No worries. I'll do some more basic videos especially on tools for basic use. The pro channels have millions of tools but I have found you really dont need many at all. Most of the stuff I bought in kits might never even get used.
I use a small round file to notch the bezel so it won't "travel" away from the intended spot, less is more with flux and solder in this case. It takes some practice to perfect the art of bezel making, you did great for a first try. You could remove & replace that jump ring, next time don't set the stone..just carefully reheat the bezel and separate and try again.
Yeah I thought of notching the bezel after and is probably the way to go. I was going to reverse the jump ring but thought I would keep it for the lessons learnt file.
Absolutely fantastic first bezel setting Roy! Andrew Berry is a gem - fantastic resource. I agree about doing a course if you have time - nothing better than having in-person instruction, but once you've mastered the basics you're going to be able to pick most things up from youtubes - there are so many generous silversmiths out there sharing their knowledge! Fantastic explanations too - great job!! Can't wait to see what you're producing by the end of the year :)
I think I'll get a few under my belt self-taught (plus the internet) then go to a more intermediate/advanced course just to learn some more complex things that will help on trickier settings. The basic courses cover things like how to use calipers and stuff and I really dont want to waste days on that.
Great result Roy! I am still at practicing sawing in my course. Hope my first bezelsetting will be as nice as yours, I would be really stoked ^^ thanks for doing the extra effort of filming it.
Sawing is good fun. I was practicing on brass for a bit before doing any silver and I think it helped a lot. I didn't even install my saw blade correctly at first so there has been lots of learning.
A course is a good idea. I did mine in Nhill!! Before Lucas was born! Gotta agree with solder flowing. Love watching it. Still love soldering...have to solder wiring today. A great first result, Roy. I'm more left of centre than the jump ring! LOL 😂. Looking forward to the coming years' videos. 😊❤
Its good being in the city I can get an actual qualification in jewellery making with some of the longer course. Add that to the PhD and I can be Dr jewellery man.
Hey mate great job for first attempt! Some small tips i learnt in my jewellery course at tafe, when cutting jump rings or bezel material always use a saw and don't clip them unless willing to file flat, If when when your making the shape have it overlap (the smallest amount for minimal waste) past where you cut and saw through both pieces at the same time so that they are a prefect match and no filing needed at all! Even if you cut wonky itll match, this alway works great for the bezel material itself!!!! save a lot of time i promise!! When soldering the jump rings or bail to the bezel file a flat spot roughly halfway through the thickness of the wire, it looks better and is stronger (dont make the flat spot too big if on small radius bezels) or alternatively you can cut between 10oclock and 3 o clock on the ring and have it attach in 2 places instead of one (bit more professional look and no extra work really) Not sure if itll make sense in words but i tried hahahaha If you have any questions you get stuck on during your journey let me know =)
I think that sawing technique is what Andrew Berry also does for his bezel strips but I see many pros using the ultra flush cutters now to avoid saw marks. One guy did a really good video of it on youtube comparing the three. I did file the jump ring down 50% through prior to attaching to the bezel to increase contact area which is why I couldn't just pull it off I think. Certainly does weld on strong that way but I like the idea of clipping it and attaching it in 2 spots so I'll do that next time. I dont even need to make it into a full jump ring first if I do that.
Andrew is a pro and his videos are top quality. I think it is a full studio set up with the camera angles and lighting. I'm actually trying to work out how he does it so I can improve all my videos. 😀
No talent I think I am just a careful slow and steady kinda guy due to my work background. I try to do things with as much precision as possible since at work one slip could do $100,000 worth of damage.
Roy, you did a great job for your first attempt, considering if that jump-ring was centralised, it would be perfect! I could only be so lucky if my first attempt turned out that well. Hopefully, one day, I'll get around to doing some silversmithing. Anyway, well done and I'm looking forward to seeing what your next projects are.😃
So many projects on the drawing board now that I have gotten a start. Now I just need to build up the skills to pull of the things I have draw up. Might take a while but gotta keep at it.
He is so good the only issue I have with him is he makes everything look easy!!! Fills you with confidence then you try it yourself and it is 10x harder and slower.
For a first time 2x👍 This is what "handcrafted" is. As you get used to doing it the better you will get. No one can start a new craft-playing a musical instrument like a pro first time they pick it up.
I'm just happy I have started now. Thats always the most difficult step and trying to film it at the same time made it even worse. Hopefully after I get a few dozen under my belt I'll be happy with how it is going.
You can learn soo much the first time around. I reckon I can get the simple bezel setting all sorted out in a few months then I can start trying freeform and open back ones.
Hey Roy, im new to silversmithing too and I had almost exactly the same problems you had and im still having. I tried doing a semi bezel with prongs...it was a disaster. I made a bezel setting with an open back and a ring to go with it, that turned out ok,still not perfect and im making myself a coffin ring with agatised wood at the moment. Its not opal but im still too green to risk doing that. I have found it really hard to get everything to go together level when soldering, it either moves slightly and I dont notice or i do notice it, try to adjust it while its at temperature and everything falls to bits or remelts,or just melts. Extremely frustrating but i guess its learning. I did say id send you some pics if you are interested but i got no reply. Anyway you did a bloody good job for your first 1. Keep at it brother. Ps,check out Chad's silversmithing ,hes who i learnt alot from as well.
Hey Jay, its a fun journey so I'm glad I have the ball rolling now. Feel free to send photos through to roys.rocks@yahoo.com and hopefully it doesnt get swept away in the flood of emails. I do lose a lot of emails though. I need to get a better business email that doesnt get flooded with spam.
Keep pluggin, Roy… I’m sure it won’t take you long to get to a result that you’re happy with! Just an idea… could you turn/ solder the jump ring another 90 deg. (Sideways) to hang on a chain?… or is the idea to add a bail to it? 👍👍👍
Great for a first setting! Congrats. Much better than my first. Definitely, get a third hand, will make your life much easier. One suggestion on technique. You want to keep saw blade perpendicular to the metal and use long strokes up and down. … at least this how I learned to do it. Take care.
I have a third hand but didn't use it on this one its actually got more than one hand on it so I could use it for that jump ring part that went wrong. For sawing I have been told never to go perpendicular to the metal or you will catch more and can lose a straight line so you should always angle forwards and cut on the downstroke. Different people probably teach different ways.
@ That’s so interesting that there is such a diversity of opinion on sawing. Now, I’m going to have to find some more silversmiths online to see what they do!
Great first attempt particularly your bezel. You need a third hand so you can do a soft solder with your jump ring. You may like to pick yourself up knitting needles of varying sizes will help with making jump rings. When cutting them use a felt pen to mark a line and consider using timber stirrers to pack the rings before cutting. Keeps a multi ring cut stiff and easier to cut. Looking forward to seeing more jewellery in the future. I do mainly earrings and bracelets so tend to to do a lot of jump rings.
I could try that step with the third hand. When Andrew Berry does his it worked really well this way but he didnt touch his at all whereas I bumped mine. I'll try again though.
Brother that was awesome for your first completed attempt, now set a Chocolate Shewa! You have enough of it to experiment, and who cares if it cracks alil along the way. It's to be expected anyways. Bunch of color plus another setting video would rule!!! Also Happy New Year!!! Hope your holidays went well! I messaged on messenger but it must have gotten lost so I'll just say it here instead. Also sent ya a link of Fire Agate Marks latest carvings in short form. You should check out what hes upto if you haven't already. Epic level carves by Mark lately. Maybe do a quick cab job on a fire agate and set that? Congrats on almost 10k subs too!!! Bust out a few colorful Ethiopian carves and maybe my setting ideas and you'll hit 10k easy! * Mike waves and sends his respect through the digital *
I do want to try setting even the most fragile of pieces so not a bad idea. I haven't seen anything from Mark in ages so I'll scan his channel for the carvings. Fire agate would be very forgiving to set being much stronger so I reckon I could do that. I will have to go with a proper cab though since it is going to be a while before I manage to get freeform settings done.
Nice Roy, pity about the jump ring, the rest is excellent. Did you use 999 silver for the bezel because it softer and easier to work? Great job, you should be proud of yourself.
2 more things: don't be afraid of firescale (that's what pickle is for) and always buy the best saw blades you can. Even if you're just starting out, there is never an excuse to cheap out of sawblades. You should be able to file with sawblades and they should be the easiest way to make surfaces flush
I just like to do the least amount of clean up possible and I see the pros manage to almost completely avoid it so I want to minimize it if possible. I use Niqua super Q blades 3/0 sized currently. They seem okay and sawing is probably the easiest part of the whole process at the moment.
You did very well, not far from a perfect outcome at all 😊 I recomend you to melt up some silver balls from both sheet and wire scraps as then you'll get a good feel for when it melts and see how the metal first turns shiny 😊 That way you'll build confidence faster. My next tip, polish up your burnishing tools as a polished tool will leave a polished finish. A scratched or otherways damaged tool will leave marks. A lot of jewelry making tools need a "clean up" before use, like sanding and polish on the grip surfice of pliers, edges of files, hammer heads, etc. Very few tools arrive 'ready to use', boring work but pays off big time in the long run 😉
I haven't tried meting the silver itself yet but that is not a bad idea. I have what I need to polish the burnisher but was only planning on doing that when I notice scratches but I'll do it now anyway. The only on I modified was the bezel roller because it had one sharp square edge on it that had to be removed or it would scratch the silver.
I think you did a great job for your first try and with no official courses. 7:50 My jewelry teacher in my course taught me to put the solder balls on the outside of the ring because if the solder leaves any excess puddles inside the piece the stone won’t sit flat and there’s really no easy way to remove a solder puddle on the inside but you can just file away any excess solder on the outside of the bezel. Each method has it’s pros and cons and either way can give you a great end result. I’m just explaining each jeweler has their different methods and I just wanted to share the way I learned as well. Keep making videos like this, never stop learning, and most of all have fun with it!
I have heard the same reasoning as well and it seem at every stages differet teachers go with different methods and they all seem reasonable. I'm going with andrews method as I want to recycle the outer plate so have to avoid the solder. He also says it is better to keep excess inside so you dont have to clean it off the outer wall as well but I think it could easily be polished off.
Well potch is just any common opal so yes. You can buy these very cheap which is why I dont mind practicing on them. If I break it I wont shed any tears. If I break a $1000 opal it wont be so good.
I just clicked, but if you don't like the way the ring is sitting you can push some round pliers in it then "roll" it slightly to the side. Just don't use too much force.
Currently I dont, I'm not much of a salesman so I just do my giveaway parcels. I push myself to sell tools but that is less about making money from selling and more helping people get tools for non-ridiculous prices. Maybe one day I would reconsider selling opal rough but there are many good sellers out there (some covered on my channel).
Yeah I thought of taking it off and redoing it before setting the stone but though I'll just keep it the way it ended up after the first try for the memories.
THIS IS EXTREMELY HELPFUL THANK YOU !!
No worries. I'll do some more basic videos especially on tools for basic use. The pro channels have millions of tools but I have found you really dont need many at all.
Most of the stuff I bought in kits might never even get used.
Looks awesome. Great job. ✌️♥️
Thanks, its a good start and can only get better from here.
Congrats on finally getting some jewelry made. Can't wait to see some opals! HAPPY NEW YEAR 🎉
Low quality opal to be set really soon. Then the expensive cuts can be set possibly later in the year. Get a couple dozen low risk stones done first.
It was great watching you walk through the process. I really enjoyed it. It turned out really nice. I think you did a great job.
Not sure if I was walking or stumbling but got there in the end.
Great job 👍🏿. That's awesome for your first job 🎉
Thanks I certainly expected it to be much worse.
I use a small round file to notch the bezel so it won't "travel" away from the intended spot, less is more with flux and solder in this case. It takes some practice to perfect the art of bezel making, you did great for a first try. You could remove & replace that jump ring, next time don't set the stone..just carefully reheat the bezel and separate and try again.
Yeah I thought of notching the bezel after and is probably the way to go.
I was going to reverse the jump ring but thought I would keep it for the lessons learnt file.
Absolutely fantastic first bezel setting Roy!
Andrew Berry is a gem - fantastic resource. I agree about doing a course if you have time - nothing better than having in-person instruction, but once you've mastered the basics you're going to be able to pick most things up from youtubes - there are so many generous silversmiths out there sharing their knowledge!
Fantastic explanations too - great job!! Can't wait to see what you're producing by the end of the year :)
I think I'll get a few under my belt self-taught (plus the internet) then go to a more intermediate/advanced course just to learn some more complex things that will help on trickier settings. The basic courses cover things like how to use calipers and stuff and I really dont want to waste days on that.
@@RoysRocks Great plan - I was thinking after I posted that you already have a good grasp of the basics anyway - soldering etc.
Awesome job on that attempt!! I need to learn this as well. I've got finished opals piling up. Thank you for the video!!
Haha same as me, that is why I pushed it.
Easily have hundreds of stones I could set from over the years.
Very nice work for the first attempt, keep working on it and it will get better each time.
Hopefully. I'm happy I got off to an okay start. Now it is just spending the time on doing it over and over and making it slightly better each time.
Nice!
Thanks not an awful first stab.
Great result Roy! I am still at practicing sawing in my course. Hope my first bezelsetting will be as nice as yours, I would be really stoked ^^ thanks for doing the extra effort of filming it.
Sawing is good fun. I was practicing on brass for a bit before doing any silver and I think it helped a lot. I didn't even install my saw blade correctly at first so there has been lots of learning.
A course is a good idea. I did mine in Nhill!! Before Lucas was born! Gotta agree with solder flowing. Love watching it. Still love soldering...have to solder wiring today. A great first result, Roy. I'm more left of centre than the jump ring! LOL 😂. Looking forward to the coming years' videos. 😊❤
Its good being in the city I can get an actual qualification in jewellery making with some of the longer course. Add that to the PhD and I can be Dr jewellery man.
Great first time making a pendant, I learned the basics from Andrew too. Thanks for the video Roy.
Andrew is a legend. I hope he doesnt see this video though.
@@RoysRocks lol
Happy New Year, Roy!
Happy new year!
Hey mate great job for first attempt! Some small tips i learnt in my jewellery course at tafe, when cutting jump rings or bezel material always use a saw and don't clip them unless willing to file flat, If when when your making the shape have it overlap (the smallest amount for minimal waste) past where you cut and saw through both pieces at the same time so that they are a prefect match and no filing needed at all! Even if you cut wonky itll match, this alway works great for the bezel material itself!!!! save a lot of time i promise!!
When soldering the jump rings or bail to the bezel file a flat spot roughly halfway through the thickness of the wire, it looks better and is stronger (dont make the flat spot too big if on small radius bezels) or alternatively you can cut between 10oclock and 3 o clock on the ring and have it attach in 2 places instead of one (bit more professional look and no extra work really)
Not sure if itll make sense in words but i tried hahahaha If you have any questions you get stuck on during your journey let me know =)
I think that sawing technique is what Andrew Berry also does for his bezel strips but I see many pros using the ultra flush cutters now to avoid saw marks. One guy did a really good video of it on youtube comparing the three.
I did file the jump ring down 50% through prior to attaching to the bezel to increase contact area which is why I couldn't just pull it off I think. Certainly does weld on strong that way but I like the idea of clipping it and attaching it in 2 spots so I'll do that next time. I dont even need to make it into a full jump ring first if I do that.
Great effort, my first bezel setting didn’t look that good 😂 practice is key. Thanks for sharing and the Andrew berry tip, I’ll check it out.
Andrew is a pro and his videos are top quality. I think it is a full studio set up with the camera angles and lighting.
I'm actually trying to work out how he does it so I can improve all my videos. 😀
This is much better than my first try lol, you have quite the talents my guy! Hope all is well in the New Year!!
No talent I think I am just a careful slow and steady kinda guy due to my work background.
I try to do things with as much precision as possible since at work one slip could do $100,000 worth of damage.
Roy, you did a great job for your first attempt, considering if that jump-ring was centralised, it would be perfect! I could only be so lucky if my first attempt turned out that well. Hopefully, one day, I'll get around to doing some silversmithing. Anyway, well done and I'm looking forward to seeing what your next projects are.😃
So many projects on the drawing board now that I have gotten a start. Now I just need to build up the skills to pull of the things I have draw up.
Might take a while but gotta keep at it.
You stud, congrats! I would suggest getting an oxy butane torch. More heat is actually easier and more fun to work with. Excellent first piece!🎉
I dont think I'll be upgrading my torch unless I aim to go a little more pro.
I'd probably also prefer going with an oxy-hydrogen torch.
I love Andrew's channel
He is so good the only issue I have with him is he makes everything look easy!!!
Fills you with confidence then you try it yourself and it is 10x harder and slower.
@RoysRocks I know. I'm teaching myself how to soft solder before I jump into the real thing
For a first time 2x👍 This is what "handcrafted" is. As you get used to doing it the better you will get. No one can start a new craft-playing a musical instrument like a pro first time they pick it up.
I'm just happy I have started now. Thats always the most difficult step and trying to film it at the same time made it even worse.
Hopefully after I get a few dozen under my belt I'll be happy with how it is going.
Its a new experience and glad you tried something new even happier you pearned from it
You can learn soo much the first time around. I reckon I can get the simple bezel setting all sorted out in a few months then I can start trying freeform and open back ones.
@RoysRocks absolutely I learn lots from trying to 3d print things
Hey Roy, im new to silversmithing too and I had almost exactly the same problems you had and im still having. I tried doing a semi bezel with prongs...it was a disaster. I made a bezel setting with an open back and a ring to go with it, that turned out ok,still not perfect and im making myself a coffin ring with agatised wood at the moment. Its not opal but im still too green to risk doing that. I have found it really hard to get everything to go together level when soldering, it either moves slightly and I dont notice or i do notice it, try to adjust it while its at temperature and everything falls to bits or remelts,or just melts. Extremely frustrating but i guess its learning. I did say id send you some pics if you are interested but i got no reply. Anyway you did a bloody good job for your first 1. Keep at it brother.
Ps,check out Chad's silversmithing ,hes who i learnt alot from as well.
Hey Jay, its a fun journey so I'm glad I have the ball rolling now.
Feel free to send photos through to roys.rocks@yahoo.com and hopefully it doesnt get swept away in the flood of emails.
I do lose a lot of emails though. I need to get a better business email that doesnt get flooded with spam.
Keep pluggin, Roy… I’m sure it won’t take you long to get to a result that you’re happy with! Just an idea… could you turn/ solder the jump ring another 90 deg. (Sideways) to hang on a chain?… or is the idea to add a bail to it? 👍👍👍
Meant to add a bail to it which then goes on the chain.
I think it helps for movement with opals so you can get a bit more play from the colour.
Great for a first setting! Congrats. Much better than my first.
Definitely, get a third hand, will make your life much easier.
One suggestion on technique. You want to keep saw blade perpendicular to the metal and use long strokes up and down.
… at least this how I learned to do it.
Take care.
I have a third hand but didn't use it on this one its actually got more than one hand on it so I could use it for that jump ring part that went wrong.
For sawing I have been told never to go perpendicular to the metal or you will catch more and can lose a straight line so you should always angle forwards and cut on the downstroke. Different people probably teach different ways.
@ That’s so interesting that there is such a diversity of opinion on sawing. Now, I’m going to have to find some more silversmiths online to see what they do!
Great first attempt particularly your bezel. You need a third hand so you can do a soft solder with your jump ring. You may like to pick yourself up knitting needles of varying sizes will help with making jump rings. When cutting them use a felt pen to mark a line and consider using timber stirrers to pack the rings before cutting. Keeps a multi ring cut stiff and easier to cut. Looking forward to seeing more jewellery in the future. I do mainly earrings and bracelets so tend to to do a lot of jump rings.
I could try that step with the third hand. When Andrew Berry does his it worked really well this way but he didnt touch his at all whereas I bumped mine.
I'll try again though.
True. However, Andrew is a professional, we amateurs need all the help we can get.@RoysRocks
Brother that was awesome for your first completed attempt, now set a Chocolate Shewa! You have enough of it to experiment, and who cares if it cracks alil along the way. It's to be expected anyways. Bunch of color plus another setting video would rule!!! Also Happy New Year!!! Hope your holidays went well! I messaged on messenger but it must have gotten lost so I'll just say it here instead. Also sent ya a link of Fire Agate Marks latest carvings in short form. You should check out what hes upto if you haven't already. Epic level carves by Mark lately. Maybe do a quick cab job on a fire agate and set that? Congrats on almost 10k subs too!!! Bust out a few colorful Ethiopian carves and maybe my setting ideas and you'll hit 10k easy!
* Mike waves and sends his respect through the digital *
I do want to try setting even the most fragile of pieces so not a bad idea.
I haven't seen anything from Mark in ages so I'll scan his channel for the carvings.
Fire agate would be very forgiving to set being much stronger so I reckon I could do that.
I will have to go with a proper cab though since it is going to be a while before I manage to get freeform settings done.
Nice Roy, pity about the jump ring, the rest is excellent. Did you use 999 silver for the bezel because it softer and easier to work? Great job, you should be proud of yourself.
Yeah 999 bezel so it is easier to shape and roll over. Even after all my working with it by the end it was still easy to push.
2 more things: don't be afraid of firescale (that's what pickle is for) and always buy the best saw blades you can. Even if you're just starting out, there is never an excuse to cheap out of sawblades.
You should be able to file with sawblades and they should be the easiest way to make surfaces flush
I just like to do the least amount of clean up possible and I see the pros manage to almost completely avoid it so I want to minimize it if possible.
I use Niqua super Q blades 3/0 sized currently. They seem okay and sawing is probably the easiest part of the whole process at the moment.
You did very well, not far from a perfect outcome at all 😊 I recomend you to melt up some silver balls from both sheet and wire scraps as then you'll get a good feel for when it melts and see how the metal first turns shiny 😊 That way you'll build confidence faster.
My next tip, polish up your burnishing tools as a polished tool will leave a polished finish. A scratched or otherways damaged tool will leave marks.
A lot of jewelry making tools need a "clean up" before use, like sanding and polish on the grip surfice of pliers, edges of files, hammer heads, etc.
Very few tools arrive 'ready to use', boring work but pays off big time in the long run 😉
I haven't tried meting the silver itself yet but that is not a bad idea.
I have what I need to polish the burnisher but was only planning on doing that when I notice scratches but I'll do it now anyway.
The only on I modified was the bezel roller because it had one sharp square edge on it that had to be removed or it would scratch the silver.
I think you did a great job for your first try and with no official courses. 7:50 My jewelry teacher in my course taught me to put the solder balls on the outside of the ring because if the solder leaves any excess puddles inside the piece the stone won’t sit flat and there’s really no easy way to remove a solder puddle on the inside but you can just file away any excess solder on the outside of the bezel. Each method has it’s pros and cons and either way can give you a great end result. I’m just explaining each jeweler has their different methods and I just wanted to share the way I learned as well. Keep making videos like this, never stop learning, and most of all have fun with it!
I have heard the same reasoning as well and it seem at every stages differet teachers go with different methods and they all seem reasonable.
I'm going with andrews method as I want to recycle the outer plate so have to avoid the solder.
He also says it is better to keep excess inside so you dont have to clean it off the outer wall as well but I think it could easily be polished off.
Isn't pink opal really potch? I like it and they sell huge polished pieces of it as palm stones on Amazon for $20
Well potch is just any common opal so yes. You can buy these very cheap which is why I dont mind practicing on them. If I break it I wont shed any tears.
If I break a $1000 opal it wont be so good.
I just clicked, but if you don't like the way the ring is sitting you can push some round pliers in it then "roll" it slightly to the side. Just don't use too much force.
True I could just try to squeeze it and lean it off to the side a bit and it would be less off. Would probably look pretty close then.
roy, do you sell lots of opals?
Currently I dont, I'm not much of a salesman so I just do my giveaway parcels.
I push myself to sell tools but that is less about making money from selling and more helping people get tools for non-ridiculous prices.
Maybe one day I would reconsider selling opal rough but there are many good sellers out there (some covered on my channel).
For a first attempt, you should feel proud. You could always reset the top ring later, if your still not happy with it.
Yeah I thought of taking it off and redoing it before setting the stone but though I'll just keep it the way it ended up after the first try for the memories.