We are so happy to hear you are learning great things with us. We want to keep inspiring you and teaching you! We also have a great section on our site called Design Ideas in under our Education Center. There are great design to inspire you. Thanks for sharing your experience with us.
I have heard that if you are "saw-filing" while you are sawing, there is no need to sand after. I too learn lots of great info from beaducation videos. Thanks.
You can use the Jeweler Saw shown in this class. What you need to make sure of is using the the correct saw blade. Link to saw below. The alternate image on this details page shows the saw blade chart. 1mm translates to 18 gauge. www.beaducation.com/p/188-jewelry-making-tools-jeweler-s-saw-frame www.beaducation.com/product_guides/8-all-about-metal-gauges
Is it necessary to anneal before sawing; I'm working with 18 gauge sheet copper, brass. Is there any disadvantage to annealing prior to sawing? Thank you for a trerrific tutorial!
Thanks for the video. I have what appears to be the same jeweler’s saw (is yours from Home Depot?), with the stock blade it came with. I was trying to cut a very simple pattern out of 1/16” thick copper sheet, but it was next to impossible. Regardless of how I tensioned the blade, I could not get the saw going in a straight line to save my life. It was also very hard to get started. Before you ask, yes, my teeth were facing down. Let me know if you have any thoughts, thanks!
maybe you need a different size saw blade? Below is a link to our jeweler saw. click on the image for the Saw Blade Size Guide. Our metal thickness is listed by gauges.
I've noticed, when I saw I'm holding with my left hand..sawing with my right! I'm pressing down with my left hand to hold the metal in place, but I'm pressing so hard that I'm hurting my left hand and arm. I have a problem with my left side already! Any tips? Thanks to all of you! Ya know I love ya!
Deborah Bergen It sounds to me like you are just being too tense with that left hand. Try lightening up a bunch, you will be surprised how lightly you can hold it while keeping it in place. Make sure to stop and stretch your fingers and wrists and shoulders often! Hope this helps!
+Beaducation That's good advice. I'd go further and suggest a light, upper body warm up and stretch before settling down to a piercing session. Also to stop for a few mins at least once an hour, get up out of the chair and warm up / stretch again. PS - To keep your hands and fingers loose: clench both your hands into fists and flick all your fingers out together - do this about ten times, rest for 30 secs and repeat twice. A guitarist showed me this, saying it was better than shaking your wrists out, which can cause the joints to swell. Hope that helps - keep up the great work!
Thanks Lux! I haven't been working lately. I'm ready to get back to it. It's in my soul to create. I've just been diagnosed with M.S. hence so many problems with my left side. Lots of changes in my life recently. But I finally realized, I have M.S. it doesn't have me. You got an earful. lol. Blessings, Deborah
Deborah Bergen I can empathise, having taken to jewellery making after a serious health episode a couple of years ago. Where there's a will there's a way and you certainly have the will. I wish you all the best.
