I have just made it back to the first Q&A from the current one, yesterday 27th March 2023. What a massive wealth of information. I cant wait to join "At The Bench", because I know that there are so many educational gems there, and they are organized in such a fashion, as to be easily findable when embarking on a particular project / piece. Thanks Andrew, Louise and Everyone.
I've been watching your videos intermittently over the years and it's incredibly inspiring to observe a true master, traditional craftsman at his trade. I just wanted to drop by to say thank you for sharing your gift with the world. Very well done.
Thanks Andrew. I missed the live feed in Australia. Your quick answers to the questions shows how knowledgeable you are. I was particularly impressed with your comment about passing on skills to others and keeping the trade alive.
A blast from the past. Watched this first Q&A from early in the pandemic. I've watched both of your 24 hrs Q&A and many of your weekly shows. Keep up the good work.
Dear Andrew. Thanks for showing us all these little tricks and ideas. I, as a hobby goldsmith, have learned a lot from your RU-vid videos. Many thanks again. Greetings from Austria.
Andrew thanks for all the good advice and answering our questions, I missed the live chat but did just finish watching , I am a slow learner because wasn't until I watched your earlier video on how to saw properly with out breaking blades constantly , It made me very frustrated and I didn't pick it up for a while ,but after watching your video it really helped and im not breaking blades at all now. Thanks so much!
Regarding Micro Welders. I've used one for decades in the mass production of small pieces. Rings, bracelet parts etc. Various tip sizes are available and the flames have a vicious temperature in a small area. If for example you want to solder 100 rings on a large solderboard, you are not blasting loads of heat on the area over the 10-15 mins to get them all done. (Been there and it's hotter than the Sahara to work in.) It's a relatively cool work area as the concentrated flame only reddens the area to be soldered. I always found it to be a brilliant machine but as Andrew said, not cheap and they need to be serviced. Not For Beginners unless you are going into mass production. I use a cheap propane torch for most of my 'one of' work or a Rothenberger Mapp gas torch for ferocity and speed. Either of those options will cost around €100 to get started. Sievert propane torches will cost a bit more but you'll get higher temps and a good range of available tips/heads. That's on my bucket list but there's also a lot of other tools in my bucket. Hmm.
Toward the end of the video, you spoke about bench vises and thermoplastic to hold a cab in place to hammer the bezel over the cab. I have weak hand strength and have trouble pushing over even an 0.3 mm bezel. Is there another way to burnish that doesn’t involve a lot of hand strength? I mostly am trying to set cabs made of agate, amethyst, jasper.
Hi Andrew, this is a math calculation for a U-shape ring shank length: ( diameter x 3.14) ÷2= semicircle Semicircle + 2x radius= U-Shape ring shank. Hopefully this works
Hello Mr. Berry, Thank you for sharing your knowledge and experience with us!! I have learned a lot watching your videos. I am new to this craft and have never been in school for it. The knowledge I have gained has all been on RU-vid. I use a small crockpot for my pickle. I have the copper tongs. When I first made my pickle, I could not find on the package how much pickle and water to use. That is one issue. I am not sure if I have put too much in. I used 1/2 of a 10 oz bag of the Sparex No.2 to 4 cups of water. It seems to work fine in that combination. I have noticed that sometimes after it has sat cold for a few days, there will be a thin brown colored film floating on top of it. I use the copper tongs to put in and take out my projects. I am not sure if my pickle is bad. Do you have any idea of what is going on and can you help me solve this puzzle?
From south africa..and i follow you on youtube...as im a hobby jeweller and did a beginners course..the rest i have learnt from watching you and other jewellers..i am battling with basket collets..is there a good way of making it without collet maker.. Thank you for all you do.
I missed this live stream as I’m in Australia. My studio is in a tin shed and I’m constantly fighting rust on my tools. Any tips on how to keep my tools in pristine condition and what oils to use and what to avoid. Thanks so much for all your videos , you bring such wonderful information and help to all of us out here who don’t have the financial resources to go back to uni or tafe. Also love your humour in the videos, you often make my day!!
this might sound daft, but people who have clean hands get rusty tools, use 3 in 1 or a light sewing machine oil, and if you are using hand tools just make sure you have a protective cream on your hands, like bees wax, also keep the lid on the pickle pot, all the best, Frank
Bill Dean Thanks 🙏 you May be right about the clean hands! 😆 it’s a constant fight and so frustrating. I’m careful not to have wet silver or hands but am constantly washing my hands due to the oil on everything. Being in a shed there is a lot of damp and not much I can do about that.
Andrew beautifully done with your Q&A. Can you give us a tour sometime of your work area? Lol... And what kind of bench do you suggest for a Metalsmith beginner on a budget? ♥️From USA, Minnesota.
Dear Sir I am 71 years old and decide to learn how to make Jewelry. Do you think that I will succeed? I am full of will and all my hope is to arrive to be a jeweler man.
Dear Andrew, am so happy to follow you on RU-vid. I admire your knowledge and skill! I become a grandmother for the first time in July. now i would like to make a baby rattle from silver. Do you know a step-by-step plan or do you have a title of a book where I can find it? I have looked on Google but I did not find anything. I hope you can and will help me? Kind regards, Gerry Pardoel
Hi Andrew! Missed the live stream. :( I recently saw your video on brushes and mops. I’d love it if you could explain the different types of polishing compounds available, and their uses. Also, are the Stoddard nylon brushes as good as the ones you use? They’re the only ones I can find in the US.
Hi guys, I was wondering, if I were to make a piece from some marked scrap gold or silver, what are the laws regarding the existing marks, always enjoy the videos guys, stay safe... Tom Suffolk
Mark Goodwin ahhh... you must be right that all borax cones are not the same. I had one for years no problem but my latest seems to be much coarser and lumper when it is flamed. Maybe I should bin it and buy new in hope new is better.
