I'm in the process of fitting out my first workshop and will be making the workbench shortly. I've looked at catalogue photographs and dimensions and also the excellent Ganoskin Bench Exchange pages(http://www.ganoksin.com/orchid/BenchExchange/ ) and I'm well on the way to finalising the...

I am interested in knowing of any cold-dopping methods that have been found to work well, especially for opals. Will Epoxy work, following by dissolving the glue using Attack or some other solvent? Regards, Ted Gittinger

Hello, I'm starting out trying to smelt gold recovered from electronic scrap. I'm using techni-Strip AU to remove the gold from the scrap, which it does with amazing results! I'm still having some problems getting the gold back out of solution, so if anyone has any suggestions on that for the...

Well, I've closed my shop, mainly because it wasn't that interesting to= do and I also got sick half to death of soldering charms onto bracelets and mending 9ct gold chains people had somehow managed to break. Now I'm building a workshop in my spare room. I normally use a propane/oxy torch and...

Please have a look and let me know what if anything I should add or remove/change. Looking for a wide range of opinions. The site will = primarily be to supplement a resume. Thanks in advance http://www.livingston.net/bilpeeb/index.html

I have an orchard and have been harvesting peach sap from the base of old trees. Some chunks are perfect "drops", others are contaminated with other organic material. I've tried to refine this "amber" by boiling in water, but it will not disolve the sap, I've also tried alcohol, with even less...

On , in ¸õ "bob" wrote: I have a couple of "logos" that I have designed and printed. I need to have a wax pattern or rubber mold made from these designs so I can make some pendants, keychains and stuff from them. Where can I go to get something like this done? Ive...

Hello, I have been casting my own designs but now I have an opportunity to cast for a local store and I have no Idea what to charge. The material will be Gold and Sterling, from one item ( ring ) to a complete flask ( full ) . Some of the items will be cast only and some will be cast and finish. I...

Hello everyone! I have a predicament that I'm just all sorts of confused about, and I'm hoping that someone will be able to help me. I have a pair of sterling silver earrings that are clip-ons, but I want to make them studs. They are 3 dimensional, so in the crevices there is a black paint to...

I heard that some jewels are cursed and will bring bad luck to anyone wearing them. Is that true and if yes, how can I find cursed jewels ???

I have a small piece of iron that I 'smelted' from the clay in my yard. (I did it to see if I could do it. There's a picture of it at http://www.comfortlight.com/iron_040705.jpg) Now I want to shape it into a ring or small knife blade, but it is too small to work with using only a hammer and a...

I'm trying to come up with a technique for making small bits of gold or silver with the appearance of weathered stone blocks, broken stone, etc., but on a jewelry-sized scale. Which "bits" would then be granulated onto a backing piece. We are talking small enough "bits" that casting them from wax...

I would like to get some plated gold jewelry, but everything I have found is very light. I would like to try and pass it off as real, but as soon as someone picks it up they can tell right away that its plated. Does anyone know where I can get gold plated jewelry that weighs about the same as solid...

I'm having trouble anodising titanium 6AL/4V at the higher voltages - I'm trying to get the higher voltage blue and green (top of the voltages). I can get the colors but they appear dull - even on a mirror buffed piece. The lower voltage colors - gold,purple,blue,yellow come out great - you can...

Hello, I have been looking all over the internet but have had no luck finding small gemstone chips with out bead holes. I need Green Aventurine and Black Onix or Obsidian chips. If anyone knows of any place I can get this it would be much appreciated. Thank you very much in advance for all your...

I dont know if this is the correct group, but I mightt get some direction or advise. My daughter (12) has always had an interest in collecting rocks even when she was a todler rocks managed to make it home in the pockets of her pants, anyway This year I purchsed a Rock Tumber (Dadsrockshop.com)...

Don't do jewelry any more. Need to sell leftover metals (casting grains and sheet). Where do I do it in the greater Seattle area? Where do you send your sweeps? etc Thanks Gordon

Not exactly jewelery but perhaps someone here might have a clue on this. My wife bought a soap dish that is made out of "porous soapstone", the idea being that it absorbs the moisture from the soap and solves a problem as old as soap. I have a soapstone egg I bought crossing the equator in Africa...

I give up! I can only find this stuff from one place and they want to sell me a kilo at a time (at £101 for the privilege)! I only need a cup or two for now just to see how this etching silver thing works and hopefully make a few birthday and Christmas presents! Can anyone shed some light on a...

Which metalsmithing jewellery making techniques would you call the most complex or most challenging (the ones that take the most skill or experience) - filigree work, enameling...? Just curious what pros would say.