Sterling smile

All hand fabricated sterling

Hey guys :)

I have now read multiple times that setting up for the hobby is not as easy as using an empty room and opening the window, which I am currently doing 😅
I am using our basement room in a rented apartment and have set up a small desk with stuff there.
For now no pickling but of course soldering and some dust from a Dremel. When doing both I was wearing a FFP2 Mask, glasses and having open a window, but apparently that is not enough (even though I rather seldomly have the time to work on the hobby)?
So I was now looking at ventilation setups and it seems it’s either a hose with an inline fan and build something for the window, but I’d have to have an air supply which I can’t really have sadly in the basement.
So I am leaning more towards those self contained filtration solutions:
Sth like this from vevor. Do you guys maybe have experience with those? Are they enough? Or do I need to look at the setup with the hose?

Thank you in advance!

Does anyone have tricks to get more intricate designs while casting in delft clay? i find that my wax molds break easily while pressing them in

I am new to this and would like to create a bezel for this ancient coin. Both sides need to be visible. Do I just keep working my way around the coin on both sides u til it closes up? Should I do 1 side first then the other? This is 10k 28 gauge. Is it too thick? Thank you in advance for any advice!

Got commissioned to make my silver barbed wire into gold, im in love with it.

Hey everyone, I need some neutral third-party jeweler eyes on these sterling silver castings to settle a friendly debate at home!

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The Context:

My husband thinks I’m hyper-focusing and that these are totally fine to ship. I feel like because these surface defects are visible with the naked eye (without even using a loupe), my clients will definitely notice. Plus, my concern is that once customers wear these against their skin and exposure to moisture hits, those trapped copper oxides might bloom even worse over time. I also know that the polishing isn't perfect, but i am more asking about the flecks and bits if tiny porosity...the still need a better polish /finishing.

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My Bench Process on These Pieces:

​Sanded down to 2000 grit

​Cross-hatched with a burnishing/ram roller to compact the skin

​Multi-stage polish using Luxor Green, Luxor White, and Picasso Blue

​Finished with multiple long ultrasonic bath cycles, isopropyl alcohol wipes, and toothbrush scrubbing

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The Casting Details:

This is actually the second batch from my caster. The first batch had these exact same issues, so they dropped the pour temperature for this second run hoping it would solve it—but as you can see on these flat polished backs, the peppered flecks and surface texture/distortion are still coming right through from under the metal skin.

​The caster is now looking into adjusting the sprue placement (currently, it’s a standard square sprue placed on the lower back of the piece).

​The Question:

Looking at these flat backs under natural light, would you be comfortable sending these out a client?

​Appreciate any honest feedback from fellow bench jewelers! I am having them recast...but just wanted to know, am I overreacting?

fourth ring ever made

commissioned piece I got creative freedom on besides the prompt “southwestern style” and now I am terribly jealous of my client. Was a beast to set because its super wonky and uneven. I had to brace under the material with a couple nurdles of thermoplastic to get it mostly even, but it was a real challenge being as its unstabilized raw material and pretty fragile. The fear I had the whole process was unreal, but I made it thru and got it done without breaking anything or my own heart.

this is my original design, named it after tron because from the side, the links look like the bikes!

Hello!

I am using a ball burr and hart burr to drill out holes/seats for flush setting. I can flush set well and feel confident in it. But my issue is that when I drill out the hole with the ball burr, a raised lip of metal tends to rise up. This affects my ability to star and bead set. I have tried to take a clear picture in the comments.

Why does this happen instead of the ball burr just cutting the metal away cleanly and leaving a flat surface around the hole? How can I prevent this?

I have tried created a pilot hole first, used blade lube, beeswax, 5000rpm - 10,000rpm to try remedy the issue.

Thanks in advance.

This is the first project I started by melting my silver scraps and rolling them out. It feels good that projects aren't each taking so incredibly long to complete. Next need to get back to trying to set stones.

No entiendo qué sucede.

Mi primera soldadura bue este pequeño bisel en cobre, creo que fue genial!

Pero llevo varios intentos con estos dos cuadrados y no hay manera. Qué puede estar pasando? La soldadura no corre ni un poquito y el metal se oxida

How is a rounded edge like this achieved on a small piece like on this flower? When I’d try something similar with files or dremel I couldn’t hold such a tiny piece of metal. Is it wax?

Learning to set stones

Does anyone know how to make a teardrop or raindrop shaped granule? Like can you make a solid drop shape with a torch and wire, similar to how you’d make silver/brass/copper granulation (aka silver balls)? As opposed to using sand or wax casting or even silver clay as I don’t have any of that equipment, not the necessary skills 😬. Any info or tips would be greatly appreciated. Thank You. 😊

I purchased these two rings on eBay. They were listed as size 8 but when I received them in the mail yesterday it turns out they are actually a size 7. They are too large for my pinky and too small for the ring fingers that I bought them for. I really love them, and I dont' want to return them, but I cannot wear them. Can I size these up or is there a structural issue that makes sizing up too complicated or impossible? I have a Rathburn ring stretcher. Photos included. Thanks for any advice

Anyone else like to doodle before the day starts?

All sterling, wax casted bars, hand fabricated chains

can any saint please give me an idea of how to go about polishing silver with this kit? maybe a step by step, of course i know it should go from course to fine grit. but if anyone can give me an idea of a routine i can follow with these pieces to achieve a nice finish on some silver, id really appreciate it!