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Jewelry Orientation

When
Mon, April 06, 2026
7:00 PM - 8:30 PM
Location
Artifactory

Registration

Orientation Ticket

Come learn about the jewelry bench! We have tools to support fabrication workflows as well as casting (red sand and investment casting). The instructor's subject area is silversmithing, but all interest areas are welcomed as we seek to expand our jewelry-making offerings.

In this orientation, you will learn each tool's role in the jewelry-making process, from cutting and forming to soldering and polishing. This department is distinct from the Lapidary department, but the skills go hand-in-hand!

General Know-How

Safety guidance, risks and risk mitigation
Shop rules and expectations
The mounted tools (bench pin, flex shaft, drill press, bench buffer, scroll saw)
The furnaces & kilns

Fabrication

Measuring and Marking

Calipers, rulers, dividers, scribe, center punch, stencils

Forming

Rolling mill, steel/rubber blocks, hammers & mallets, mandrels, swage blocks, wire wrapping

Cutting and Reducing

Files, sandpaper, jeweler's saw (and how to replace its blades), shears, hand cutters, rotary tool bits

Joining

Solder and when to use each type, solder picks, torch, flux, fume extraction, pickle

Polishing

Rotary tool options for detail polishing
Bench buffer for mass polishing

Various Jigs and Miscellaneous

Miter jig, wax ring blank cutting
Scrap metal rules

Casting

Wax carving and mold creation
Red sand / delft clay casting
Investment casting — This will be a general overview of the tools. The process is VERY involved; keep an eye on WA for a full class in the future!

Conclusion

We will end by discussing what's next for the jewelry department, how to get involved, and where to find resources for learning more.