spook-tacular tips

If you had to dress up for halloween as a metalsmithing tool, what would you be?

Our teacher Louise knew immediately, she would be a porosity killer and Kelly, a dead blow hammer! Seriously though, with Halloween around the corner we thought we’d share some of our favorite spooky tools with you!

Porosity Killers!

Tungston Carbide Roller Burnishers, or more casually named “Porosity Killers” are an excellent tool to have at your bench. If you are working with castings these are a must have, but they can be great for removing pits in solder joints as well. They act as a tiny hammer for your flex shaft so that you can burnish metal in tight spaces. Find the right shape for the right spot. Porosity BEWARE!

Dead Blow Hammer!

So, technically this is a ball peen hammer, but ya know…a spooky one. I LOVE this stubby ball peen hammer from Harbor Freight. It’s heavy enough to pack a punch, but its short handle, about the size of my hand, allows for great control. Plus, it’s only $3.99! It’s perfect for the murderer, I mean... metalsmith on a budget.

Knife edge wheels can help you clean up any scary messes in your work. They are my go to flex shaft finishing tool, paired with a screw mandrel of course. They are available in varying levels of abrasion. The silicone black medium wheel is perfect for cleaning up the solder joint on your bezels and backplates. The green pumice wheels are excellent for clean up on set stones, especially softer more vulnerable ones! Check out this video of Kelly discussing the grey knife edge wheel in depth.

Need some spooky jewelry?!

Amuck Designs , local metalsmithing couple Bryan and Adrea Ring, create whimsical designs using traditional and non-traditional materials. From sugar skulls to goth moths, they’ve got the perfect jewelry for this spooky season. Be sure to check out their “Drawlloween” video series on their YouTube channel as well!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

We hope this blog post helped to curb some of your metalsmithing fears.

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