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Soldering Bootcamp
This demo-focused virtual class is designed to help students reevaluate their soldering habits to be more successful in building complex pieces of jewelry and metal objects! Together with the instructor's expert leadership, the class will learn to build a two-stone pendant that was designed to showcase tricky soldering situations that pave the perfect road for troubleshooting. Students will start with the basics: how to cut your solder with specificity and judge the proper amount of solder placement for the task at hand, as well as techniques for earring posts and soldering settings into a ring and will gradually flow into more complex information and methodologies. Student can expect to learn a plethora of tips and trick for gaining proficiency with one of the trickiest metal working endeavor in any jeweler's repertoire!
Meet the instructor
Baleigh has tinkered with craft and jewelry since she was a wee adolescent. After pursuing a BFA in Creative Writing she realized she had made a terrible mistake on a very expensive education because what she wanted to do was work with her hands. She then enrolled in the North Bennet Street School’s Jewelry Making & Repair program in Bahston, MA and everything was good again. Baleigh was technically trained to craft her own tools, fabricate intricate pieces from scratch, handset diamonds & precious gems and repair fine jewelry.
Baleigh is a process jeweler and gets turned on from the problem solving involved in designing intricate pieces and setting weird stones. Her work employs clean lines, industrial elements & graceful geometry that she finds inspiring from everyday design. Baleigh works out of her home studio that she shares with her husband Alex, along with their three adorable floofs.
Materials & Tools
Students have the opportunity to purchase a materials kit, valued between $135-$160, directly from Baleigh, should they wish to purchase one. Click this link for available kits. Kit will include the following items:
- 10 x 7mm cabochon of student’s choosing cut by Alex Danger Boyd
- 5mm rose cut of student's choosing
- 16g flat silver sheet, 15x9mm
- 24g sterling bezel wire, 2”x 2mm
- sterling silver knife edge stock, 10mm
- 5.5mm OD silver tubing, 3mm
- 20g round sterling silver wire, 3”
- Hard and medium silver solder
- 20g sterling silver jump rings
- soft charcoal block
- steel wire bird nest
- 1mm ball bur
- .9mm cylinder bur
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.
Torch setup:
- 1 x fireproof area - steel sheet, tiles, etc. (Amazon or Home Depot)
- 1 x compressed charcoal block - hard (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 3rd arm (Rio Grande)
- 1 x paste flux (Rio Grande)
- 1 x copper tongs - for pickle (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
Hand tools:
- 1 x chain nose pliers (Rio Grande)
- 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 half round forming pliers (Rio Grande)
- 1 x scribe (Rio Grande)
- 1 x rawhide / plastic mallet (Rio Grande)
- 1 x steel block / steel surface (Rio Grande)
- 1 x sheet of sand paper - 220 to 600 grits (Amazon)
- 1 x calipers (Amazon)
- 1 x dividers (Rio Grande)
- 1 x sanding sticks (Rio Grande)
- 1 x ring mandrel (Rio Grande)
Other/miscellaneous items:
- hard work surface
- fan and open window - or ventilation system
- safety glasses
- pencil, fine tip Sharpie, notebook
- rags/towels