Melanie Kline has spent her life as a metalsmith, working in sterling silver and high karat gold. She has always had a retail storefront as part of her personal workshop. Her early training was in her hometown of Denver Colorado, Her first shop, called Melanie of Aspen, was in Aspen Colorado. Her next studio, Sail On Silver Girl, was on Cape Cod where she lived from 1982-2001. She relocated to Ouray Colorado in 2001, deciding to break from jewelry and focus specifically on the creation of fine Judaica. Later in 2003, Melanie and her two sons, Josh and Dan Kline, founded Ouray Silversmiths which still operates today.
Melanie has always felt that she should share the joy of metalsmithing with others and has been a teacher to many.
Hi, glad you watched! Hope you learned something new. The flux generic name is fluorine and is sold under various names. Easiest to find is My-T-Flux from Riogrande jewelry suppliers.
I agree with others ,thank you so much for sharing your knowledge. Of all the tutorials ive watched none of them thought to turn the lights off when annealing to show what the term "cherry red" actually means visually. So thank you very much.
I am so happy I found you someone that doesn't talk and talk and talk just to teach a little after 40 years away from the family jewelry business I'm getting my bench and tools back there's so much I missed I've always worked in Gold but now I must work in silver yikes
Ahh; the pleasures of wasting time on Utube when I should be doing something else. At the beginning of your video you had a complex shape in the middle of a rectangle. Is there a reason why why jewellers don't: 1/ Park Golden Retriever on floor beside. 2/ Draw pattern, including rectangle, on paper - scrap will do. Use sharp pencil for very thin lines. If you need mutiples photocopy and arrange on sheet. Draw twice size and draw a reference line double size. If you have a CAD program, use it. 3/Tickle said Golden Retriever. 4/ At this stage you have a pencil drawing. 5/ Photocopy drawing half size. This will be laid image down on silver, so if the design is 'handed', as in print, flip the drawing in the photocopy controls at the same time as setting 50% size. If you don't the image will be reversed on silver. With your flower it does not matter. 6/ Measure you reference line to make sure you have reduced image to required size. 7/ Repeat step 3/ Cut around your square on three sides; the fourth is not cut so can be used as a handle. Place image on silver, using cut edges to line it up. Image is face down against silver. I use a slither of tape to hold it down. Tape is nowhere near the image. 8/ Lightly steep a cotton bud in hardware store acetone, and holding paper still on silver, rub over paper. The image will be transferred to the silver. Keep acetone sparing so as not to smudge image. 9/ Remove paper and inspect. If need be, rub off image with acetone or fine emery and re-do. 10/ Repeat step 3/ I believe a hot iron can be used instead of acetone. SAFETY: work outside in a quiet breeze. Don't breathe the acetone or get on skin. Use safety glasses. Sorry for the extreme caution, but as I keep saying: you don't know who is going to read this stuff. Observe instructions and warnings on the acetone bottle. Acetone requires care, and so does wood glue. (the possible presence of cadmium in solder/flux is a worry. This tip came from Cygnet Magazines 'Model Rail Journal'. Surely it is known to your field; is there a reason this technique is not used? I got fed up with feathering edges on paper, and of just plain imprecision. Thanks to both of you. I borrow many of your ideas for model making. I am very much a learner. Repeat step 3/ Have a look at ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-wtjvWU0Ij-c.html
GREAT solder flow explanation and demonstration. And urging the practice practice practice part. I have been hard on myself and now I am recommitted to just get to the bench and keep soldering. Thanks for your patience in sharing your great skill.
Hi Melanie, I started on three a while back, each time making one smaller. I finished one today. Thank you for teaching me, I never learned this one in goldsmithing school (which was 20 years ago). I had to do a few tweaks and workaround, as a butane burner doesn't make it easy to "ball back", it did do some autogenous welding, which was nice. I simply soldered on separate balls, it turned quite nice. And then you solder on a jump ring I guess?
@@melaniekline4895 I think there is a misunderstanding;) I have a butane gas burner/ torch,butane sinks. Propane is hotter. It worked out well. I'm taking a bath, and then will solder on a jumpring. I'm using it in a strawberry quarz necklace. I started goldsmithing again in March, after 19 years of other things ( including Archaeology).Your feather instruction helped me with getting soldering technique back. In March it felt I forgot a lot of things. I will hammer on it again, when the jumpring is soldered to the back ( that which attaches to the necklace).
btw, I made this feather last week, well, mine is a totally different shape/design, but I used your technique. I wear it every day on a simple chain and get compliments every single day!
Melanie, this is mandatory for my students. This is an EXCELLENT resource. I am vehemently advocating for and supporting your return to our humble ranks! Applause, applause 👏👏 👏!!
Laughing! Thanks so much. Since making the videos you've watched, I've developed macular degeneration and don't have the depth perception for metalsmithing anymore. It's OK, I had 55 great years in the jewelry biz and now I'm loving oil painting. BUT, I do want to share what I've learned about production jewelry techniques, about pricing your work, and about marketing your brand so those will be coming, I promise.
I hope you feel like coming back to RU-vid! You are one if few doing instruction well. I am looking forward to parts 2-4 and any other wisdom you are willing to share. Thanks for all you have already shared.
Thank you! I was also baffled at how some creators appeared so uneconomic with their sheet metal. I'm returning to goldsmithing after 20 years, and I can learn a lot from you. I use alum in water for "pickling", a healthier alternative if you have no ventilation.
@@ZomBearfootbei uns im Vogtland wurde früher Alaun im Bergwerk abgebaut. Man verwendet es bis heute zum Blutstillen, wenn man sich beim Rasieren geschnitten hat. Für mich ist es sehr interessant zu erfahren, dass es hier Verwendung findet.
Thank you for sharing! I especially liked the way you talked through your process and decisionmaking as you were soldering. Definitely inspired me to try a solder pick.
