Jewelry Making with Brad Simon

Soldering Jewelry

Soldering is one of the most basic operations preformed by a bench jeweler.  Developing other skills is of little value without the ability to solder with confidence.  The only way to attain a level of proficiency is by gaining correct instruction, and continually practicing proper techniques.  With this in mind, the following tips are given for the apprentice to learn correctly, and the advanced or master jeweler to review and brush-up on existing skills.

  ~Brad

Looking for new ways to sell your custom made jewelry?

Learn How to Sell Jewelry at Craft Fairs, Art Shows and Festivals

http://www.JewelryBoothSales.com

Soldering White Gold

Never quench white gold.  Always allow it to cool to the point that you can pick it up with your fingers before soaking.

  ~Brad

For all your Jewelry Findings go to: Southeastern Findings

Electroplating Jewelry

The Metal Plating Bible

The Definitive Guide To Metal Plating

 

http://www.MetalPlatingGuide.com

This book is about plating metal in general and not just jewelry specific.  However at 123 pages in length, it contains all the information you ever wanted to know about plating metal (it even has a section on plating over plastic).  Several professional electro-chemists combined their knowledge in producing this authoritative guide on metal plating

 

CHAPTERS INCLUDE:

• Introduction to Electroplating

• Electroplating Process Description

• Solution Formulation

• Preparation for Electroplating

• Safety Hazards

• Plating

  Bath

  Compositions

• Operating Conditions

• And Much More!

 

This downloadable eBook is only $37.

 

For all the Details go to:

http://www.MetalPlatingGuide.com

Soldering Filigree

Demonstration of soldering filigree using a solder pick by my friend Jeanne Rhodes-Moen, Author of Silver Threads, Making Wire Filigree Jewelry.

Video 1

Video 2

Video 3

Custom Jewelry Manufacturing

The 2009 Bench Jewelers Conference is offering the following seminars on Custom Jewelry Manufacturing.  For a complete list of seminars and registration details go to: www.BenchConference.com

This may be the Most Important Event you Attend in 2009.

Alternative Metals
Chris Ploof
Thursday session 4, Saturday session 2
Making Mokume Gane at the bench is just one of the processes you’ll discover as Master Jeweler Chris Ploof pushes the envelope of current and accepted techniques by exploring how to make jewelry utilizing processes and materials not commonly used in the jewelry industry.  You’ll learn how to expertly combine High Karat Golds, Platinum and Palladium with Meteorite Iron and Damascus Stainless Steel to make unusually beautiful and durable jewelry.

Palladium - A Guide to Processes and Profitability
Linus Drogs & Chris Ploof
Friday session 2, Saturday session 4
Palladium presents some unique challenges to Bench Jewelers.  Learn about Palladium's unique characteristics and discover how easy it is to begin fabricating, casting and repairing palladium jewelry at your bench.  The processes, procedures and tips from this presentation will ensure that you’ll have the confidence and knowledge to begin profiting from Palladium immediately.

Step by Step Fabrication
Jurgen Maerz
Thursday session 3, Saturday session 1
In this seminar, German Trained Master Jeweler Jurgen Maerz will provide step-by-step instruction on a variety fabrication projects.  Learn cutting-edge techniques and insights for fabricating and creating jewelry.  From simply designs to truly unique jewelry, this seminar will go beyond the basics and demonstrate hand-fabricating techniques that will stretch your creativity. 

Casting for the Small Shop
Linus Drogs
Thursday session 2, Saturday session 2
With the dramatic increase in demand for custom design jewelry and custom re-mounts, Bench Jewelers need to develop efficient and affordable techniques to enhance their casting skills.  With casting at the foundation of custom design, learning to increase the quality of your cast pieces while reducing the time required completing a casting job offers tremendous benefits and savings. 

Favorite Tips
Jurgen Maerz & Brad Simon
Thursday session 4
This seminar is full of innovative tips, tricks, shortcuts, and homemade tools to help jewelers work smarter, by being more efficient and economical.  You will learn tips, tricks, and techniques from Master Jewelers Jurgen Maerz & Brad Simon on Jewelry Fabrication and Casting.  Plus bring along your own tips to share.

Working with Platinum
Jurgen Maerz
Thursday session 1, Friday session 2
Revolutionize your platinum techniques and expand your design capabilities by learning platinum’s unique properties to create jewelry.  In this presentation you’ll see how platinum is mined and learn a variety of advanced platinum bench techniques.  You’ll learn from the industries foremost platinum jewelry expert all about the processes involved in taking platinum from the ground to your customer’s finger, along with many tips and tricks to working with platinum. 

Platinum Casting
Jurgen Maerz
Friday session 1, Saturday session 3
Today, platinum casting for the small shop is easier than ever.  Platinum casting is different from gold or silver casting, and insufficient preparation and understanding of the process can still lead to many hours of frustration.  Acclaimed platinumsmith Jurgen Maerz will emphasize ways to improve your casting process and discuss how to recognize and eliminate common mistakes and improve efficiency in both time and materials.

Looks are Deceiving
Brad Simon
Thursday session 1, Saturday session 3
Hand Fabricated or Assembled Findings Only Your Bench Jeweler Knows for Sure!  Custom Designed Jewelry and Remounts are big business.  However, Hand-Fabricated jewelry is often beyond the budget of our customers, especially in today’s economy.  In this session, you will learn how to create jewelry with a hand-fabricated look in a fraction of the time - assembled from stock findings.

For a complete list of seminars and registration details go to: www.BenchConference.com

Training Seminars

Don’t Waste Your Money on Supplier Promoted Training Events.

We don’t charge you to sit through an infomercial!  All the seminars at the Bench Jewelers Conference are provided by working jewelers who face the same problems you do day in and day out.  Our seminars are not lead by factory reps or supplier salespeople.  Many of our seminar leaders currently own their own jewelry business.  All of our seminar leaders are highly skilled bench jewelers who have spent most if not all of their careers making a living from working at the bench.

2009 Bench Conference
April 23 -25, 2009

For a complete list of all the seminars go to:
http://www.benchconference.com/seminars.html

The Bench Jewelers Conference is your opportunity to Pick the Brains of real life working professional jewelers who have learned to overcome the same type of problems you face each day!

Register before March 20 to receive Early Registration Discount.
For complete details Log onto: www.BenchConference.com

The One Show to Attend - When One Is All You Can Afford

CALL FOR ENTRIES

The fifth annual Bench Jewelers Passion Award Design Competition will be held in conjunction with the Bench Jewelers Conference April 23 – 25, 2009 in St. Louis, MO.

The Deadline for Entries is March 20th.

The competition is open to all professional Bench Jewelry Artist and Designers actively involved in the design and production of jewelry.  The Passion Award Jewelry Design Contest consists of four categories for finished jewelry and CAD renderings.

For details, contest rules, and to enter the competition log onto: http://BenchConference.com/DesignContest

For information on the Bench Jewelers Conference log onto:
http://BenchConference.com

All jewelry submitted for the Finished Jewelry categories must be original, and designed and made by the jeweler entering the contest.  No trade shops or other jewelers can work on the piece of jewelry.  The Finished Jewelry Division categories are: Men’s Jewelry, Ladies Rings, Ladies Jewelry other than rings.

All renderings in the CAD Rendering category must be original and created by the jeweler entering the contest using 3D computer software.  The jewelry rendered must be able to be made by a jeweler using reasonable skills.

Jewelers may enter up to 3 different pieces of jewelry or CAD renderings in one or more categories.  Photographs of the finished jewelry or CAD renderings must be submitted over the Internet with a completed entry form.  Entry fees must be paid with a credit card at time of entry.

To submit entries log onto:
http://BenchConference.com/DesignContest

1st and 2nd place will be awarded in each category.  All Passion Award winners will receive a Trophy, Cash Award, and Publicized in trade publications.  Winners will be announced on Thursday April 23, 2009 during the Bench Jewelers Conference.  Jewelers entering the contest are encouraged to attend; however, attendance at the Bench Jewelers Conference is not necessary to enter the contest or to win an award.  In addition, a Jewelers Choice Award will be presented on Saturday April 25, 2009.  Jewelers attending the Bench Jewelers Conference will select the Jewelers Choice recipient from among the Passion Award winners.

Deadline for submissions is March 20, 2009.
Contest Chairman: Mark Grosser
For details, contest rules, and to enter the competition log
onto:  http://BenchConference.com/DesignContest

Saw Blades

Saw blades are available in a variety of sizes.  A size 14 is the coarsest, and an 8/0 is the finest.  A good size for general work on gold is a 2/0 blade.  You need to use finer blades for thin sheets of metal.  Greater care is needed while sawing with finer blades as they break easily.  As a general guide, two teeth of the blade should be in contact with the metal at all times when sawing.

 

  ~Brad

Sawing Precious Metal

When using a jeweler’s saw lubricate the blade with bees wax or other wax based lubricant such as “bur life”.  This will allow the blade to slide through the metal easier making cutting more accurate.  Re-lubricate the blade before each cut, and after every inch or so on long cuts.

 

  ~Brad

Solder Anti-Flux

To keep solder from flowing to certain parts, paint them with liquid paper prior to soldering.  The small bottle liquid paper comes in making it covenant to store on your bench, and the brush in the lid makes it easy to apply.

Another method to keep solder from flowing, is to not coat those areas with boric acid or any other flux.  The oxidation on the metal from the heat of the torch will keep the solder from flowing to those areas.

 

  ~Brad