Jewelry and Metalcraft

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Our shop is dedicated to working with non-ferrous metals such as copper, brass, bronze, aluminum, etc., or precious metals and to the fabrication of relatively small items. Here is a short list of both decorative and functional skills you can learn and practice at our shop:

• Wire work: braiding, wrapping, chain-maille, jewelry findings, beading

• Forming and shaping metal: jewelry, vessels, small home decor items

• Joining metal: soldering, cold connections such as rivets, hinges, latches

• Decorating metal: piercing, texturing, stamping, enameling, imprinting, coloring, etching

• Casting and sculpting

• ... and more. If you have a request for a class or have a specific question, please send a note to the shop captain.

Open studio opportunity

Please come, learn, and create something cool at the Metalcraft and Jewelry Open Studio. This regularly held time on Sunday afternoons from 12:30-2:30 is perfect for exploring the shop, getting acquainted with others with similar interests, and asking questions. Do you have a craft or piece of jewelry you'd like to make using metal, but not sure how to begin? Someone with experience will be around to help you get familiar with the tools available and how to use them. This is very informal, just RSVP on the MeetUp page and come! Open studio dates are scheduled on the MeetUp calendar, as are more formal technique instruction and tool certification classes.

References and Resources

  • Media:Bookmarks - Resources.pdf - Contains a few hundred bookmarked resources accumulated over several years by the shop captain, Lynne Davis. (As is. Links may not be current.)

Processes supported

Here are some examples of jewelry making and non-ferrous metal craft processes for which our shop has tools, equipment and expertise:

  • Casting
  • Cold connections
  • Enameling
  • Etching
  • Forming
  • Hand fabrication
  • Lapidary
  • Marriage of Metals
  • Metal sculpture
  • Milling
  • Patination
  • Precious Metal Clay (PMC)
  • Raising
  • Stone setting
  • Soldering
  • Spinning metal
  • Surface treatments
  • Wire wrapping/Beading

Equipment List

Hand Tools

  • Hammers-assorted
  • Pliers-assorted
  • Files-assorted
  • Files-assorted needle
  • Sanding sticks
  • Jeweler's saw (x2)
  • Calipers
  • Hand shears, tin snips - assorted
  • Hole punch (Prat and Whitney)
  • Bench blocks

Bench Tools

  • Flex Shaft w/assorted bits
  • Dremel w/drill press stand
  • Bench pins
  • Small vice/bench block (x2)
  • Large vice
  • Large anvil
  • Belt sander
  • Bench grinder/wire wheel
  • Dapping block and punches

Soldering station

  • Butane torch
  • Oxygen/Acetylene torch
  • MAPP gas torch
  • Pickle pot, chemical
  • Tongs, tweezers
  • Rinse pot
  • Cleaning supplies

Patina setup

  • Glass mixing jars and dishes
  • Brushes/applicators
  • Chemicals
  • Steel wool

Electro-etch setup

  • DC Power supply
  • "D" battery holders
  • Battery clips
  • Etching vessels
  • Resist materials
  • Chemicals

Firing Kilns

  • Kilns x 2 with programmable controllers (one owned by Sarajane Helm)

Enameling Setup

  • Sifting screens
  • Enamel powders
  • Enamel holding agent (e.g. Kleerfire)
  • Kiln trivets, wire screen

Casting

  • Centrifugal Spin Caster
  • Sand casting kit with casting frame, crucible, release agent, pre-mixed casting sand, tongs

Lapidary

  • Trim saw, cab forming wheels (Lortone LU6X Combination Unit) refurbished

Lathe (On Loan to TinkerMill) Hydraulic Press

  • (to be converted from battery casing press to custom forming tool)

Rolling Mill

  • Small Pepe

3-in-1

  • Slip-roller - 9"
  • Bending brake 12" 5 finger sections, bends to 90 degrees
  • Shear: 12" guillotine style

Stand-alone brake (18")

Polishers

  • Magnetic vibratory tumbler
  • Buffing wheel

Classes

Curriculum Map

Metals 100: Introduction to the Jewelry and Metal Crafts Shop Class Handout - Metals 100

  • Prerequisite: none
  • Certification: no
  • Duration: 60 minutes
  • Prerequisite for: All certificate classes

Metals 100 is a comprehensive introduction to the Jewelry and Metal Craft shop within TinkerMill. It is a non-certificate class but is a prerequisite for any shop certification class. It introduces the shop's tool groups, safety and guidelines, self-study resources, and examples of the types of projects best suited to this shop.

Metals 100 covers:

  • Safety first
  • Shop rules, (Ferrous vs Nonferr.) priority use, scale matters
  • Tool groups in the shop
  • Overview of curriculum paths and classes to become certified for independent tool use
  • Resources for independent study and collaboration: books, magazines, shop web portal, TM experts, organizations, and suitable project suggestions

Metals 101: Basic Hand Tools & Fabrication

Class Handout - Metals 101

  • Prerequisite: Metals 100
  • Certification: Metals 101 - Hand tools
  • Duration: 1.5 - 2 hours
  • Required for: Metals 102 (Power tools) and Metals 201 (Single Fuel Torch) and specified project classes

Metals 101 is a certification class for independent use of the shop's basic hand tools. It provides:

  • Instruction on the safe and appropriate use of unpowered hand tools
  • List of tools included in this certification
  • Additional self-study references and list of resources: e.g.: Wire+Metals Text, Web
  • Time in class or at Open Studio times to practice using the tools and complete the sampler project required for certification
  • Certification sampler project: Described in class handout

Tools certified:

  • Jeweler’s saw
  • Hole punch
  • Files
  • Sanding media
  • Hammers
  • Ring mandrel, bench block, anvil
  • Dapping punch
  • Disc cutter
  • Pliers
  • Aviation shear
  • Calipers, Wire gauge, Jewelers’ rule
  • Bench pin
  • Stamps and punches
  • Jumpring maker

Metals 102: Power Tools & Uses

Class Handout - Metals 102

  • Prerequisite: Metals 100
  • Certification: Metals 102 - Power tools
  • Duration: 2 hours
  • Required for: Specified project classes


Metals 102 is a certification class for independent use of the shop's listed power tools. It provides:

  • Instruction on the safe and appropriate use of shop's power tools
  • List of tools included in this certification
  • Additional self-study references and list of resources: e.g.: Wire+Metals Text, Web
  • Time in class or at Open Studio times to practice using the tools and complete the sampler project required for certification
  • Certification sampler project: Described in class handout

Tools certified:

  • Dremel Drill press
  • Foredom Flexshaft
  • Bench Buffer
  • Belt Sander

Metals 200: Introduction to Torch use: Theory and Practice

  • Prerequisite: Metals 100 and 101
  • Certification: none
  • Duration: 60 minutes
  • Required for: Metals 201 (Single Fuel Torches)

The Metals 200 is a non-certificate class to introduce the use of the shop's torches to anneal, join or fuse metal. You will hear about the certificate classes offered, and learn when you can use the torches independently at TinkerMill. This class demonstrates the differences between soldering, brazing, and welding, annealing and tempering metal. It also provides a bit of theory and terminology for this practice.

Metals 200 covers:

  • Safety first
  • Soldering station equipment, supplies, and conventions
  • Torch-related certifications
  • Single fuel vs dual fuel uses
  • Flame heat principles
  • Understanding annealing
  • Demonstrations
  • Examples
  • Q&A
  • Resources: books, magazines, web, TM experts, organizations, and project suggestions
  • List of tools that are included in certifications

Metals 201: Torch use - Single fuel

  • Prerequisite: Metals 200
  • Certification: Metals 201 - Single Fuel Torches and tools requiring annealed materials
  • Duration: 90-120 minutes
  • Required for: Metals 202 and specified project classes

This class is a certification class for independent use of the shop's single fuel torches (Butane, Propane, MAPP Gas, Acetylene-Air). It provides:

  • Theory: Annealing different metals, silver soldering
  • Instruction on the safe and appropriate use of torches for basic jewelry-making (annealing and silver soldering)
  • Instruction to use tools that may be used only with annealed metal
  • List of tools and techniques requiring annealing (e.g.: texturing, raising, folding, riveting, making headpins)
  • Reference materials
  • Additional self-study resources
  • Hands-on trials (supervised)
  • Open Studio time to practice using the tools safely and complete the sampler project required for certification
  • Certification sampler project: Described in class handout

Tools certified:

  • Butane torch
  • Acetylene/AIR torch (not Oxygen/Acetylene torch)
  • MAPP Gas torch
  • Soldering station - materials and tools (solder, pickle, quench, hand tools, etc.)
  • Rolling mill
  • 3-in-1, bending brake
  • Review of dapping block and disc cutter, use of punches

Metals 202: Torch use - Dual fuel

  • Prerequisite:
  • Certification:
  • Duration:
  • Required for:


Description

Metals 203: Torch use - Molten metal

  • Prerequisite:
  • Certification:
  • Duration:
  • Required for:


Description

Metals 300: Introduction to Chemical and Electrolytic Surface Treatments

  • Prerequisite: none
  • Certification: no
  • Duration: 30 minutes
  • Required for: Metals 301 (Electrolytic Etching), Metals 302 (Chemical Patinas and Inks), Metals 303 (Annodizing)

Metals 300 is a non-certificate class to introduce the use of the shop's equipment to alter the surface appearance of metal using an electrical charge and/or chemical means. You will hear about the certificate classes offered which allow you to use this equipment independently at TinkerMill. This class explains and gives some examples of the differences between these surface treatment methods. It also provides a bit of theory and terminology for this practice.

Metals 300 covers:

  • Safety first
  • Station equipment, supplies, and conventions
  • Certifications
  • Storage and disposal of chemicals at TinkerMill
  • Demonstrations
  • Examples
  • Q&A
  • Resources: books, magazines, web, TM experts, organizations, and project suggestions
  • List of tools included in certifications

Metals 301: Electrolytic Etching

  • Prerequisite:
  • Certification:
  • Duration:
  • Required for:


Description

Metals 302: Applying Chemical Patinas and Inks

  • Prerequisite:
  • Certification:
  • Duration:
  • Required for:


Description

Metals 303: Anodizing


  • Prerequisite:
  • Certification:
  • Duration:
  • Required for:


Description

Metals 400: Introduction to Kiln Use


  • Prerequisite:
  • Certification:
  • Duration:
  • Required for:


Description

Metals 401: Using the Metal Craft Shop Kiln

  • Prerequisite:
  • Certification:
  • Duration:
  • Required for:


Description

Metals 500: Introduction to Lapidary Use

  • Prerequisite:
  • Certification:
  • Duration:
  • Required for:


Description

Metals 501: Using the Lapidary for Stone Shaping

  • Prerequisite:
  • Certification:
  • Duration:
  • Required for:


Description

Metals 600: Intro to Lathes at TinkerMill

  • Prerequisite:
  • Certification:
  • Duration:
  • Required for:


Description

Metals 601: Using the Small Metal Lathe

  • Prerequisite:
  • Certification:
  • Duration:
  • Required for:


Description


Teaching

Teaching is sharing and inspiring others to learn and share. Here are a few ways this can be accomplished:

  • Think, Pair, Share
  • Mentorships
  • Projects
  • Techniques
  • Open studio
  • Certification instructor

Contact the shop captain to learn more.

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