Metalsmithing 101: Jewelry Making With Everything But The Torch   

In this 3-day course, students will explore various aspects of traditional jewelry making: Sawing, filing, sanding, forging, surface design as well as various methods of joining layers of metals or objects to create various forms of jewelry. Create pendants, pins, rings, bracelets or earrings. Use you imagination to design it and  learn the skills to make it.   In addition, instruction will emphasize safe working habits.  

Traditional jewelers use many tools in the creation of their finished pieces:  Jewelers' saws,  torches, files and abrasives, hammers, drills, flex shafts, mandrels, pliers, etc.  Students in this class will have the opportunity to learn the correct usage of many of these tools while creating one or more pieces of jewelry or objects.  Everything that will be made will be joined without heat or solder by Cold Connections. 

Cold-Connections refers to mechanical ways to attach two materials together without the use of heat or solder.  Learn how to use metal tabs, washers or wires to hold a stone or other object or explore the use of wires or tubes to rivet objects together!   Cold connections allow you to incorporate leather, plastic, shells, stones, glass or found objects into your jewelry.  Many of these materials are temperature sensitive and would be precluded from inclusion in traditional jewelry.

Students should wear closed toed shoes for safety.  Long hair must be pulled back and no loose fitting clothing can be used around rotary tools.  Students should bring pencil and paper, found objects to incorporate into designs, Sharpie and magnifiers or vision aids.