Learn Jewellery MakingPart of the JDMIS learning network

From first beaded bracelet to silversmithing — a beginner's road into jewellery

Learn from errors

9 beginner silversmithing mistakes (and the fixes)

Every bench has a drawer of early mistakes — here are the nine classics.

Every one of these is in your future; reading them here shortens the stay.

  1. Sawing with a loose blade — wanders, snaps. Pluck-test tight.
  2. Soldering dirty metal — solder balling up. Clean, flux, then heat.
  3. Filing without a bench pin — no leverage, no control. Clamp it.
  4. Skipping grits — deep scratches found at polish time. Follow the
    ladder (finishing guide).
  5. Overheating silver — fire scale and pits. Dull cherry, then stop.
  6. Pressing the saw on turns — snap #2. Release pressure, pivot.
  7. Gluing instead of soldering — glue is a hobby; metal is jewellery.
  8. Measuring once — saw twice, cut wrong. Measure twice, mark, measure
    again.
  9. Practising only in class — the bench journal and 15 minutes daily beat
    monthly marathons (the 90-day plan).

An instructor's job is catching these before they set — that is what the
supervised foundation course
is for.

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