Perfecting Tube Setting

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 the instructor will be covering the following sized but this process can be applied to any size stone and to many types of projects): 

• 1"-12" x sterling silver heavy wall tubing - 3.56mm (Rio Grande)

• 5 min. x machine cut cz. - round 3mm (Rio Grande)

• 6" x sterling silver round wire - 1/2 hard 22g (Rio Grande)

• 1"x3'' x sterling silver sheet - 22g (Rio Grande)

Torch setup:

• 1 x fireproof area - steel sheet, tiles, etc. (Amazon or Home Depot)

• 1 x Solderite™ pad / pan with pumice (Rio Grande or Rio Grande)

• 1 x torch - Smith mini, Silversmith, or butane (Rio Grande or Rio Grande)

• 1 x #0 or #1 torch tip - if getting 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)

• 1 x cross lock tweezers (Rio Grande)

• 1 x paste flux (Rio Grande)

• 1 x copper tongs - for pickle (Rio Grande)

• 1 x 6” silver solder - hard (Rio Grande)

• 1 x 6” silver solder - medium (Rio Grande)

• 1 x 6” silver solder - easy (Rio Grande)

• 1 x pickle - sodium bisulfate or citric acid (Rio Grande or Amazon)

• 1 x crock pot or lidded glass container (Rio Grande or Amazon)

• 1 x tempered glass container or sink - for quenching and rinsing

• 1 x small brush - for flux

• 1 x liquid hand soap - for cleaning metal

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 burlife / bee's wax (Rio Grande)

• 1 x bench pin (Rio Grande)

• 1 x half round hand file - #2 cut (Rio Grande)

• 1 x rotary tool - flex shaft, micro motor, etc. (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 ring clamp (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 (Amazon)

• 1 x calipers (Amazon)

• 1 x sanding sticks (Rio Grande)

• 1 x tube cutting jig with sliding gauge (Rio Grande)

• 1 x setting punches (Rio Grande)

• 1 x stone setting bur - 3mm (Rio Grande)

Other/miscellaneous items: 

• hard work surface

• fan and open window - or ventilation system

• safety glasses 

• pencil, Sharpie, notebook

• rags/towels