the charcoal to avoid inhalation! #metalsmith #jewelrymaking #jewelrymakingtip #jewelrycommunity

A post shared by Metalsmith Society (@metalsmithsociety) on Oct 28, 2018 at 5:24am PDT

9. HOLDING SMALL ITEMS FROM @ANNIE.LESPERANCE

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Here is a solution for holding small objects while filing and polishing from @annie.lesperance - “I use a clothes pin and tie an elastic to the end of it. It creates a tiny ring clamp with just enough tension to hold tiny pieces securely. I use this technique everyday and it’s sooo useful and cheap!” Thanks for sharing this 🙌 email or DM me with pics of your favorite way to hold on to tiny things 🙏🏻😘 #metalsmithsociety #jewelrytipoftheday #jewelrycommunity #ladysmith

A post shared by Metalsmith Society (@metalsmithsociety) on Sep 22, 2018 at 5:07am PDT

THANK YOU TO ALL OF YOU WHO REACHED OUT TO SHARE A TIP, OR GENEROUSLY ALLOWED ME TO SHARE SOMETHING FROM YOUR FEED. METALSMITH SOCIETY ONLY EXISTS BECAUSE OF ALL OF YOU! I LOOK FORWARD TO AN EVEN BETTER YEAR, AS OUR COMMUNITY GROWS! IF YOU'D LIKE TO SUBMIT A TIP HERE IS THE BEST WAY TO DO SO:

• EMAIL ME: CORKIE@METALSMITHSOCIETY.COM
  
• PUT "TIP" IN THE SUBJECT LINE
• SEND ME CLEAR IMAGES SHOWING YOUR TIP/TOOLS/TECHNIQUE (I LIKE TO USE PHOTOS THAT ARE SO CLEAR SOMEONE DOESN'T NEED TO READ THE CAPTION TO UNDERSTAND WHAT IS HAPPENING!)
• PLEASE SEND A CAPTION IN YOUR OWN WORDS, DESCRIBING YOUR TIP
• INCLUDE YOUR INSTAGRAM HANDLE (I ALWAYS GIVE CREDIT)

IF YOU ARE JUST STUMBLING UPON THIS ARTICLE BE SURE TO JOIN OUR COMMUNITY!