Advice on which tools to buy

[Pauline]

Can I ask a favour...........

I've just started a jewellery course, so I'm pretty clueless about the specific differences in tools. It's my birthday next week, and lucky for me I have some family and friends asking what they can buy me re "needs and wants"

I love this course, the tutors are great and I definitely want to continue learning the skill long term. If I want to get a ring mandrel for forming/shaping rings - will the same ring mandrel be suitable for silver, gold and platinium? Is there anthing I should look for in the item spec re size, material etc? I would also like to get a hide mallet - what size is the best size to buy?

What other jewellery tools do you think I should ask for as pressies?

Thanks loads for any advice or purchase suggestions you can give

Pauline

[Goldsmith]

Hi Pauline, here is a list of tool possibilities for you, based on the bench tools that I use mostly.
A piercing saw frame with a selection of saw blades, a selection of needle files, half round pliers, flat nose pliers, round nose pliers, a 25mm nylon head mallet, a size 2 rawhide mallet ( 1.5" diam head), a chasing hammer which is perfect for any punch work, some steel dividers, a steel scriber, an automatic centre punch, a selection of small drills and burrs, a selection of polishing papers or Emory cloths, a burnisher, a set of grain tools, various pushers for setting stones, a vernier gauge for measuring, if you eyesight is as bad as mine, an Optiviser, a disc cutting set, a doming block and some doming punches, a swage block, I also use a lot of scorpers and gravers, I also find a decent lead block is great for shaping pieces, but you can achieve good results also using blocks of wood.
If you also want to equip a home workshop then there are a host of other suggestions I could give. I will stop now as I am sure there are tools that I have missed out that others will suggest.
If you want a ring Mandrel / triblet for all metals then just make sure you buy a top quality hard steel variety.
Good luck with the course and don't forget that there are plenty on these websites that can give you good advice.
Cheers, James

[Pauline]

James , you're an absolute star................thanks loads for the really speedy response and advice.

I can understand what most of it is from seeing it on the Cookson website but I haven't noticed "steel dividers or lead block" - I'll type that into the search engine at Cooksons etc and check it out.

Pauline

[Goldsmith]

Pauline,
To see what steel dividers are, just type "Moore and wright dividers" into Google/Images and you will see a selection of useful measuring tools. As for the lead block I make my own by melting scrap lead into an ingot mold. If you would like to see how I use mine, take a look at this photo tutorial that I prepared about shaping a copper leaf, it has been shown on a few websites but this one was on Ganoksin Bench Tips, see; http://www.ganoksin.com/borisat/nena...metal-leaf.htm
Please bear in mind that I am a trade trained goldsmith who has never had any college training so some of my manufacturing methods, which are trade workshop techniques may be frowned upon by the health and safety college people. If you take a look at my Creations album on my profile you can see the type of work that I make, and anything that has an uneven natural shape would have been shaped on a lead block. You can also Google my full name of James Miller FIPG to see articles and images about me and my work if you are interested.
James

[ps_bond]

Please bear in mind that I am a trade trained goldsmith who has never had any college training so some of my manufacturing methods, which are trade workshop techniques may be frowned upon by the health and safety college people.

I do sometimes wonder if the starting point on H&S assessments is "what happens if someone tries to eat this"...

[Pauline]

James

Thanks for the reply.

Your work is absolutely beautiful. I'll be checking it out further when i have a bit more time.

Pauline