Filing is used to smooth rough edges, to level irregular surfaces and remove excess solder. The files most commonly used for jewelry work are needle files which come in a variety of shapes designed for various contours and angles. Large files from four to six inches in length come with a tang to be fitted into a wooden handle.

These files are used for larger areas or when a greater amount of metal has to be filed away. They can also be used for finishing an edge as they come in both coarse and smooth cut. It is good to have an assortment. Only a few are shown.

Clean the metal with pumice powder.

Place the metal on a steel surface plate.

Tap with a mallet to straighten.

Rub the file lightly with chalk; this helps to keep the teeth from becoming filled with metal filings. Hold the metal firmly. Put the pressure on the forward stroke, remove the pressure on the back stroke to keep the cutting edge of the teeth from becoming dull.

Clean the file at intervals. Remove the burr on the filed edge with a scraper or coarse emery cloth.

Check out our other posts to learn more about filing jewelry and how to make jewelry.

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Essential jewelry making tools for the beginner include those shown here. A variety of articles can be made with a small set of good tools; in fact, some of the pieces here are made with only two or three of the jewelry making tools listed. All jewelery making tools should be kept clean and protected from pressure that may bend or dull them and from moisture which will cause corrosion or rust. A good workman takes care of his tools.

CARE OF JEWELRY MAKING TOOLS

Keep the working surface of the steel hammer and steel surface plate free of scratches and dents by using coarse and fine abrasives depending upon the depth of the dent or scratch.

The steel burnisher must be kept well polished and wrapped in chamois skin when not in use. The file and handle come separately. Only the small files, such as the needle files, have a handle as part of the file.

The teeth of the files will become dull if allowed to rub against each other, or against other steel tools. Clean the files with a file brush, and rub the smaller files with a coarse cloth. Files and all jewelry making tools should be put away clean.

Gauges are jewelry making tools to measure the thickness of the metal sheet and the diameter of the wire. Insert the metal sheet or wire in the slot nearest to the thickness of the metal or diameter of the wire and read the gauge number. The gauge numbers referred to in this book are measured by the Brown and Sharpe Gauge. Visit our other posts for more information on jewelry making tools.

Ball pein hammer, for general use, the ball end used as a punch to raise the metal.

 

 

Metal cutting shears, for cutting light weight metal.

 

Jeweler’s saw frame, to hold saw blades which come in various sizes in packages of one dozen.

 

 

 

 

 

Hand vise, to hold small work while filing, etc

 

End and side cutting nippers, used to cut wire.

 

Round and square nose pliers, used to bend and form wire.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Finishing and polishing tools Hand buffs, felt and chamois on wood handles, to buff and polish metal.  Steel burnisher, used to smooth and finish metal.

 

Tweezers, used to handle stones and small objects. Scriber, used to mark an inscribed line on metal. Center punch, used to make depressions in the metal. Dividers, used to inscribe circles and divide lines.

 

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Several inexpensive metals, both in sheet and wire form, can be used to make interesting jewelry. For the beginner, copper and brass are the most recommended metal for jewelry making because of their low cost, but even advanced jewelers who work almost exclusively in sterling silver frequently use copper and brass for variety and color.

As far as construction is concerned, all the metals named can be used interchangeably for the jewelry included here.  When the beginning craftsman becomes more skillful he/she may want to work more often in sterling silver which, although it costs a little more, is a fine adaptable metal for jewelry making.

The different metals vary in hardness. Annealing is a heating process which is given to the metal to make it soft and pliable.  Most of the metals used for the jewelry projects here may be purchased annealed.  If the metal has to be annealed, lay it on a screen and hot plate until the heat turns it a glowing red, then set it aside to cool or plunge it into water for quick cooling.  Use only annealed sheet and wire for these jewelry making projects.

Metal for Jewelry Making

COPPER is used in its pure metallic state. Its reddish-brown color gives it a warm outdoor quality. Cold rolled and annealed sheet is smooth and easy to work. It can be polished and lacquered for a permanent finish.

BRASS is an alloy of copper and zinc, harder than copper. It is gold in color. It takes a high polish and is lacquered to preserve the luster.

STERLING SILVER is an alloy of pure silver and a small percentage of another metal, usually copper, to harden it. It is a more precious metal for jewelry making than copper or brass, it is easy to work and can be finished in several different ways; polished for a soft luster, given a high polish, oxidized for depth of color and then polished for highlights.

IRON is taken from iron ore and, when treated, is both tough and flexible and can be pulled into wire. The black iron binding wire referred to in these projects is used not only to hold pieces together for soldering, but also for a chain of iron units held together with silver links. If lacquered, the iron will not rust and its dark color and dull texture contrast well with the other metals used for jewelry making.

TIN has the whiteness of silver and is used in many important alloys, among them being solder. We employ tin only for solder, in pure state or alloyed with lead.

Of these silver is probably the most commonly used metal for jewelry making.

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