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Damascus Steel for Jewelers!
Get ready to steel yourself! Pattern welded steel, or “Damascus” steel as it’s more commonly referred to, is typically associated with bladesmiths and other steel workers rather than jewelers - but that by no means precludes our use of this beautiful material!
In this demo-focused virtual workshop, students will learn how to work with the seemingly rare, yet accessible material of Damascus through stock removal techniques! The class will focus on learning to fashion custom cabochons for jewelry with simple hand tools. Encompassing techniques will include those such as: filing, sanding, precision polishing, hardening, tempering, etching, patination, and much more. Even if you do not plan to use this material to create cabochons, the information still invaluable for working with this material in other creative ways, such as custom kitchenware and tool making!
Meet the instructor
William Vanaria is a Massachusetts based artist with a penchant for oddball materials. His work utilizes traditional metalsmithing techniques and a wide verity of non-traditional materials to produce jewelry which both questions and comments on notions of romanticism, value, fakery, and the hierarchy of materials present within modern day consumer culture. Through his work he pushes for a broader system of value which has been formulated though experience, consideration, and critical thinking.
William received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the Massachusetts College of Art and Design with a concentration in "Jewelry & Metalsmithing" in 2012. Afterwards, he spent time working within the jewelry industry and volunteering as a teacher's assistant for various art institutions. He found that the latter was much more fulfilling, so he went on to further his education within the arts and to pursue a career in teaching. William received his Masters of Fine Arts degree from the University of Massachusetts: Dartmouth in 2016; once again with a concentration in "Jewelry & Metalsmithing."
Materials & Tools
The following supplies will be used for course demonstrations and objectives. A suggested item and/or vendor has been provided below for reference. Click the vendor name to be redirected to a page where you can view the item. The quantities needed for each item are listed first. If ordering, please be aware that some items may come in larger quantities than needed for this class. We recommend not opening an item's packaging until the day of the workshop. Student participation during or in-between class sessions is not required - observers are welcome.
Metal/raw materials (NOTE Damascus steel can be difficult to source and the instructor will be covering how to source quality Damascus during the workshop - it is suggested students wait until the workshop to purchase their steel):
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1"x1" x Damascus steel (Etsy)
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1 x 3-in-1 oil (Amazon or Hardware)
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1 x ferric chloride (Science Company)
Torch setup:
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1 x fireproof area - steel sheet, tiles, etc. (Amazon or Home Depot)
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1 x Solderite™ pad / pan with pumice (Rio Grande or Rio Grande)
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1 x compressed charcoal block - hard (Rio Grande)
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1 x torch - Smith mini, Silversmith, or butane (Rio Grande or Rio Grande)
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1 x #0 or #1 torch tip - if getting Silversmith (Rio Grande)
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1 x striker or lighter - Silversmith system has one (Rio Grande)
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1 x soldering tweezers (Rio Grande)
Hand tools:
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1 x jewelers saw (Rio Grande)
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1 x pack saw blades - 2/0 (Rio Grande)
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1 x pack saw blades - 8/0 (Gesswein)
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1 x burlife / bee's wax (Rio Grande)
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1 x bench pin (Rio Grande)
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1 x half round hand file - #2 cut (Rio Grande)
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1 x rotary tool - flex shaft, micro motor, etc. (Rio Grande)
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1 x set of needle files - #2 cut (Rio Grande)
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1 x scribe (Rio Grande)
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1 x ring clamp (Rio Grande)
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1 x sheet of sand paper - 220 to 600 grits (Amazon)
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1 x sanding sticks (Rio Grande)
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1 x belt sander (Kalamazoo)
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1 x bandsaw (Harbor Freight)
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1 x Valtitan or Inox file - #2 cut (Gesswein)
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1 x file handle - #4 (Gesswein)
Other/miscellaneous items:
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hard work surface
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fan and open window - or ventilation system
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safety glasses
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pencil, Sharpie, notebook
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rags/towels
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glass or plastic container - for ferric chloride