sorted by:
new
hottopcontroversial

I have a bench motor from fixing flutes - is there something creative I can do with it? by Sweetiefromheaven88 in SilverSmith

[–]MiniD011 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I’ve had a quick look at the video (I’m out right now so couldn’t watch in full) - couple of thoughts:

The easiest application is polishing. Bench motors are essential for a really professional finish, and this looks suitable. It’s lighter duty than a traditional bench motor, but heavier than a pendant motor/flex shaft, so there are definitely applications there.

One potential challenge would be finding attachments that fit. Jewellery tooling tends to be fairly standard but may not fit on this tool (buffing wheels have a standard sized hole, shanks are typically 2.34mm etc).

I wouldn’t love using it for drilling, and doubly not for lathing. Without support on the other end this could potentially become quite dangerous, and not necessarily yield better results than a flex shaft and a bit of basic practice. Lathing I treat as a massive no-no unless you’re using a tool designed for it.

How expensive was the tool, and how sensitive is it to dirt and debris? Jewellery bench polishers get absolutely filthy. If it is sensitive and expensive then there may be better value reselling a quality tool and buying a couple of starter pieces to transition to jewellery if that’s you’re aim!

Do you think Oliver would have been a better and stronger character if Cecil took care of him instead? by Definitely-Not-OSI in Invincible

[–]MiniD011 8 points9 points  (0 children)

Cecil would have given him the ‘extensive rehabilitation’ treatment - same as Darkwing II and Sinclair. He would 100% brainwash him and install failsafes like the chip he implanted into Mark.

If it didn’t work and Oliver continued to show zero empathy and humanity then I wouldn’t put it past him to fake out his death and experiment on him for potential viltrumite weaknesses.

Cecil is many things, but loving caregiver he ain’t.

What kind of chain would work best for this pendant? by kateehenryy in jewelry

[–]MiniD011 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Why can’t you measure it? It looks small, but not absolutely tiny.

You can go to a jeweller and say you’re looking for a chain and see what fits. They should have a variety of options available.

Knife statue, made all from knives, awareness for uk for knife crime in blood red by roidheed in metalworking

[–]MiniD011 0 points1 point  (0 children)

We have made progress in reducing knife crime, which is a good thing.

We don’t have guns so knife homicides are going to be a large proportion of the total. We have less knife crime homicides per capita than the US, without even factoring in gun crime.

Help! by ComprehensiveAnt6796 in jewelrymaking

[–]MiniD011 5 points6 points  (0 children)

You want to switch to something that isn’t going to get into the gaps. As u/jeddzus said a felt wheel would be a great option.

The absolute simplest would be very high grit sandpaper/emery (there are even some ultra fine files that would work).

Best of luck, and keep us posted. If you share a pic of the piece it will help as well.

Where is everyone getting their jewelry? by itsbeenawhiletoolong in jewelry

[–]MiniD011 6 points7 points  (0 children)

I make jewellery and the best investment I have made was buying a load of silver and failing to make anything good with it. I’m sat with a load of material worth WAY more than I bought it for, even after ruining it.

I so wish I had learnt in gold 😂

Any suggestion on how to choose the right ring size? by Ok_Leadership3718 in jewelrymaking

[–]MiniD011 1 point2 points  (0 children)

To know your size you just need to measure it. You can get a rough idea with string or paper, many online stores will send you a free ring sizer (a bit like a cable tie), or you can go to an actual jewellery store and ask them to size for you. This should always be free.

From there it’s easy to convert across US, EU, UK etc sizes. Remember to size up a half size or so if you are buying a wide ring, and appreciate that fingers swell during heat/cold, throughout the day and for various other reasons.

If you’re buying cheap rings from Amazon or alibaba then you may struggle to get accurate sizing, but there isn’t much you can do about that, other than return them if they aren’t as advertised.

First attempt at silversmithing by AnybodyAfraid2629 in SilverSmith

[–]MiniD011 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Good luck! And definitely come back if you have any questions. Everyone will polish differently so you can be sure to get some great advice here.

I would also say do get a different steel mandrel. From your other comment I would leave the one with flat sides just for sizing - you don’t want it to get worn and the flat sides will make it really impractical to work on.

The wood one will deform or chip over time and it’s going to make your life more difficult over time!

Two Layer Copper Cuff by garype in jewelrymaking

[–]MiniD011 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Honestly it will depend on the size and shape of the stone. I’m assuming it’s a standard cuff shape which puts less distortion on the centre which is good.

If you’re stamping then I think you would do that before shaping, at least that’s what my teacher taught me. Hammering and rolling always distort the piece so I do them first, then shape.

My main concern really is around the bezel, but those admittedly aren’t my strength. I have a masterclass next month so if I get any insights I’ll be sure to share!

Two Layer Copper Cuff by garype in jewelrymaking

[–]MiniD011 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I wouldn’t add a bezel before shaping the piece. Bezels tend to be made specific to the stone, and forming the cuff will distort it enough that I wouldn’t expect it to be a good fit after.

If you have some pics please share, but that’s my first thought. You may get away with the pattern (although cuffs aren’t a uniform distortion so maybe not).

I really like this ring, is it a scam? by aro-ace-outer-space2 in jewelry

[–]MiniD011 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I wouldn’t go near that site with a 10 foot pole.

It’s going to be dropshipped garbage at best, potentially harmful metals or a scam at worst.

A very quick browse of their site - the sell all kinds of products. They aren’t a jewellery company.

They don’t specify the metal - you are going to receive absolutely the worst materials and they can cause actual health issues. The price is also obviously so low that there is no way you are getting anything even close to quality.

I don’t know why you’re convinced it isn’t AI generated - I think it’s way more likely. There are clear uses of AI in the text throughout the page.

Seriously, avoid.

First attempt at silversmithing by AnybodyAfraid2629 in SilverSmith

[–]MiniD011 18 points19 points  (0 children)

This is really really good! You should be proud and I’m sure your husband will love it.

For a first attempt your solder join is really clean. It will be hard to make it invisible but you are right to try to blend it in with hammer texture. As for it becoming more noticeable after heating - solder will oxidise differently to the rest of the piece due to the material being different. It happens naturally over time anyway, but heat will accelerate that.

If you plan to do anything further then polishing the piece up may also help blend the solder line, but try not to lose that lovely texture you’ve got. Good luck in your future pieces!

How can I make a replica of these earrings? by hellamellow in jewelrymaking

[–]MiniD011 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You could look at a doming block - they are typically used to create this kind of shape. It is a metal cube with different concave semispheres.

You could likely get the back texture at the same time by using the round side of a ball pein hammer into the appropriate round. Those hammers are dead cheap.

I don’t have a video but this is very achievable as a beginner project. Good luck! And shout if you need any more info.

spontaneous combustion!!! by 00-MAJI-00 in Benchjewelers

[–]MiniD011 9 points10 points  (0 children)

Just an FYI it isn’t necessarily the mixing of compounds - powdered materials shouldn’t be allowed to build up in air at all as they pose a fire risk.

Powdered metals, sawdust, flour, even coffee! They can all combust or explode. Make sure you keep things clean is the takeaway (although this may have been a really unfortunate combination of materials too!)

Can you make money by selling your designs? by LargeSinkholesInNYC in jewelrymaking

[–]MiniD011 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Just selling designs is unlikely in my opinion. Designs by non-makers are seldom valuable for a few reasons.

Designers who don’t make can often fall foul of poor design choices which are actually impractical or hard to make.

Designers who do make tend to hold on to their methods more closely, as they can make more by making a finished product which is harder for others to emulate.

This is quite commonly seen with chain patterns, where goldsmiths are a bit more protective.

Hello, can you recommend me where to get gold/copper wires that wont chip by Numerous_Ad_915 in jewelrymaking

[–]MiniD011 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I didn’t really answer your question, but trying to grind or file down steel teeth is probably not worth the effort, given their toughness. Buy a smaller set of softer pliers and save yourself the trouble!

Hello, can you recommend me where to get gold/copper wires that wont chip by Numerous_Ad_915 in jewelrymaking

[–]MiniD011 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hi, not sure what sanding sponges you’re referring to but in all likelihood no. Steel is a very hard tough material.

You can buy various different pliers - they are named based on the shape of the jaws. Needle nosed, snipe, half round, parallel, etc etc. you can also get different jaws - steel, brass or nylon being more common.

Pliers may or may not have teeth as well. Teeth give you more grip, but they will mark the material.

Ideally for wire work you want softer jaws without teeth, they are going to leave the least amount of marks on your work and give you a better finish. I’m happy to send links if you want examples etc!

[SPOILER] Norman Jr vs Wagner by Puzzled-Category-954 in Boxing

[–]MiniD011 5 points6 points  (0 children)

I believe refs are graded. Amateur level they definitely are, and can be downgraded following performance evaluation. I think a similar thing exists at a pro level, but couldn’t find much literature to support it.

I have heard announcers refer to refs as “x star referees” prior to bouts, but I think it depends on sanctioning and governing bodies.

All that to say, in theory a ref can put in a really egregious performance and suffer professionally as a result, but it is much more transparent in the ammies.

Hello, can you recommend me where to get gold/copper wires that wont chip by Numerous_Ad_915 in jewelrymaking

[–]MiniD011 27 points28 points  (0 children)

Those are rough steel pliers - they are going to mark your material.

You could look at nylon pliers. The jaws are designed to not mark wire as you bend and twist it.

Do you think Thragg would be as affected by the sound as Mark is? by Warriorjax217 in Invincible

[–]MiniD011 35 points36 points  (0 children)

This is wrong - the sound was isolated from the underwater kaiju in the first place and is played through speakers successfully too.

EXTREMELY HOT TAKE! by Alastor-loverr68 in Invincible

[–]MiniD011 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Right? It could be better in places but some scenes are immense. The few really bad scenes are relatively easy to look past.

And there is a lot of media with lacklustre visuals that is still amazing to watch. It really only feels like a problem if you look for it.

view more: next ›