This video is about making a silver ring with a wonderful opal stone I cut into a hexagon/honeycomb shape. It´s like a silversmithing tutorial for beginners and shows how you can start jewelry easy with simple tools. I am pretty sure there are few more serious jewelry making tutorials on YouTube but if you don´t have much money and you want to work at home, this video could be the right thing to have an idea, what tools you need to start your jewelry projects (in this case opal ring making).




Let´s first talk about some safety instructions:


I think the most dangerous thing in silversmithing is, that you work with a torch, what means that you can easy burn yourself or your home. My „funny“ workspace is absolutely not safe!


Your silversmith worksspace should absolutely be fireproofed. You should use firebricks and not a pot cover


Before you turn on your torch make sure that no hair or clothing can catch fire and never hold your head over the flame


Beware of gases. Make sure the room is adequately ventilated


During filing, sanding and polishing, fine dust can easily enter the respiratory tract. You should wear a respirator during these steps




Some generally tips for silversmithing beginners:


Buy good tools or you will buy twice


Read the book „silversmithing for jewellery makers“ from elizabeth bone. It is awesome


Plan your steps before starting your jewelry project. First try out simple jewelry like a „normal“ silver ring before you create complicated or filigree jewelry


If you also want to make an opal ring, take good care of the opal stone. It can be damadged


The stonesetting is a very hard step. And it´s the last step. Your jewelry piece will be ruined, when you fail here


Silversmithing takes time. For beginners it takes more time ;)




Here are my hints and tips to the steps in the video, hopefully very useful espacially for silversmithing beginners:


Cutting with piercing saw:
Check the tension on the blade: a loose blade will possibly break
Support your work with your second hand
Use the V shape oft he bench peg
Using wax will help


Filing:
Watch out that you don´t take to much silver
Files cut on the forward stroke. Yes, I also have to do this right ;)
Support your work
Make sure that the file does not dip at the end or beginning of the cutting stroke. You will create an uneven edge, what can ruin your jewellery project
If you want to solder two pieces together, be sure, that they fit nearly 100%. Solder will not fill up a gaps


Soldering:
Don´t use to much solder. Flaten the solderwire to avoid using to much
Use flux paste like me or better borax
Solder flows to the hottest parts of your silver ring
Don´t overheat your silver (stop if it´s dull red). Release the flame immediately, after the solder flows to the join
Work from hard solder down to easy solder. Watch the different melting temperatures
the pickle should be warm (not hot)


Forming:
Your silver must be annealed. If you buy it, aks for the malleability of your silver
Thats all i know. I am just trying different stupid things. Learning by doing :D


Stonesetting:
Making a silver ring with a stonesetting is a hard project. I cannot explain how to push the silver on the stone without the risk to damadge it. Happened two timest o me. I am using this small burin that is doing a grat job and then just polishing the edges with the silicon tipp. You should normally not use this silicon tipps with a dremel, because it´s not powerful enough to push the silver. You will need a flexshaft for the right use.




Some final words:


As a silversmithing beginner you should start with reading a book like I already recommended: „silversmithing for jewellery makers“
Your first silver rings will not be perfect. This is my fifth opal ring I made and every opal ring became better
Making a silver ring looks easy but needs time. Don´t rush
Enjoy your progress in silversmithing and design your own awesome individual jewelry :)