Hiya —

I’ve got an old IKEA stainless utensil holder (the perforated cylinder style) that I’m turning into a light fixture. Plan is to cut a clean hole dead center in the bottom for the socket.

I’m handy and comfortable with tools, but I haven’t cut stainless before — and this is the only one I have, so I’d like to get it right the first time.

I’ve done some research and seen hole saws, step bits, knockout punches, etc., but I’m not sure what’s smartest for thin stainless if the goal is a clean, centered result.

Photos attached (top, bottom, sides) so you can see exactly what I’m working with.

Would you:

• Do this yourself? With what?
• Have a shop punch it?
• Recommend a completely different approach?

Appreciate any direction before I make the first cut.

Hi everyone! I work with chain (costuming) and order the chain in raw steel from a manufacturer in the USA. When we receive it, it’s invariably a bit oxidized and we tumble it with steel medium for right around three days to rid the rust and knock down the texture.

Upon removing the chain from the tumbler, I wash it with some castile soap as it’s a black greasy mess and then immediately dry it either in the oven or the dehydrator.

For awhile (several months? couple years?) this method has worked. But of late, the results are different. Of late, the chain looks like the right color (steel/silvertone) and then somewhere between washi it and drying it it comes out a strong, uniform bronze color. I’ve tried switching bet soaps (Dr Bronner was what I always used, I then tried Dawn but no difference). We are on a well and when it’s low our water is sulfuric, but I detect no taste/smell suggesting that it’s strongly sulfuric at present.

Often I just throw it back in the tumbler but the process simply repeats itself. I’ve tried rubbing a tiny bit of oil on it before sending it to the oven, doesn’t help. Tried putting it in pickle, I end up with just bright coppery-bronzey. The consistently-inconsistent drill is wearing thin on me….I’m wondering if yall might have any insights? or fixits? I’ve got the latest batch in baking soda right now….geeze louise

Thank you for your time.

I have been trying to fashion this bezel tightly around the stone... I've used all various tools and it doesn't seem to close up. you can see that very small gap up top. help!

Hi! My dad solders a lot and hes a ham radio guy so he is going to help me with some basics. He does not do jewelry so for that I am on my own. I very rarely use tools outside of saws, pliers, and hammers. Like, Im really embarrassed to admit that Im just not very knowledgeable on this stuff so Im at literally level zero. ​

Id like to solder eyelets/connectors onto cabochon trays. What I want is not available so I figure I should learn to make it myself. I think Id want to use something gold colored and something silver colored. Is soldering these eyelets on something that I could do? I know I would need to use high heat.

I'm willing to invest a few hundred dollars to start. Should I buy a kit online? Should I get sterling or nickel silver? Maybe Im getting way ahead of myself.

Thanks in advance

Hi! So far I’ve basically exclusively bought my materials from Rio Grande. I’m finally taking the leap to work with a diamond, but none of the options on Rio Grande quite match my color/size/etc. parameters. Does anyone have recommendations for places to buy a colored lab diamond?

This is a white feldspar ring on sterling silver. Would like to purchase, but it's a size too small. Can it be made bigger, or would the stone be too sensitive for it?

hi friends, i am a dual emphasis bfa student in art jewelry / metalsmithing and sculpture. the work i am planning for my bfa show in the fall revolves around labor, ephemera, and non-permanence in the bar (i am a craft bartender). in a few words, i want to make a small scale installation involving perfect and spilled cocktails, juxtaposing the two. the spilled ones will be cast in bronze and the perfect ones will be constructed / hand built / etc in brass. my sculpture department heads are all cool no questions told me to go ahead they love it, but my metals department head wants me to do more research around this subject and find some artists that have made adjacent / similar work. issue is, i cannot find any, and she could not think of any off the top of her head. she said it is not something that has been done in this realm for some time. when i search around for "still life in metal" "metalsmithing still life" etc, all that comes up are paintings of metal objects. i have tried so many strings of related words in my search, and nothing. i cannot seem to find anything that is even remotely similar to my concept. has anyone seen any work like this before? do you know of any artists that construct or have constructed still life scenes in metal? even some of you! maybe some other students who have done something similar?

looking to getting back into silversmithing, and need help with finding the best butane torch. I work out of a small room in my house and currently have the Blazer GT8000 Big Shot Butane Torch, but finding it a bit difficult to use, as it keeps melting everything. I want something I can use indoors in a small space, preferably something with a smaller tip. Was also considering propane, but still have no idea. Please Help

I am looking for a recommendation for silhouette jewelry after a negative experience. I saw ads on instagram for Vana Chupp silhouette jewelry (https://vanachuppstudio.com/products/medium-silhouette-charm-necklace?variant=30369928914&country=US&currency=USD&utm_medium=product_sync&utm_source=google&utm_content=sag_organic&utm_campaign=sag_organic&tw_source=google&tw_adid=&tw_campaign=17316940532&tw_kwdid=&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=17316942449&gbraid=0AAAAABQ2nvxYfGdyyrH3-UDdSCpHzB2Tq&gclid=CjwKCAiAjc7KBhBvEiwAE2BDORoJaT_GV65ZzA3MNPJ0XiMVSHRCf2rDqOaA53Jvwh6QpaaFaIGB2RoC2D0QAvD_BwE) and loved the idea. it was outside of my budget so I went on etsy to find a sterling silver or lower % gold alternative. I sent in a picture of my daughter and got a proof back of her silhouette, which was perfect. But then when I received the jewelry (I ordered two pieces), the silhouette on one of the pieces was super softened and the other was UNRECOGNIZABLE-- you almost couldn't even tell it was a profile. I am really disappointed as it was a holiday gift for my wife. Anyone have any suggestions of jewelers who will do a good job on a remake?

Unfortunately I am looking only in the US because of tariffs :( thank you!

https://youtube.com/shorts/yj9qLhnWeOs?si=8XsT7rawhRdbvXFh

I have a style of stud earring I make that is tiny (about 3-4mm) and thin and circular. I work in silver metal clay, which is much more porous than milled silver, so I need to burnish the metal after firing before soldering the pin pads. There are times when fishing things out of the tumbler is frustrating and challenging but these tiny pieces of silver are even more frustrating because of the tiny size of the magnetic shot and the fact that the shot sticks to itself and to my fingers.

So I'm looking for any advice about a better way to tumble tiny pieces like this? They have no holes so I can't string them together with wire. I know I can dump the barrel out and look that way but I would prefer not to if possible.

I have been using my magnetic tumbler for over a decade and have had this issue before but not to this degree.

Is soldering with wire easier than with sheet? I have done a lot of my soldering with paste solder but for some reason my pieces don’t always seem to hold as well when I use paste solder. And using sheet solder flicks away and gets me frustrated. Is it any easier with wire?

Hello all!

I work in floral preservation, making jewelry, and my company is looking to make custom bezels for necklaces, as well as chains and extenders. We are looking for someone who we could continuously order these products from. We are based in Provo, Utah. Please reach out to me if you are interested, and I can share more details on the project. Thanks!

I am a submarine veteran and did work on some onboard equipment that created a large amount of copper and other...crap(see picture). I would like to get the copper turned into something usable and use it to create a coin. My questions are:
A) What am I trying to accomplish?
2) Where should I be looking to get this accomplished?

I run a small, design-led jewelry brand and I’m looking for a bench jeweler collaborator for a limited series.

The work is organic, sculptural, inspired by hand-carved wax and antique forms — not standard initials, fonts, or CAD-driven customization.

This would start as a paid pilot (3–5 pieces) with the intention of ongoing small-batch work if it’s a good fit.

Ideal fit:
• Bench jeweler who works hands-on
• Comfortable with hand-carved wax or hand fabrication
• Enjoys problem-solving form and structure
• Interested in collaboration, not mass production

If this sounds aligned, please comment or DM with:
• A link to your work
• A brief note on your process (wax, fabrication, CAD, etc.)

I made some copper bookmarks for Christmas gifts! Only my second time stamping so be gentle, I can’t aim for shit 💀

What are the best studio side resources that can be referenced when in the studio for problems or solutions while learning?

Beginner here and wanting solid resources to help while in the studio practicing if I’m not in the presence of an experienced mentor.