The LEVEL I beginner’s session starts from square one. It is the starting place for both the complete novice as well as the student who already has some prior experience with assembly-based jewelry design (plier/wire work, beading, cold-linking).
This session provides hands-on instruction in the fundamental fabrication techniques employed at the jeweler’s bench. It is also centrally focused on establishing a tacit understanding of the various jewelry metals as art material through practicing high-temperature silver soldering and metalsmithing. This means manipulation of the metal DIRECTLY as your medium. You will understand and work with the various elemental and alloyed metals traditionally employed in wearable objects, jewelry, and adornment.
Demonstrations are provided through conventionally formatted exercises, which each student then practices. Once the technical objective of the exercise has been accomplished, students are strongly encouraged to apply their newly earned skills to SELF-ORIGINATED DESIGN CONCEPTS. This is when things begin to get really interesting, with each student exploring the creative problem solving that novel forms necessitate. In this way, each students benefits not only their own creative explorations, but those of their fellow students as well.
LEVEL I . BEGINNER . PROGRAM OUTLINE
11 WEEK SESSION . One 4-HOUR CLASS EACH WEEK
WEEK 1: INTRODUCTION *Solder I
Make Ring Shanks (2) . File Bevels (flat, inner and outer curves)
Cut, Anneal, Bend, Fit Seam.
WEEK 2: SHEET
Hammer Texture (sheet and shank) . Rolling Mill . Stamping .
Circle Cutter & Dapping Block . Finish Filing & Sanding .
Burnishing . Choose Coin/Order Cabochon .
WEEK 3: BEZEL DEMO *Solder II
Fit to Coin/Cabochon . Rubber Cement & Tracing Paper Design .
Drill Press . Sawing & Piercing Demo .
WEEK 4: WIRE DEMO
Draw Plate (round and square) . Annealing Wire . Rivets (variety)
Tubing . Buckle Hardware . Finish Inside Rings .
WEEK 5: ASSEMBLE RING w/ BEZEL *Solder III
File Flat Contact Face . Solder Finished Ring to Finished Bezel .
Remove Copper Scale (etch) . Polish . Liver of Sulfer (patina) .
Sweat Solder .
WEEK 6: SET COINS/CABOCHONS
Solder Buckle Hardware . Patina . Set Rivets
Set Coins/Cabochons . Compression & Burnishing . Wax/Sealant
WEEK 7: JUMP RINGS *Solder IV
Chains . Bales . Linked Systems . “Bead” Melting .
Forged Line w/ Wire (1) . SILVER ORDER
CRITIQUE . RINGS & BADGE/BUCKLES . *Series Design Proposal
WEEK 8: FORGED SHEET DEMO
Bending & Forming . Raising (synclastic and anticlastic) .
Cuffs . Forged Line w/ Wire (2)
WEEK 9: SILVER *Solder V
Soldering Silver . Fire Scale . Depletion Guilding
Marriage of Metals (MOM) . Inlay Variety . *Series Design Status/Update
WEEK 10: PRONG SETTINGS
Prong Settings w/ Wire & Fabricated . Tube Setting . Pedestal Prongs
WEEK 11: FINISHING
Presentation & Pricing
FINAL CRITIQUE . SERIES DESIGN
*Open Lab Hours announced weekly
Contact Information:
Steven Donnelly
Mobile / Studio: (504)427-8010
nolametalsmithing@gmail.com