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Perfect Box Construction Without Warpage or Binding!
Box-making, with the complex and varied skills it requires, is among the most sophisticated techniques in the metalsmith’s repertoire. This demo-focused virtual workshop will show you how to control warpage of sheet metal, refine your torch work, and perfect your filing, fitting, and finishing proficiencies - and all without the use of binding wire! Students will be able to learn how to make a medium sized, rectangular and cylindrical box form, incorporating a hinge or force-fitting lip that can be finished in a variety of surprisingly creative ways.
For more information about virtual courses, visit our Virtual Course FAQ page.
Please read the Materials & Tools tab!
Meet the instructor
Tom Muir is Distinguished Professor of the Arts at Bowling Green State University, where he is head of the Jewelry and Metalsmithing area in the School of Art. He received his MFA from Indiana University, Bloomington, and his BFA degree from Georgia State University in Atlanta. Mr. Muir has lectured and taught widely, holding positions at universities and craft schools around the country. His award-winning work has been published and exhibited extensively in art, craft and design exhibitions. Collections include the Art Institute of Chicago, Renwick Gallery of the National Museum of American Art, Smithsonian Institution and The White House Collection of American Crafts, National Museum of American Art, Smithsonian Institution. He is the recipient of an Arts Midwest/National Endowment for the Arts Regional Artist Fellowship, Michigan Council for the Arts Fellowship, and numerous Ohio Arts Council Individual Artist Fellowship Awards. In 2009, Tom received the Outstanding Achievement Award from the Ohio Designer Craftsmen for having made a major contribution to craft in Ohio.
Click here to learn more about Tom and his work.
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:
- 6"x12 x brass, bronze, or nu-gold sheet - 18g or 16g (CR Hill Co.)
- 12" x round nickel-silver wire - 14g (CR Hill Co.)
- 12" x brass tubing - 3/32" OD x 0.014 wall (K&S Metals)
- 6" x 0.058" music wire (K&S Metals)
- 6" x 14g half-round wire - nickel, nu-gold, or brass (Amazon)
- 12" x 14g round wire - nickel, nu-gold, or brass (Jewelry Supply)
- 4"x4" x 24g brass sheet (Online Metals)
- 12" x brass tubing - 1/4" OD (K&S Metals)
- 12" x brass tubing - 9/32" OD (K&S Metals)
- 4" x brass tubing - 5/32" OD (K&S Metals)
- 12" x 24g stainless steel wire #8 - 0.020 diameter (Jann's)
Hand tools:
- 1 x snips / flush cutters (Rio Grande)
- 1 x jewelers saw (Rio Grande)
- 1 x pack saw blades - 2/0 (Rio Grande)
- 1 x bench pin (Rio Grande)
- 1 x half round hand file - #2 cut (Rio Grande)
- 1 x set of needle files - #2 cut (Rio Grande)
- 1 x center punch (Rio Grande)
- 1 x scribe (Rio Grande)
- 1 x rawhide / plastic mallet (Rio Grande)
- 1 x steel block / steel surface (Rio Grande)
- 1 x small steel ruler (Rio Grande)
- 1 x sheet of sand paper - 220 to 600 grits (Rio Grande)
- 1 x dividers (Rio Grande)
- 1 x steel square - fixed or adjustable (Esslinger)
- 1 x 4" joint edge file 2-2.35mm - 2 cut (Otto Frei)
- 1 x 8"-10" flat or barrette file - 0 cut (Otto Frei)
- 1 x miter jig and vise - optional (Rio Grande)
- 1 x wire twisting pliers - optional (Rio Grande)
- 1 x 6"-12" digital calipers - optional (Rio Grande)
- 1 x 6"-10" backsaw - optional (Rio Grande)
Torch setup:
- 1 x fireproof area - steel sheet, tiles, etc. (Amazon or Home Depot)
- 3 x Solderite™ pad / pan with pumice (Rio Grande or Rio Grande)
- 1 x standard torch - Silversmith or similar (Rio Grande)
- 1 x #2, #3, or #4 torch tip - if using Silversmith (Rio Grande)
- 1 x striker or lighter - Silversmith system has one (Rio Grande)
- 1 x soldering tweezers (Rio Grande)
- 1 x soldering pick (Rio Grande)
- 2 x 3rd arm (Rio Grande)
- 2 x cross lock tweezers (Rio Grande)
- 1 x paste flux (Rio Grande)
- 1 x copper tongs - for pickle (Rio Grande)
- 1 x 12” silver solder - hard (Rio Grande)
- 1 x 12” silver solder - medium (Rio Grande)
- 1 x pickle - sodium bisulfate or citric acid (Rio Grande or Amazon)
- 1 x brass bristle brush (Rio Grande)
- 1 x bottle yellow ochre or liquid paper (Amazon)
- 1 x small brush - for flux
Other/miscellaneous items:
- particulate dust mask
- eye protection
- fan / open window, ventilation, or outside
- black or blue Sharpie - thick or medium point
- isopropyl or denatured alcohol - 1 pint
- boric acid fine powder form - sold as roach killer
- pint glass or plastic jar - wide mouth
- inexpensive brush - approx. 1/2"-1" wide
- masking tape - approx. 3/4" wide
- graphite pencil
- 4.5" or larger jaw machinists vise - mounted to bench or stump
- 1.5"-3” smooth cylindrical forms in steel, wood, or Delrin OR a Blowhorn stake. The cylinders should match the inside diameter of the round box you wish to make. They will need to be clamped into a strong vise.