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Metals Safety Information
Goldsmiths work with metals. Our bodies react to metals, their dusts, salts and oxides. The metals that jewelers come in...
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Hammering and Forging Safety Guidelines
Goldsmiths and silversmiths use hammers frequently in their work, silversmiths especially. A regular trade goldsmith might use a bench hammer...
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Calculating ROI for Tool and Equipment Purchases
Whether youre running a 15-person workshop or a 400-worker factory, you should know before buying whether a piece of equipment...
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Electroplating Safety Precautions
The "General Safety Rules for Tools" article applies here too, as with all power tools. Read the instruction manuals and...
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Build a Basic Jeweler’s Bench
This bench has been designed so it can be made from easily available materials without sophisticated woodworking equipment. People with...
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Important Principles of Casting Safety
Here's something to aim for: a well laid-out, orderly workshop, well-lit by multiple non glare light sources, well-maintained equipment, electrically...
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Understanding the Working Titanium
Because titanium behaves somewhat differently than the standard metals in the goldsmith's workshop some special attention to its working is...
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Sand Casting Safety Notes
Sand casting is used extensively for large-scale casting, such as engine blocks, and the grates that one sees around trees...
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Patination Safety Considerations
Jewelers use so-called -oxidising- solutions to darken metals like silver, copper, brass, nickel silver, bronze and, with specialized mixtures, on...
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Jewelery Workshop Ventilation
Ventilation means removing noxious materials, dusts and fumes from where you can breathe them in. It is about taking away...
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Potentially Harmful Metalsmithing Substances
In every aspect of my daily life I am, and have been for quite some time, concerned with promoting and...
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Dusts in the Jewelry Workshop
Dust is small particles of a material. There are dusts you can see in the air; these can be breathed...
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Jewelry Workshop Safety Report
This talk briefly reviews issues of studio safety and discusses ways of recognizing risks in the studio and reducing hazard...
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A Metalsmith’s Guide to Los Angeles
This Metalsmith's Guide to Los Angeles can be useful to metalsmiths who are new to the Los Angeles area or...
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Grinding Wheel Safety Rules
Besides the safety instructions that you get from a tool manufacturer in the tool manual it may be necessary for...
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105 Jewelers Bench Comments
In late 2006 I put together a survey on the Jewelers bench to which many Orchidians and others responded. There...
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Lapidary Work Safety Precautions
Goldsmiths sometimes do a little rough and ready lapidary work with emery and leather sticks or even polishing compounds on...
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Working Posture for Craftsmen
Many craftspeople have posture and body position problems. Ramazzini, the founder of occupational medicine and author of a groundbreaking book...
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Organizing a Jeweler’s Studio
For Howard Woods of Eagle, Idaho, a jewelers studio should be a place of beauty - organized beauty - that...
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Metalsmithing Health Hazards
Very little research has been done on the medical problems of artists as a direct result of occupational health hazards....
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Gloves and the Jeweler
Gloves are used to prevent skin contact with a hazard, whether physical (like a razor edge on a piece of...
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Goldsmithing Health Hazards
This article briefly reviews issues of studio safety and discusses ways of recognizing risks in the studio and reducing hazard...
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Hydraulic Press Safety Precautions
Goldsmiths began to use hydraulic presses in small shops in the 1940s in North America. Factories have used hydraulic presses...
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Homemade Soldering Station Venting System
A selection of illustration showing an efficient home-made soldering venting system.
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Jeweler’s Workday: Sitting and Looking at the Bench
In the Jewelers Bench Book, the MJSA/Ganoksin project published in spring 2008, there is an extensive look at what happens...
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What to Know About Heavy Metal Testing
Before you submit any jewelry item to a lab to test for heavy metals, you're going to need to do...
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Dermatitis and the Jeweler
Dermatitis is a group of skin conditions that may often be contracted by exposure to chemicals and metals. These may...
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Proper Use of Liquid Metals
Applying liquid gold, palladium and/or silver in the final firing of enamel pieces is something that can frequently raise the...
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Maintaining Good Workshop Air Quality
Four areas in the jeweler's workshop produce harmful substances that MUST be properly removed from the shop in order to...
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The Jewelers and Asbestos
Asbestos is a real problem for jewelers. When I was first a student in 1974, we had a bucket of...
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Gas Handling Guidelines
Jewelers work with compressed gases of all kinds, in torch systems, kilns, casting machines, abrasive blasters, laser welding machines needing...
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Safety Notes for Jewelers on Pitch, Chasing and Repousse
An ancient system of working metals, this procedure uses steel punches to manipulate the metal while it is fixed onto...
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A Pain In The Neck
You start to turn and there it is again. You go to stand up from your chair and it happens...
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Build an Advanced Jeweler’s Bench
This sophisticated bench costs a little more and is a bit more difficult to make than the one on the...
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Master Metalsmith Alan Adler
I first discovered Allan Adler's Silversmithing Shop about 23 years ago when I arrived in Southern California to begin my...
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Organize Your Bench
The next time you sit down at your bench, don't think of it as just a bench. Think of it...
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Noise and its Effects
Noise is so common that we don't tend to think of it in terms of exposure in the same way...
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Studio Visit – Daniel Brush
The intimate bond between Brush's creative and personal life is evident upon entering his Manhattan loft. The kitchen and dining...
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The Patina Studio
It is impossible to pretend that a single description of tools, materials, and equipment will suit all needs. Obviously these...
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Eliminating Ash Residue Defects
The casting department at Stuller Inc. in Lafayette, Louisiana, has been experimenting with casting photopolymer models, and it has found...
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Large Scale Enameling at The Enamel Foundation
The Enamel Foundation provides the furnace and offers the use of their standard workshop tools, equipment and workshop enamels. (A...
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Studio Lighting Considerations
How you light your shop, illuminate your working area, experience the reflection from surfaces and the paint you choose for...
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Equipment Maintenance Guidelines
You pride yourself on your pristine shop. Your equipment is laid out for maximum efficiency, your tools are stored...
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Proper Studio Light
Do not get caught in the dark - make certain your shop is well lit. In the jewelry shop, two...
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Innovative Approaches to Small Shop Success
When most of us talk about innovation, we are talking about new tools and techniques. But innovation is not exclusively...
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Studio Visit – Daniel Jocz
Upon reaching the porch of Daniel Joczs Cambridge studio and home, I recalled having been there briefly for a party...
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Sansone Studio: Famous Enamel Works
Sometime around 1989 or 1990,I got a call from a friend, Steve Kissler, who owned a small gift shop in...
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A Metalsmith’s Guide to Toronto
In the Ojibway language, Toronto means "meeting place." At this site on the northern shore of Lake Ontario 18th-century French...
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Studio Visit – Jack and Marilyn da Silva
Most jewelers and sculptors are quite satisfied to have one studio of their own. Between them, Jack and Marilyn da...
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Studio Visit – Jeffrey Herman
Jeffrey Herman is an accomplished silversmith, master of holloware repair, and the founding director of the Society of American Silversmiths....
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Separating Work and Home
Often craftspeople start out making craft objects in their living space, a kitchen, a living room, and sometimes continue working...
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Studio Visit – Tom Joyce
The anvil anchors his studio. Rows of hammers and tools along one long wall communicate with the storage of rolling...
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Sansone Studio: Ancient Enameling Techniques
Artists Joel and Pamela Sansone are maestros of glass. Walking into the Sansone's Studio is like stumbling upon a surprise,...
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Organize Your Workspace
How you set up your shop, your working procedures and workspace can affect your safety, comfort, stress level and efficiency...
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Maximizing Bench Work Profitability
Jeffrey Johnson has two stores, 18 bench jewelers, and over 100 employees-and he still has time to work at the...
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Jewelry Companies Help Save the Planet
Green. What was once seen as a fringe-element rallying cry has grown into a planet-changing initiative that touches countless aspects...
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Waste Not, Want Not
When it comes to recovering precious metal, nothing is worthless. However, if you walk into many repair shops you will...
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Studio Visit – Fred Fenster
With barely a square inch unoccupied, Fensters studio is tightly
packed into that basement space. The setup reflects the breadth...
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Studio Visit – Andrew Goss and Sandra Noble Goss
Some artists leave the big city reluctantly, chased out by high rents. For Owen Sound, Canada-based jewelers Andrew Goss and...
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Studio Visit – Christina Smith
Keeping a life in balance isn't easy, and for the studio artist it's a push-pull between dealing with the outside...
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Studio Visit – Namu Cho
Set in a deeply wooded area of Bethesda, Maryland, Namu Chos brick house at first appears to be similar to...
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Gregore Morin’s Studio Makeover
Many jewelers modify their studios to be more efficient. Gregore Morin renovated his studio not only for efficiency, but also...
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Studio Visit – Metalpeople
Artist's with shared sensibilities and needs often come together to form co-operative studios in order to reduce overhead, share equipment,...
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Studio Enameling with Jaime Frechette
It's hard to believe how quickly this year has flown. My kids are already half way, through their first quarter...
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Teaching Enameling at the International Enamel Studio
One of the main tasks of the International Enamel Studio is to save our 1000 year-old enamel art and techniques...
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Studio Visit – Gary Noffke
Remote by design, the home and studio of Gary Noffke do indeed take you to that 'other place.' Once you...
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Structuring for Efficiency in the Studio
Being more organized, and planning how you use your time will mean that you will spend less time on some...
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Studio Visit – Doug Wilson
Sarah's Way is the name of the short dirt road leading up to Wilson's studio and home. He, his wife...
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Arte Smykke-design in Oslo
Aid to development, in the broadest sense of the term, seems to be the specialty of Norway’s most famous jewelry...
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Studio Visit – Patty Spiro
Although Patty Spiro of Live Oak Studios in Chipley, Florida, doesn’t earn a living making jewelry full time, you wouldn’t...
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Studio Visit – Milt Fischbein
Safety is key in Milt Fischbein’s studio. Milt Fischbein of Milt Fischbein Metal Arts in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, recently moved his...
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The Goldsmiths: Studio & Shop
Reviving the virtually dead enameling technique plique-à-jour, which means "the light of day as seen through a membrane," has been...
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Studio Visit – Abrasha’s Studio
Abrasha occupies about 300 square feet of neat, well organized space. Unlike many jewelers, who make do with garages, kitchen...
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Successful Artists Collaboration
When Theo Janson and Vanessa Compton moved into the winding basement studio space on Toronto's Markham Street in May 1978,...
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Novell Design Studio
At Novell Design Studio, efficiency, quality, and service get a jolt of passion
You can hear the passion in Bruce...
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Sansone Studio
Sometime around 1989 or 1990, I got a call from a friend, Steve Kissler, who owned a small gift shop...
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A Conversation with John Marshall
John Marshall was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 1936. After serving in the Armed Forces and doing construction work, Marshall...
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Metalsmith ’86 Winter: Health Hazards Q&A’s
This article page is from a segment of the Metalsmith Magazine (1986 Winter), “Health Hazards”, discussing questions from readers and...
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Atelier d’Artisanat du Centre-Ville
The Atelier d'Artisanat du Centre-Ville Inc., Montreal, Quebec, was founded in 1971 as an answer to rising problems of unemployment...
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Beyond the Bench: Contemporary Studio Jewelry
Contemporary Studio Jewelry
There are few faster ways to clear a room than to invite a conversation about the difference...
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Tom Markusen: Holloware Maker with Integrity
It may surprise some, judging from Tom Markusen studio output, that the production objects are handmade, without the use of...
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Studio Visit – Nanopod Hybrid Studio
At Nanopod Hybrid Studio in Toronto, owner and chief alchemist Tosca Terran forms metal and glass into elegant adornments of...
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Master Metalsmith Dorothy Sturm
Entering the enameling studio, one is struck by its openness. Light fills the space. Shelves are lined with organic vessel...
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Studio Safety Evaluation
Just as a professional would do, it may be a good idea to conduct a walk-through of your shop. The...
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3 Tips to Overcome Workplace Dysfunction
My kids are grown now, but I still recall how effective they were at pushing each other’s buttons when they...
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Safety Issues and Litigation
After writing my recent safety book something unexpected happened. I had a number of calls from lawyers about safety issues....
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Metalsmith ’85 Summer: Health Hazards Q&A’s
This article page is from a segment of the Metalsmith Magazine (1985 Summer), “Health Hazards”, discussing questions from readers and...
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3 Jewelers, 4 Tools Testing
Editor's Note: Want to know how to make a bench jeweler's day? Send him a box full of new tools...
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Studio Jewelers Sabbatical
Studio Jewelers Sabbatical. You know the feeling. No matter what you do there's never enough time! Well, after 17 very...
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Pollution Control / Metal Recovery
This segment from the 2017 MJSA Journal November issue is dedicated to metals, tools, software and more that aids jewelers...
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How Jewelers Approach Work Materials
This diagram shows how jewelers approach working in the field in terms of how they relate to the material. The...
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Metalsmith ’83 Fall: Health Hazards Q&A’s
This article page is from a segment of the Metalsmith Magazine (1983 Fall), "Health Hazards", discussing questions from readers and...
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Studio Visit – Cynthia Eid
Consisting of three small rooms crammed with tooks, boxes, and books (including a spare bathroom complete with shower stall/patina spray...
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The Teachers’ Role
I believe the teacher's role is as a guide, an instigator, a devils advocate as well as instructor. A teacher...
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Large Scale Enameling at JSW Studio
After a long break we have restarted the JSW Enamel Studio, Vashind, Mumbai.
A major effort was made in October...
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Metalsmith ’84 Summer: Health Hazards Q&A’s
This article page is from a segment of the Metalsmith Magazine (1984 Summer), “Health Hazards”, discussing questions from readers about ...
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Metalsmith ’84 Spring: Health Hazards Q&A’s
This article page is from a segment of the Metalsmith Magazine (1984 Spring), “Health Hazards”, discussing questions from readers about...
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Square-Shaped Treasures Made of Glass
If the only thing you think of is old Venetian art when someone mentions mosaics, you don’t know how imaginatively...
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When the Dust Settles
Tips for recovering precious metal particles
Most jewelers know how to handle their precious metal scraps: they separate their scraps...
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Green Bench Tips – Part 1
This is the first in a two-part series on green bench tips shared by jewelers who are taking an eco-friendlier...
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Shipshape Shop
Equipment maintenance guidelines
Editor’s Note:
You pride yourself on your pristine shop. Your equipment is laid out...
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Metalsmith ’83 Summer: Health Hazards Q&A’s
This article page is from a segment of the Metalsmith Magazine (1983 Summer), "Health Hazards", discussing questions from readers and...
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Harold Balazs: Large Scale Enamel Workshop
From March 21 through March 24, 2007, The W.W. Carpenter Enamel Foundation held a Large Scale Enamel Workshop featuring Harold...
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Studio Beyond Walls June 2010
The show season had come and gone. With my kids still in school, I was unable to participate in the...
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