Jewelry Making with Brad Simon

Cotton Buff for Jewelry

A small cotton buff for your flex-shaft can easily be made to polish recesses, and other areas that are small and difficult to access.  First, take an old ball bur small enough to fit into the area.  Then, wrap cotton around the bur by holding the bur against a small piece of cotton while turning slowly in your flex-shaft.  Apply rouge to the cotton and use to polish the area.

For articles on Jewelry Making go to: http://GuideToJewelryMaking.com
Bench Tips and Tricks for Bench Jewelers, and Goldsmiths

Bench Jewelers Appreciation Christmas Specials

The 12 Days of Christmas Sale

December 15th to 27th

You’ve Been Busy Making Christmas Presents For Everyone Else
So Here Is A Christmas Present Just For You!

We know this time of year is busy for Bench Jewelers.  You are working long hours making jewelry so that all of your customers can have that Extraordinary Present under the tree for that Special Someone.  So we're offering our Bench Jewelers Appreciation Christmas Specials.  These exceptional offers are your chance to do something special just for you.  You'll fine-tune your Bench Skills and receive the information you need to make 2010 your Best Year Ever and Save Money while doing it.

12 Special Deals for 12 Days Only

http://www.benchjewelersnetwork.com/store/sale.html

Hurry This Sale Ends December 27th.

Soldering Gold Chains

Do not point your torch directly on fine chains or other thin metal, as they melt easily.  Instead place the chain, wire, or other metal on a ceramic pad. Then, direct the torch on the pad next to the metal and let the reflected heat melt the solder.

Bench Television
How to training videos for Bench Jewelers
See some of the most respected Master Jewelers explain their techniques and tips
on stonesetting, making and repairing jewelry.

Mini Wood Polishing Points

Placing a section of a bamboo skewers (like you buy in the grocery store) in your flex-shaft can make an excellent wood lap polishing point.  File the protruding end to a point, and use your favorite rouge or tripoli.  The bamboo skewers are approximately 3/32 inches in diameter, which makes them easy to use in a quick-change handpiece.

For all your Jewelry Findings go to: Southeastern Findings

Bench Jewelers Burnishers

Small burnishers can be made by grinding off the teeth of old needle files and polishing them.  Be careful to not over heat the file when grinding as you do not want to remove the temper.  These provide nice shape as sizes to get into areas that you cannot reach with polishing wheels.  A few strokes of a burnisher will brighten up a small crevice.

Bench Television
How to training videos for Bench Jewelers
See some of the most respected Master Jewelers explain their techniques and tips
on stonesetting, making and repairing jewelry.

Soldering Jewelry

Do not try to move metal when heated to temperatures that solder will flow.  This may cause the metal to crack.  Instead, allow the metal to cool, re-align.  Then, complete the soldering.

For all your Jewelry Findings go to: Southeastern Findings

Bench Jewelers Saw Frames

Keep two or three saw frames at your bench with different size sawblades in each one.  Color-code the handle with spray paint so that you can easily keep them separate.  Then. regardless of the work, you will always have a saw with the proper size blade ready to use.

For articles on Jewelry Making go to: http://GuideToJewelryMaking.com
Bench Tips and Tricks for Bench Jewelers, and Goldsmiths

Polishing Jewelry

Always work just below the center of the buff wheel while polishing.  Never raise the jewelry above a horizontal line even with the motor spindle, or lower it too far below.  Both of these situations will cause the wheel to grab the item from your hand.

Bench Television
How to training videos for Bench Jewelers
See some of the most respected Master Jewelers explain their techniques and tips
on stonesetting, making and repairing jewelry.

Firecoat - Soldering Jewelry

Always coat the jewelry with boric acid by dipping it in a solution of boric acid and alcohol.  Then, burn off the alcohol leaving an even coating of powered boric acid over the jewelry.  When heated the boric acid will turn glassy, forming a barrier from oxygen in the air, keeping the jewelry from oxidation.  Boric acid also acts as a flux.  Often this is all the flux you will need to solder; however, sometimes additional flux will need to be added.

If enough flux is not used the metal will oxidize, and the solder will not be able to flow properly; however, you can use too much flux.  If too much flux is used the glassy coating of the flux will hold the solder away from the metal not allowing it to flow into the seam.  If this is a problem, use your solder pick to scrape away excess flux.  Then, continue your soldering. 

For articles on Jewelry Making go to: http://GuideToJewelryMaking.com
Bench Tips and Tricks for Bench Jewelers, and Goldsmiths

Using a Jewelers Saw

Saw with a slow steady up and down rhythm using the entire length of the blade.  This will allow you to saw faster and more accurately.  Short choppy strokes result in uneven sawing and will prematurely wear out that section of the blade, causing it to break.  On the downward stroke, a natural forward movement provides sufficient pressure on the blade.  Too little pressure allows the teeth to simply scrape the metal, which is ineffective.  An excess of forward or downward pressure will cause the blade to break.

Release the forward pressure on the upward return stroke.  It only repositions the blade for the next downward cutting stroke.  Dragging the teeth on the up stroke can cause the blade to misshape, and the teeth to wear unevenly.

For all your Jewelry Findings go to: Southeastern Findings