Tips & Tricks

Mirror Polishing Technique

Here's a mirror polishing technique we learned from Jun Diaz who also works as a metalsmith for the production side of our studio. This technique is commonly used for polishing intricate pieces with lots of hard to reach areas like fretwork and prong settings. This technique is also perfect for beginners who have yet to add a polishing motor to their home studios.
You will need only three things: (1) A ball of cotton yarn (2) A screw eye hook (3) Polishing compound (We use Dialux or a local jeweler's rouge called rojo)

Steps: (1) Cut about 1 feet of 20-30 strands of cotton yarn (2) Attach the metal screw eye hook to your workbench (3) Run the strands through the eye of the hook and make a tight knot to secure one end (4) Apply a generous amount of metal polishing compound and (5) Rub away until you achieve the desired finish!

Soldering Tip

Here's a soldering tip for projects with multiple components! We stick steel pins into our ceramic honeycomb blocks to keep all components in place while soldering. You can save this info for after the enhanced quarantine: You can get a roll of 20 gauge round steel wires from any hardware store and small honeycomb blocks for less than PhP200 from Shopee. Bigger honeycomb blocks are also available at @riogrande. 🙌

Piercing Trick

Another one of Tiffany's "simple" projects from last year that deserves a throwback! 💖 She designed a bangle with symmetrical fretwork, so our instructor @maievangelista helped her glue two sheets of metal together so she can pierce through both at once. 🙌🏻

Sanding Metal Bits Trick

We showed our student Helen a nifty trick we found on @metalsmithsociety's page for sanding tiny bits and pieces of metal! 🙌🏻 We got this brandless sports tape from Shopee for less than PhP200. We cut up three strips - one long strip placed on the bench pin with the adhesive side up and the two other shorter strips holding it down from the sides. Also thinking of trying a different method for sticking the tape on to our bench pin. Maybe double adhesive sandwiched between two long strips to make our sports tape double sided? We'll keep you guys posted!

Soldering Tip

We use silver solder paste instead of pallions to keep granulations in place and to avoid flooding of solder. Solder in paste form is also great for intricate filigree work!

Project shown here is @denatilano's ring from October 2019. 🖤

Assembly Line Tip

Here's a useful assembly line tip for all metalsmiths working from their home studios! @metalsmithsociety Use double-sided tape to organize your bezels. 🙌

Photo from Teacher Mai of @fakealchemy

Soldering Tip

Kae's back in the studio to work on her second project for Intermediate One: Wirework - a course designed to master soldering and prepare students for detailed filigree work! This time, she's making a dog pendant out of silver square wires with an oval cabochon as the nose. It looks like the 37 solder joints she did for her first wirework project wasn't enough. 😆She's making a total of around 70 joints this time! 😱

Our instructor Mai also showed her a nifty trick to help keep her wires in place while getting the correct angles for filing - clear double sided tape! 🙌 @metalsmithsociety