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Fire, Forging, and Flush Setting
This 3-day weekend workshop will lead you on a journey filled with "twists and turns", as you explore a variety of core metalsmithing skills that culminate with a hand-forged silver ring, accented with gleaming faceted stones. First, using scrap, recycled, or fresh sterling silver, students will pour an ingot of raw metal. Then with the help of the rolling mill along with hammers and an anvil, the class will forge out a silver ring. Next, students will practice flush setting faceted stones, getting ready for the real deal, setting stones into their hand-wrought silver ring! The class will be filled with tips and tricks for ingot making, forging and flush setting, including making your own setting tools, all with the expert guidance of a metalsmithing pro!
This class is sponsored by Rio Grande. All scholarships have been awarded for this class.
Meet the instructor
Jeff Georgantes has a MFA in Jewelry/Metals from CSU, Fullerton and a BA in Art and a MA in Sculpture, both from CSU, Humboldt. He taught Art at College of the Redwoods, Eureka, CA, for fifteen years and has taught numerous visiting artist workshops across the USA. He helped develop and coordinate the Jewelry/Metals program at the Mendocino Art Center from the early 1990s until 2005 when he started his position as head of the Jewelry/Metals program at Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH. His work can be seen in Alan Revere's book, The Art of Jewelry.
Materials & Tools
There is a $45 materials fee for this course payable directly to the instructor during class. The materials kit fee covers:
- metal to practice forging
- round faceted CZ's
- metal and fixture to practice flush setting
- setting burs
- setting tools
- At least a ½ ounce sterling silver casting grain and/or clean scrap
- The instructors will bring a limited amount of sterling silver for purchase in case anyone needs some.
Basic jewelry hand tools - Metalwerx has the following for communal use, but we strongly recommend you bring your own if you have them and don't want to use the communal supplies:
- optivisor or strong reading glasses - highly recommended
- needle nose pliers
- round nose pliers
- flat nose pliers
- flush cut or semi-flush cut wire cutters
- 1 each: 2 and 4 cut ½ rd., 6” files with handles
- needle files (inexpensive imported set okay)
- jeweler’s saw frame (3”-5” most common size, you decide)
- 1 or 2 dozen jeweler’s saw blades (2/0 is a good size for all around work)
- exacto knife or scalpel knife
- small dividers, 3” good size
- safety glasses, dust mask
- layout supplies, (paper, pencil, extra fine point permanent marker, ruler, calipers, etc.)
- tooth brush
Optional (these are used for graver settings – a possibility if there’s time):
- 1 each with handles: gravers; 52 rd., 40 flat – These GRS gravers are little more expensive, but they come pre-ground and ready to install into handles. Rio Grande stock numbers for reference: 52 rd., #118209, 40 flat, #118204, GRS handle system #118673
Possible sources: Gesswein, gesswein.com, 203-366-5400, Otto Frei, ottofrei,com, 1-800-772-3456, Rio Grande, riogrande.com, 1-800-545-6566, Contenti, contenti.com, 1-800-343-3364