New hobby

[Jon]

Hi all :~:

After having photography as a hobby for many years I have become bored of it and have decided to take up jewellery making as a new hobby and would be grateful for any advice and being pointed in the right direction.
The area I would like to start in is, making stuff by shaping with a hammer. Not sure what it's proper name is for it. I'd be using silver and copper. I'd also like to have ago at coin and fork/spoon jewellery.

I need to buy the tools and materials but as I have no experience I'm not sure of the best place to buy from.

Thanks in advance.

[Goldsmith]

Welcome Jon, photography is a hobby of mine also. There are many suppliers of tools but as a start check out Cookson; http://www.cooksongold.com/Jewellery-Tools/-Range=Hammers/-Size=0/-Type=0/-Brand=0/&prdsearch=y
Just be warned, once you start buying tools there will always be another tool you need. One modern term for shaping with hammers is called anticlastic raising, if you Google this term you can see many videos and info.
I shape items with hammers in many ways, so if I can ever give advice just ask.

This Andrew Berry video shows anticlastic raising; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yhv2PECwIyM

James

[enigma]

Hi Jon

Im new here too and have found the folks here to be amazingly knowledgeable and very generous in sharing their knowledge so you have come to the right place :~:
If you get yourself some copper sheet you can play at ideas cheaply before trying on silver.

[Truffle & Podge]

I'd just advise that you be absolutely sure you want to do this lol. Be certain you have the money as it's all well and good saying you only want to bash bits of metal with a hammer but IT WILL NOT REMAIN THAT WAY! It might be a good idea to get hold of a basic book so you can get a idea of what you are getting yourself into (I'm sure some of the lovely folk on here will have suggestions)
Start up wise imho you will need
1. some decent hammers (fretz are expensive but make me drool)
2. practice metal (I started straight off with sterling & was fortunately very lucky)
3. A torch as you will need to anneal as you go along (cooks style torches are good for small pieces but you will soon yearn for more fire power. Torches also soon lead to a desire to solder)
4.pickle & pickling pot to remove flux or fire stain repellents & the general yucky colour you get from heating most metals (although it can turn copper very pretty colours :) )
5. a soldering block on which to anneal the metal
6. Forms & stakes etc (some of these you can make yourself or utilise things you have hanging about the place)
7. decent pliers which will minimise the marks left on the metal.
8. a suitable workbench
9. a flat stake
10.a vice
11. a dremel tool or something similar, preferably with a flexshaft (this is useful for drilling holes for jump rings & interchangeable mops & mandrels can be used in a variety of ways to polish, sand, texture etc so you need all the bits that go with that such as polishing compounds etc) you will definately want to upgrade to a pendant or micromotor if you get hooked which happens so quickly!
12. micro papers & other miscellanenous items
I've probably missed quite a bit out............anyone?
It maybe a good idea to go on a 1 day jewellery course, where you typically learn how to make a pendant or something similar and this should usually cost around £50 - £70 before materials.
This is an extremely expensive but rewarding hobby and you do get very addicted very quickly! You will never look at tools in the same way again lol

[medusa]

Forging is a more basic way of shaping with hammers and might need fewer tools than anticlastic raising? I intend to do the first exercise in the Revere book at some point just because it seems everyone I know wants a simple, silver bangle.

Oh, and welcome to the forum :)

[Jon]

Many thanks for all your welcomes, advice and links. It's much appreciated. After watching the link, I ended up watching all sorts and now I am unsure of what or where to start in regards to what to start making LOL.

I can see now that it's going to be an expensive hobby. Now the hard part, explaining to my wife. That's an art all on its own :). Just hope I can earn a few quid once I get good at making jewelry.

What area of photography do you do Goldsmith? I am more portrait and concept. Here is my work if you want to have a look. http://500px.com/Creativesnaps

[Goldsmith]

Many thanks for all your welcomes, advice and links. It's much appreciated. After watching the link, I ended up watching all sorts and now I am unsure of what or where to start in regards to what to start making LOL.

I can see now that it's going to be an expensive hobby. Now the hard part, explaining to my wife. That's an art all on its own :). Just hope I can earn a few quid once I get good at making jewelry.

What area of photography do you do Goldsmith? I am more portrait and concept. Here is my work if you want to have a look. http://500px.com/Creativesnaps

I have done all sorts of photography, mostly taking photos of mine and others work. Take a look at my profile album; http://www.cooksongold.com/forum/album.php?albumid=150 they are all my own photos.

James

[Jon]

Very nice. Are they all what you have made or what you have taken?

[Jon]

Forget that question just seen the title. Your work is amazing.=D>

[medusa]

Now the hard part, explaining to my wife. That's an art all on its own :).
ummm… she gets to wear the stuff? Is not having your own jeweller at your beck and call not worth the moderate outlay? :)

[Jon]

ummm… she gets to wear the stuff? Is not having your own jeweller at your beck and call not worth the moderate outlay? :)
With the kind of jewellery she likes it will be a while down the line before she gets it at her beck and call but I will play on that :)

[Truffle & Podge]

Like i said try taking a one day class, you get to use someone elses workshop & tools & this will give you a good idea of what tools you will need to start with :) If you google for your area you will find that there should be a few independent jewellers offering taster classes, also if you call them you might find they will a 1 to 1 session for you for a little extra cost

[enigma]

James, only just seen your album, some fantastic pieces there.
May I ask how you created the puma? surely he wasn't carved out of a solid piece of gold?
http://www.cooksongold.com/forum/album.php?albumid=150&attachmentid=6484

[Goldsmith]

James, only just seen your album, some fantastic pieces there.
May I ask how you created the puma? surely he wasn't carved out of a solid piece of gold?
http://www.cooksongold.com/forum/album.php?albumid=150&attachmentid=6484

Hi Sarah, the puma was a casting, wax modelled hollow and made in 5 pieces. This was a job made before digital cameras so I only photographed the finished piece. I don't do much wax modelling but here are some progress photos of a piece I made for an antique restoration project a few years back. I shows my method of shaping the animal roughly from hammering copper sheet then building up the body shape with wax, then rubbers are taken from my model to create the waxes for casting. I used the puma model twice here is the 2nd puma cane handle and some photos showing a stag I modelled and made, casting by Niagara Falls; http://www.nf-castings.co.uk/web2013/

66516647664966486650

James

[enigma]

Thats really interesting James thanks for sharing.
Of course you would want them hollow at that sort of size, I hadn't even thought of that but it would be a lot of gold even as a solid casting!

[eliteexpo]

That's fantastic