Links, Chains, and A Little Heat

Course Description

About this course

This course is designed to teach chains and links that combine cold and balled wire connections to make simple, elegant, or funky elements for chain link earrings, bracelets, or necklaces. Focus will be placed on using simple tools and techniques such as hammer forging, piercing, plier forming, texturing, and stitching, in combination with minimal heat from a torch to make closed-link, balled wire connections in a variety of designs. This class is perfect for those with limited access to studio tools or equipment and will build on basic metalsmithing knowledge. Some experience with utilizing heat is required. Torch safety will be covered during the course.

Class will be held live via Zoom during the designated time frame. A link to the Zoom room will be sent via email. 

Each session will be recorded and you will receive a password protected link to the recordings that expire after 30 days.

Please read the Materials & Tools tab! 

Meet the Instructor

Paulette Werger

Paulette is a metalsmith and teacher from Lebanon, New Hampshire. She works in a variety of materials including high karat gold, platinum, precious stones, sterling silver, and pewter. Her work is exhibited and sold both nationally and internationally through museums and galleries. She has offered workshops on a number of topics, including conquering the fear of gold, pewtersmithing, keum-boo, surface embellishment, and Ashante casting.

Paulette currently serves as a board member for the Society of Arts and Crafts in Boston, Massachusetts, and formerly for the Society of North American Goldsmiths. She works at her cooperative studio, Metalpeople East, which supports four metalsmiths with a common use of tools and space.

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 (in red) to be redirected to a page where you can find 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 strongly encouraged but not required - observers are welcome.

Metal/raw materials (the instructor will demonstrate in Argentium silver):

  • 3-4 feet of round wire 16g or 14g - copper, brass, or silver (Rio Grande)
  • 3-4 feet of round wire 20g or 18g - Argentium silver (Rio Grande)
  • 1 x 3"x6" sheet 24g, 22g, or 20g - copper, brass, or silver (Rio Grande)

Hand tools:

  • Virtual Course

Tuition

$225.00

Instructor

Paulette Werger

Dates

February 9 -23, 2021

Weekly on Tuesday

Time

1:00 PM -3:00 PM

Length

3 weeks

Level 
Basic and above
  • Intro workshop or similar experience
Location 
Virtual - Eastern Time Zone
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