Precious Metals IV

Course details

As precious metal artists grow in skill and confidence, they require a broader toolset, combining materials and techniques to define their own style. Using advanced metal clay modelling skills to achieve greater accuracy, faster production times and work with more valuable metals is the first step in this process. Traditional metal smithing supplements artists’ existing experience expanding their creative potential and providing useful means to re-use components after they have been fired.

With new procedures to follow and more rigorous learning projects, courses in this segment highlight proper form, commercial quality and attention to detail. Participants are encouraged to use the school kiln to fire their metal clay projects in order to master specific kiln techniques. practice proper use of specialized traditional metal smithing equipment such as rolling mills, draw plates and soldering stations. By the end of Precious Metal Artist programme, participants own an impressive array of equipment and have produced a wide range of quality jewellery designs.

What will I learn?

• Making and Rolling Sheet Metal and Wire - Most jewellery projects begin by shaping raw materials. Learn tools and techniques to produce usable, even and malleable metal sheets and wires. Learn how wire/sheet hardness is increased and how to anneal hardened metals to regain their softness.
• Sawing, Piercing and Drilling Techniques - Sawing, piercing & drilling are the most essential processes used by any metalsmith; learn to saw & pierce effectively & cleanly with minimal waste. Practice accurate drilling with hand & power tools.
• Roll Printing and Texturing Metals - Practice with the use of steel punches to create textures; learn how to apply textures through the use of a rolling mill. For more unusual surface textures, master the technique of reticulation.
• Hot Joining: Soldering and Fusing - Practice gas torch soldering on different metals and understand metal and solder compatibilities. Also learn fusing, the process of bonding metals together at melting point without solder.
• Cold Joining and Mechanisms - Many mechanisms and joints require movement and thus cannot be soldered or fused. Learn common cold joining techniques to combine different design parts by rivetting.
• Stone Setting - Apply traditional prong and bezel stone setting styles from first principles and understand the challenges of more advanced setting techniques such as channel, flush and pavé settings...