Here is a tip for drawing wire from @mcoledesignz - “If you’ve been following for a bit you probably know how much I love my @pepetools_usa Blade Butter for sawing and drilling. Well today I found a new use for it, drawing down wire! Holy cow, what a... more
Here is a soldering station tip from @cynosurej - “ I use a magnetic strip from IKEA to organize my solder station.” This is so simple but I love that you can make your station less cluttered just by giving the tools a home. Thanks for letting me... more
Files are not only an essential tool for filing and finishing jewelry but you can also use them to carve your metal, think of the endless design possibilities! For this demo I used my triangular Glardon Vallorbe needle file from @ottofrei1930 They... more
Some members of the community asked about this tool from my video carving a ring, so I thought I’d post about it separately. This was created by @grstools and it’s a mandrel that has equidistant lines which allow you to mark a ring. I find it really... more
Here is a setting tip from @jen_surine - “I learned this stone setting trick from a master goldsmith I used to work with. He would wrap a rubber band over the stone as he would set it. Not only was this helpful to be able to rotate the piece as I set... more
Here is a technique for making a setting punch that also works on a standard nail if you don’t have a pneumatic graver machine ☺️ I have a variety of @agiloswiss Diamond Wheels from @ottofrei1930 and they are perfect for shaping an old bur or nail... more
Love this before and after from @az_metalsmith - “Organization tip • It’s the little things you do to your desk to make it work better for you. I have other places for pliers on my bench but they always end up in this drawer anyways so why not add a... more
Here is a plier modification tip from @jen_surine - “Here is a very simple plier modification on brass lined flat pliers from @seattlefindings. Any pair of pliers can be altered, but brass lined ones are a bit easier to shape and don’t contaminate my... more
Here is a tool organizing tip from @honedbyclairekinder - “Standard construction screws can be used to store and organize tools on a wall. You can adjust the depth to fit various tools too.” I love the look of this too. To be able to quickly find... more
For this #tooltalktuesday I wanted to show off the @grstools Slide & Lock. I would recommend the “Original Tall” which allows for two mounting plates to adjust up and down with 8” of movement. Mine is actually the “Tru-axis” version which is more... more
Here is a soldering tip from @makeitwithkim - “Do you struggle to solder bigger pieces of jewellery with your small torch? Here Alex is demonstrating how a tiny torch can heat up a super chunky ring with ease. This ring is a size Z and made from 5mm... more
Here is a plier modification from @mcallisterstudio - “These pliers were modified to hold and close small jump rings. I made them to hold the jump rings in the laser welder so I can put a little pressure on them when welding them closed.” Love this... more
For this week's #tooltalktuesday I wanted to show how having a pair of Ultra Flush Cutters from our friends @lindstromtools helps you cut your bezel wires flush in seconds. It is so nice and flat I don't have to do any additional filing or sanding. In... more
For today’s tip I just wanted to share another use for the @grstools Multi Purpose Vise, you can use it to firmly hold your ring mandrel (or bezel mandrel) while you work. You can also use a regular bench vise for this. Depending on the mandrel I may... more
Here is a tip to differentiate your needle files from @garry_brisdion - “I was used to get annoyed at picking up the wrong grade of needle file whilst working at my bench until I hit upon this idea. I use different colours of electrical heat shrink... more
This is a @pepetools_usa Ring Stretcher & Reducer one of my favorite tools in my studio. Some people are curious about the bottom part of this tool so I thought I would show off what it can do. You take an annealed ring and the tool will apply... more
Occasionally I take a little sandpaper to my bench pin to soften any edges where it might have splintered. You can also use files to reshape the wood! Taking the time to modify a bench pin is super gratifying! Hope this is helpful ☺️... more
How do you hold your torch? A DIY holder? We’d love if you shared with us! This one is a torch holder that is under $10 from our friends at @gesswein.jewelry This simple bracket (Item 830-1305) gets secured onto your bench or tabletop and it holds... more
When you need to polish inside a curve, grab a Q-tip and load it up with your choice polishing compound! I love that @christynatsumi shared this in March of 2018 with us and it’s stuck with me and I continue to use the tip. This page and community has... more
