Silver and Steel: A Complicated Love Story
Online
$125, discounted for multiple classes
September 28-29, 2024
Day 1 Workshop 10 am-12 pm Pacific Time
Day 2 Open Studio 3 pm Pacific Time
Together, silver and steel create some intense chemistry! The shimmery glow of silver against the deep black of patinated steel elevates mixed metal steel jewelry to an ethereal level. Silver and steel have a beautiful relationship, but it’s a complicated one because, well, let’s just say they have their differences. When the relationship works, it’s magic!
This techniques-focused workshop will cover a wide range of methods for combining silver and steel, including fusing silver powder to steel, creating reticulated silver features and adding them to your mixed metal steel jewelry and bonding silver foil using the Keum Boo technique.
You will learn to:
- Fuse fine silver powder to steel, which results in a sprinkling of tiny spheres resembling stars spread across the metal
- Reticulate silver and combine it with steel
- Permanently bond silver foil to steel (Eun Boo) using the ancient Korean technique of Keum Boo
- Apply a heat patina to create a range of different colors including inky black
- Seal your jewelry using a high-grade wax
Skill Level
Students should be comfortable using a torch and should possess basic metal working skills, such as sawing, filing and forming. Students should be knowledgeable about safe practices in a jewelry studio.
Kit
$95 including shipping USPS flat rate small box
For U.S. students, kits will be shipped approximately at least one week before the class start. For non-U.S. students the timing and shipping cost will be based on location.
- Steel sheets 2 5” x 8” sheets of 20g
- Reticulation silver sheet 4”x 2” 24g
- 4”x4” sheet of fine silver foil
- Silver powder—small sample
- Sample of metal wax for sealing
- Handouts (Patterns for two class projects, course presentation handouts, and source sheets for purchasing materials and supplies)
Student-Provided Supplies
Note that the sources shown are merely examples. Many different vendors can be sourced for these products.
In addition to the general list for tools and supplies needed for working with steel (see “Basic Tools and Supplies” PDF below), you will need to provide the following supplies, materials and tools for this class:
- Small crucible (either 20dwt or 40dwt) from Otto Frei and pinch tongs to fit your crucible from Otto Frei
- Borax for seasoning your crucible. 20 Mule Team Borax from the grocery store or Amazon.
- Large container (glass, plastic or stainless steel) to contain water for water casting. At least 8” deep. Plastic food storage containers and clear flower vases work well.
- Silver wire (fine silver, sterling silver or Argentium) – 2” piece of 14 gauge, any hardness. From Rio Grande
- Fine silver casting grains, at least 1/2 ounce. From Rio Grande
- ¾”-1” wooden dowel at least 6” long for use in water casting. From Amazon
- Optional but helpful: Flexshaft and the burs or wheels that you like to use (3M radial disc wheels are particularly good for steel).
Basic Tools & Supplies
For supplies, materials and tools that you will need to provide for all classes, please refer to the basic list for tools and supplies needed for working with steel in the pdf below. As with the list of class-specific supplies (above), many of these are items that you may have on hand. Note that the sources shown are merely examples. Many different vendors can be sourced for these products.
Basic Tools and Supplies for Working with Steel »All classes are $125 each. If you sign up for two classes, each class is $110, and for three or more classes, $100. The cost of a kit, if any, will be additional. Discounts for multiple classes will be applied at checkout.