I subscribe to Andrew's "At the Bench" series and have found his videos, methods and instruction invaluable. Well worth the money. Also his TH-cam freebies are just as valuable, he does not leave things out even though they are free! I have tried both ways and I will admit that Andrew's way is pretty foolproof and makes absolute sense. Using the traditional way, has often left me frustrated and annoyed. No, I am not a jewelry guru, by any means but somehow my ends meet with Andrew's method and if they don't, it's because of me not his instruction, my filing sometimes just goes horribly wrong! I appreciate your honesty here Mark, it is nice to see respectful credits amongst fellow jewelers - we never stop learning!
Andrew's content is great, many small adjustments to norms. Kudos for being open to new ways of doing things, passing on your results makes us all better.
Thanks Mark! I would only ask one thing: PLEASE make more videos! You're class is my very favorite on Crafsty and I love watching you work. I always learn so much from you and would love it if you were teaching more. I'd happily pay for classes!!
I'm just getting back into silversmithing after taking a single course about 25 years ago, and Andrew's method was how I was taught. I was told that by overlapping and cutting I would get a cleaner cut that would match up with the other side better. But since returning to taking courses on silversmithing, I haven't seen a single person do this and I've started to wonder if I was just remembering incorrectly. So happy to see my memory confirmed. I also remember that my very beginner solder seams on my rings were pretty invisible, which is not something I can say about most handmade silver jewelry I see these days. Thanks for showing this!
I have been a customer of Rio since 2005 and a subscriber to At the Bench for aprox. 5 years. I have had a "crush" on Mark for low those many years ( don't worry I'm 73 years old...not a threat to anyone) but Andrew is also just as cute and knowledgeable. I just wanted to acknowledge Rio's good taste in publishing this video. I will continue to scribe to both and applaud Rio for their professionalism.
I have gained so much knowledge from both of you over the past few years. I love making jewelry and learning new techniques. I must give a shoutout to Nancy Hamilton as well. I was just hired at the largest jewelry repair facilities in the Country. My dream job! Thanks guys!!! Mary
I am brutal at filing, so I guess when I first saw his video, I thought it was great. I have Fibromyalgia, and find heavy bands difficult to square up. I liked his method, but the excess silver has me thinking that I would have to use the scrap to make it worthwhile. Thanks for giving him credit, as he is an awesome teacher, like yourself. p.s. love your Craftsy video too. For excellent reference, I love Soham Harrison, Nancy L.T. Hamilton, Andrew Berry, Melissa Muir, and yourself plus the Rio gang. Hello from Canada!
I am familiar as I too have fibro and also polyarthritis amongst other things. I was wondering if you had any tips for holding all the small pieces for soldering? Most things I try become a heat sink! Third hands and whatnot don't seem to grip well and are hard to adjust. And I'm pretty shaky sometimes so trying to hold a piece in place is often very difficult. Any tips are appreciated n if you don't have any tips that's ok n happy soldering!
Thank you for having an open mind and giving Andrew a Respectable review. You are a great jeweler and a Gentleman. You have just earned another Subscriber
I admit, I was afraid you were going to knock Berry's method; but, was happy to see you give it a try. Also thrilled to see you give him such high marks and credit. I learned this method the hard way, on my first ring. Two thick bands of silver did not want to go into the 'D' formation. By accident, and against the teacher's suggestions, I went for the rounded cut and - success! Thanks for sharing and passing on the unconventional style.
@finecreationsjewelry here and so impressed Mark Nelson and @riogrande !!! Watched Andrew Berry a while back and concluded what you concluded. It's wonderful to investigate and research and learn. (That's what we do!)
I've been watching him for awhile now. I find him very informative as well as Soham Harrison. If you haven't seen his videos, I encourage you to look him up
I purchase ALL my silver from you guys. I also watch Andrew's films religiously. I am super impressed that you are open to new ideas and am going to go watch all of your videos now too. Amazing. Thank you!
I saw Andrew's technique when he first came out with it and it is the same way i was taught to make a ring back in high school (over 45 years ago). It is my preferred way as well.
I have been a fan and a customer of Rio Grande for years. I did watch Andrews video before watching this one and Mark truly impressed me with his professionalism. He is right, there is no one way to do everything, and much of what Andrew said made sense. I like both ways and will use both as the situation dictates. Thanks
I truly appreciate your character. It's always nice to share and learn techniques from others. Both ways helped me. Thank you for your time and sharing. I'm brand new. So encouraging. God Bless you. 🤣🤣🤣
Way to be open minded Mark!! Good for you! I watch both Andrew & you on TH-cam & have learned a great deal from you both. It's truly wonderful to see you sharing! Thanks so much!
Hi Mark, there's lots of very informative videos on TH-cam (including yours!). It's great to be open minded about new ways of doing things. I started out wire wrapping but once I discovered @Andrew Berry's brilliantly thorough tutorials I was hooked and inspired to become a silversmith and take my jewelry making to a whole new level (even if only as a hobbyist). Andrew became my main go-to for learning about becoming a bench jeweler and Rio Grande became my main supplier here in the US. Thanks for sharing your knowledge and techniques. This was a really great test! 👍
Hello, thanks for reaching out. We are happy to be apart of your jewelry making experience and we hope you continue to be inspired. Thanks for watching!
The reason I subscribed to this channel...you were open to learning new methods and passing them on... I had already watched Andrews point of view. He put out 2 videos on the method. I am spending my Thanksgiving making rings and perfecting my solder joints.
Mark Nelson I’m years behind in seeing this, but kudos to you for trying someone else’s technique! At some point, I realized that you were going to “tie” yourself, but I was hoping that you weren’t going to “dis” Andrew’s method . (I just started watching your videos today and therefore, I didn’t know how cool you were 😉) Thanks for being a mensch. I also want to commend you for having unbelievable patience! I watched you on two other Rio Grande vids today and 👏 for not strangling the other person on each of the other tuts. Kudos to you!
Mark, nice job and for being open to new techniques. Saw Andrew's video and also liked the argument that there was less intrinsic stress in the solder joint when the metal was soldered in the near circular starting shape as compared to the D shape.
I just watched Andrew's video a couple weeks ago & agree that it seemed worthwhile. Thanks for comparing the methods so I don't have to! Great that you keep checking others' ideas!
Hi Mark, one of the other things about Andrew's method is that less stress is put on the joint once soldered and whilst reshaping, as the edges meet in the round and are not flat butted together, and, you are almost 100% guaranteed to get a good join first time without filing the edges to get a tight fit as you aren't turning the metal round to cut the second side, thereby keeping the same angle of cut.
I learned this way in the uk, 15 yrs ago. I would never do the file & flat way. Only downside is material wastage, unless you can use the waste pieces or melt and cast...especially with gold! Thanks for making the videos.
It took you exactly the same amount of time to do both methods, but for those of us, like me, who are terrible at sawing and worse at squaring ends, Andrew’s way is much faster and more efficient. Hats off to you for being open to new methods, and for crediting him this way!
I have great respect for your open-mindedness. I've been a jeweler for some 26 years, a My sizing approach was exactly like yours I have yet to try Andrews technique. One of the main things I have learned, is to always have an open mind . I have met Jewelers who are reluctant to share their secrets or technique . I have to tell you the greatest teacher I have ever had where my mistakes
I think the fact that both methods took the same amount of time actually speaks volumes about Andrew's method. The fact that you tried a different method with little to no experience doing it and ended up with the same amount of time as something that has been tried and tested for 20+ years is impressive!
A saw blade is a microfile. Which is why it’s better to get a tight fit here than a hand file. Thanks Mark for sharing your method and comparing it to a different one. It just goes to show there’s always more than one way to skin a cat, and the more we expand our knowledge the better we are at problem-solving everything. I saw Andrew Berry’s video quite a while back, and the thing that got me about it is the presumption that all of us have been making rings a certain way! Not true!! I have a different version which I like better than both versions here. 😊😊 I do appreciate both of you for sharing your knowledge on TH-cam. Kudos to both of you for supporting jewelry makers everywhere.
I am surprised somewhat that you approved of Andrew Berry's ring-making technique, however, I like your honesty and willingness to try it and share your opinion. I am but a novice, and it is good to know that other folks in the industry acknowledge each other and I am reassured by your vote of conbfidence that I am not wasting my time watching his videos, and yours! Right on!
I noticed it took exactly the same time. For a beginner as myself I feel Andrew Berry’s method may be faster for me. Will have to try both ways to know for sure which works best for me though. Thanks for the video, it was great.
I just started getting into learning about silversmithing. But have been watching Andrew's videos, and I am happy you tried his method. I subscribed to Rio Grande as well. I am here to learn from the masters.
Mark your humbleness is something to greatly admire....unfortunately, you don't see that to often in our industry. I would have to say that there would be times when someone could use one method and other times when they are forced to use the more traditional method. My honest opinion & with the up most respect to Andrew ( I believe he is truly gifted to teach ), is that instead of titling " you've been doing it wrong " he should have titled it " you've have been doing it different ".
I've been goldsmithing for nearly 2 years and have used Andrew's method many times and that was the method I kind of naturally adopted as to me, it makes more sense. Especially with super heavy bands, I often tap the metal around a doming punch that's the right ring size. It does mean cutting a little more excess metal but I don't have a problem with that
I have been making rings this way before I had seen Andrew video. I was wasting material trying to square up the end. The reason is that my hands shake to much when trying too file the end square.
Very cool and informative. I find Andrews method tedious at the beginning and slightly more wasteful but he does have the point that there are always less marks on the band because it barely needs to be hammered into shape.
Yes! Straight boric acid - item# 704096 on our site! It is a barrier flux to prevent fire scale when soldering. Mark applies the flux to clean and allow the solder to flow which is his flow flux. We hope this is helpful!
Thank you for doing this video. I've found the time difference was minimal for me and I can see for this demo it was as well. The difference is how much extra sterling silver you had left over. With Andrews, there was more. This may or may not be an important factor to who ever is using his method. Turning it back in isn't productive or much savings. It would work well if you melt all the leftovers down later.
+Catherine Franz I agree with you re: the amount of excess sterling that is left over using Andrew's method. However, I never had much luck truing up the ends of the ring for soldering, which was very frustrating. With Andrew's method, this problem has been eliminated.
I'm with Andrew on this one. Theres usually less ( or no) time wasted running a saw down the joint to get it flush, as you usually have to do with the round method- especially with thicker gauge material. I would also suggest that Andrew's method is more accurate, without this filing of the seam. Mark is clearly very skilled and capable of making a perfect ring by any method. But I feel lesser skilled beginners should give Andrew's D shape method a try. I find it much better, and much quicker. just my 10c. great video. Dave
New to this. Why did you dip in boric acid/alcohol solution then use mighty flux also? I saw on another video that the boric acid mixture was homemade flux. Thank you!
Hi Nay, The boric acid/alcohol solution is used as a barrier flux to protect the work from firescale. The My-T-Flux is used to help the solder flow to the appropriate areas. If you'd like to learn more about making the boric acid barrier flux take a look at this blog post from Mark: riograndeblog.com/mark-nelsons-tips-mixing-boric-acid-barrier-flux/ Hope this helps!
Hi there, what size blade did you use? I am indeed a follower of Mr Berry because I started to learn and follow him from many years ago. He has a great personality and a passion for jewelry making as I do and a strong desire to teach. -Elisa W.
Hi Eliza - It is s an 18 gauge, so according to this chart, www.riogrande.com/article?name=Saw-Blade-Specification-CGl, you can use anything from a 1/0 to a 4.
Hello, Which half round pliers are you using here? I am looking for a better quality, heavier duty ones than the cheap beginner ones I currently have. Thanks!
Hi Brenden, Thanks for watching! We talked to the video team and this is what they told us, "The arm is the Manfrotto 244 Variable Friction Magic Arm with Camera Bracket. We attach the arm to the bench using a Manfrotto 035 Super Clamp." Hope this helps!
From a technique standpoint, I like the one cut that's matched on both ends. From a structural/engineering standpoint, soldering metal that's mostly curved to size puts less stress on that joint.
Another thing to consider about Andrew's method is that, geometrically, the angles should be perfect where the join is made. The way you do it (and most of us were taught), creates a tiny spot of stress when the ring is rounded off, potentially causing the solder join to fail down the road.
Hello Marylou, Thanks for your question. Here is a link to our selection of ring blanks: www.riogrande.com/search?q=ring+blank&c=&t=1&pageSize=32 Hope this helps & thanks again for watching!
Tbh I always take silver tubes and a tube cutter for stainless steel, if out and inside should be flat. Saving some gas and solder. Leaves me with a lot of tubes but also gives me the opportunity to use them for different round settings
Mark, quick question on the boric acid and denatured alcohol- I have trouble getting it to coat my piece evenly, and remain on the piece while heating it, and sometimes I’ll get spots of fire scale. So I always end up using commercial flux instead. Any tips on getting it to coat my piece evenly? I try to saturate the denatured alcohol with boric acid. Is this maybe where I’m going wrong?
Hi Mel, We talked to Mark and he gave us a little trouble-shooting advice to share: "The mix should be about a 50/50 mix of boric acid and alcohol. The alcohol shouldn't be saturated with boric acid...it would be too thick. The best way to get an even coating is to stir the solution and then dunk the piece in. If that isn't possible then stirring and painting the solution on usually works fine." Let us know if this works for you. P.S. If you haven't seen it already, this video might be helpful, too! th-cam.com/video/Bfd8DukeCLI/w-d-xo.html
Great video! What hammer/mallet are you using to shape the ring on the ring mandrel? If you no longer sell that exact one, which one is the next best on riogrande.com? Thanks!
Hi Whitney, Thanks for watching! In this video, Mark is using the Bonny Doon Urethane Forming Hammer. It's a great non-marring hammer for this sort of work - take a look at it here: www.riogrande.com/product/bonny-doon-urethane-forming-hammer-10-oz/110921
Nice one Mark. They both ended up the same time but I think once you're get used to Andrew's method it might go a wee faster but probably not enough to make a dent. LOL. Btw, what kind of tripod did you use in this video?
Just watched this for the second time and just as impressed by it as I was the first time I watched it. You were the first jeweller I ever saw, quite a long time ago, and you made a great impression on me. I think it was on a Sky channel and I was really into polymer clay at the time then you introduced me to precious metal clay and literally changed my life. Since then I've been quite ill, in and out of hospital, and too ill to continue working. If it wasn't for my interest in jewellery making I don't think I could have stayed sane. All the times I couldn't sleep I would sit at my bench, sometimes 3-4 am and watch Andrew, John Ahr and you. I now make jewellery from recycled silver and copper and my skill set is improving all the time. Thank you for your frank assessments of Andrews work, without a trace of competition, just respect from one master jeweller to another: I admire that.
I guess if you're trying to mass produce rings time is a big concern but if it take a few more seconds and the final product is better that would be the most important thing for me. The soldered joint should be cleaner and stronger using Berry's method.
Hello, to answer your questions we spoke with our Jewelry Tech Team and they said that Boric acid and alcohol are a barrier flux to help protect the entire piece, for firescale it is not really a good flow flux. My-T-flux is a flow flux that helps to promote flow at the joint. And your right It is the best way to help prevent firescale. We hope this answers all of your questions and feel free to reach out if there is anything else you would like to know!
Hello Naveen, Thanks for your question. You might like this PickleIt Starter Kit. It's on our site here: www.riogrande.com/product/rio-pickleit-starter-kit/501020 Please let us know if you have any other questions - we're happy to help!
I subscribe to Andrew's "At the Bench" series and have found his videos, methods and instruction invaluable. Well worth the money. Also his TH-cam freebies are just as valuable, he does not leave things out even though they are free! I have tried both ways and I will admit that Andrew's way is pretty foolproof and makes absolute sense. Using the traditional way, has often left me frustrated and annoyed. No, I am not a jewelry guru, by any means but somehow my ends meet with Andrew's method and if they don't, it's because of me not his instruction, my filing sometimes just goes horribly wrong! I appreciate your honesty here Mark, it is nice to see respectful credits amongst fellow jewelers - we never stop learning!
Andrew's content is great, many small adjustments to norms. Kudos for being open to new ways of doing things, passing on your results makes us all better.
andrew is a great teacher. and for your open ways to accept anothers methods of doing things shows great character traits. thanks for what you share.
Thanks Mark! I would only ask one thing: PLEASE make more videos! You're class is my very favorite on Crafsty and I love watching you work. I always learn so much from you and would love it if you were teaching more. I'd happily pay for classes!!
I'm just getting back into silversmithing after taking a single course about 25 years ago, and Andrew's method was how I was taught. I was told that by overlapping and cutting I would get a cleaner cut that would match up with the other side better. But since returning to taking courses on silversmithing, I haven't seen a single person do this and I've started to wonder if I was just remembering incorrectly. So happy to see my memory confirmed. I also remember that my very beginner solder seams on my rings were pretty invisible, which is not something I can say about most handmade silver jewelry I see these days. Thanks for showing this!
I have been a customer of Rio since 2005 and a subscriber to At the Bench for aprox. 5 years. I have had a "crush" on Mark for low those many years ( don't worry I'm 73 years old...not a threat to anyone) but Andrew is also just as cute and knowledgeable. I just wanted to acknowledge Rio's good taste in publishing this video. I will continue to scribe to both and applaud Rio for their professionalism.
I have gained so much knowledge from both of you over the past few years. I love making jewelry and learning new techniques. I must give a shoutout to Nancy Hamilton as well.
I was just hired at the largest jewelry repair facilities in the Country. My dream job! Thanks guys!!! Mary
What a GRAND idea to demonstrate both approaches!! You folks are terrific!
I have watched many of Andrew's videos and have learned a lot from him.
I am brutal at filing, so I guess when I first saw his video, I thought it was great. I have Fibromyalgia, and find heavy bands difficult to square up. I liked his method, but the excess silver has me thinking that I would have to use the scrap to make it worthwhile. Thanks for giving him credit, as he is an awesome teacher, like yourself. p.s. love your Craftsy video too. For excellent reference, I love Soham Harrison, Nancy L.T. Hamilton, Andrew Berry, Melissa Muir, and yourself plus the Rio gang. Hello from Canada!
I am familiar as I too have fibro and also polyarthritis amongst other things. I was wondering if you had any tips for holding all the small pieces for soldering? Most things I try become a heat sink! Third hands and whatnot don't seem to grip well and are hard to adjust. And I'm pretty shaky sometimes so trying to hold a piece in place is often very difficult. Any tips are appreciated n if you don't have any tips that's ok n happy soldering!
Thank you for having an open mind and giving Andrew a Respectable review. You are a great jeweler and a Gentleman. You have just earned another Subscriber
I admit, I was afraid you were going to knock Berry's method; but, was happy to see you give it a try. Also thrilled to see you give him such high marks and credit. I learned this method the hard way, on my first ring. Two thick bands of silver did not want to go into the 'D' formation. By accident, and against the teacher's suggestions, I went for the rounded cut and - success! Thanks for sharing and passing on the unconventional style.
@finecreationsjewelry here and so impressed Mark Nelson and @riogrande !!! Watched Andrew Berry a while back and concluded what you concluded. It's wonderful to investigate and research and learn. (That's what we do!)
I love the fact that you put your solder on bottom, nice little trick.
Love Andrew Berry!!! So happy to see this video and how you dig him too!! Thanks for sharing!!
Good for you!! I thought this was going to end up differently, but you exceeded my expectations! Thanks!! 👏👏👏
I've been watching him for awhile now. I find him very informative as well as Soham Harrison. If you haven't seen his videos, I encourage you to look him up
We love Soham! His videos are great.
I purchase ALL my silver from you guys. I also watch Andrew's films religiously. I am super impressed that you are open to new ideas and am going to go watch all of your videos now too. Amazing. Thank you!
Awesome! Thank you!
I saw Andrew's technique when he first came out with it and it is the same way i was taught to make a ring back in high school (over 45 years ago). It is my preferred way as well.
I have been a fan and a customer of Rio Grande for years. I did watch Andrews video before watching this one and Mark truly impressed me with his professionalism. He is right, there is no one way to do everything, and much of what Andrew said made sense. I like both ways and will use both as the situation dictates. Thanks
I completely forgot i have holes in my bench for mandrels. Thanks, Mark. Not only did you teach me something new - you taught me what i already knew
I truly appreciate your character. It's always nice to share and learn techniques from others. Both ways helped me. Thank you for your time and sharing. I'm brand new. So encouraging. God Bless you. 🤣🤣🤣
Way to be open minded Mark!! Good for you! I watch both Andrew & you on TH-cam & have learned a great deal from you both. It's truly wonderful to see you sharing! Thanks so much!
Hi Mark, there's lots of very informative videos on TH-cam (including yours!). It's great to be open minded about new ways of doing things. I started out wire wrapping but once I discovered @Andrew Berry's brilliantly thorough tutorials I was hooked and inspired to become a silversmith and take my jewelry making to a whole new level (even if only as a hobbyist). Andrew became my main go-to for learning about becoming a bench jeweler and Rio Grande became my main supplier here in the US. Thanks for sharing your knowledge and techniques. This was a really great test! 👍
Hello, thanks for reaching out. We are happy to be apart of your jewelry making experience and we hope you continue to be inspired. Thanks for watching!
The reason I subscribed to this channel...you were open to learning new methods and passing them on... I had already watched Andrews point of view. He put out 2 videos on the method. I am spending my Thanksgiving making rings and perfecting my solder joints.
Agree. Andrew’s way of making rings gives newbies confidence. I was forever filling too much using the ‘potato’ method
Mark Nelson
I’m years behind in seeing this, but kudos to you for trying someone else’s technique! At some point, I realized that you were going to “tie” yourself, but I was hoping that you weren’t going to “dis” Andrew’s method . (I just started watching your videos today and therefore, I didn’t know how cool you were 😉) Thanks for being a mensch. I also want to commend you for having unbelievable patience! I watched you on two other Rio Grande vids today and 👏 for not strangling the other person on each of the other tuts. Kudos to you!
Very much appreciate how humble you are & sincerely about learning teaching & growing.
Mark, nice job and for being open to new techniques. Saw Andrew's video and also liked the argument that there was less intrinsic stress in the solder joint when the metal was soldered in the near circular starting shape as compared to the D shape.
I just watched Andrew's video a couple weeks ago & agree that it seemed worthwhile. Thanks for comparing the methods so I don't have to! Great that you keep checking others' ideas!
Love watching Andrew Berry. He's fantastic.
Hi Mark, one of the other things about Andrew's method is that less stress is put on the joint once soldered and whilst reshaping, as the edges meet in the round and are not flat butted together, and, you are almost 100% guaranteed to get a good join first time without filing the edges to get a tight fit as you aren't turning the metal round to cut the second side, thereby keeping the same angle of cut.
I learned this way in the uk, 15 yrs ago. I would never do the file & flat way. Only downside is material wastage, unless you can use the waste pieces or melt and cast...especially with gold! Thanks for making the videos.
Lulu Labelle or roll it flat. No waste. Back plates.
It took you exactly the same amount of time to do both methods, but for those of us, like me, who are terrible at sawing and worse at squaring ends, Andrew’s way is much faster and more efficient.
Hats off to you for being open to new methods, and for crediting him this way!
Thanks for giving kudos to Andrew, Mark! I do like his vids also. Will def try his way for ring making!
I love Andrew! I stumbled across him a year ago when I was first getting started in silversmithing. I find his videos very helpful. 👍🤗
I have great respect for your open-mindedness. I've been a jeweler for some 26 years, a My sizing approach was exactly like yours I have yet to try Andrews technique. One of the main things I have learned, is to always have an open mind . I have met Jewelers who are reluctant to share their secrets or technique . I have to tell you the greatest teacher I have ever had where my mistakes
I think the fact that both methods took the same amount of time actually speaks volumes about Andrew's method. The fact that you tried a different method with little to no experience doing it and ended up with the same amount of time as something that has been tried and tested for 20+ years is impressive!
We agree!
Andrews reduces the possibility of scratching. I am all about that!
A saw blade is a microfile. Which is why it’s better to get a tight fit here than a hand file. Thanks Mark for sharing your method and comparing it to a different one. It just goes to show there’s always more than one way to skin a cat, and the more we expand our knowledge the better we are at problem-solving everything. I saw Andrew Berry’s video quite a while back, and the thing that got me about it is the presumption that all of us have been making rings a certain way! Not true!! I have a different version which I like better than both versions here. 😊😊 I do appreciate both of you for sharing your knowledge on TH-cam. Kudos to both of you for supporting jewelry makers everywhere.
HI Mel, thanks for your comment. Let us know if you've got a video of your technique, we'd love to see it! Thanks again for watching.
I am surprised somewhat that you approved of Andrew Berry's ring-making technique, however, I like your honesty and willingness to try it and share your opinion. I am but a novice, and it is good to know that other folks in the industry acknowledge each other and I am reassured by your vote of conbfidence that I am not wasting my time watching his videos, and yours! Right on!
We appreciate that! There are so many ways to do the same tasks, and Andrew's here is a good one!
I noticed it took exactly the same time. For a beginner as myself I feel Andrew Berry’s method may be faster for me. Will have to try both ways to know for sure which works best for me though. Thanks for the video, it was great.
I just started getting into learning about silversmithing. But have been watching Andrew's videos, and I am happy you tried his method. I subscribed to Rio Grande as well. I am here to learn from the masters.
Great video!!! Thanks for sharing!
What brand are your half round pliers?
Karen Woodruff, thank you for watching our video! I will reach out to our Tech Team and get you a professional response.
Karen Woodruff, in the video Mark is using the Flat and Half-Round Forming Pliers #111180.
Excellent video. Thank you for posting:-). Andrew Berry is great, too.
Mark your humbleness is something to greatly admire....unfortunately, you don't see that to often in our industry. I would have to say that there would be times when someone could use one method and other times when they are forced to use the more traditional method. My honest opinion & with the up most respect to Andrew ( I believe he is truly gifted to teach ), is that instead of titling " you've been doing it wrong " he should have titled it " you've have been doing it different ".
I've been goldsmithing for nearly 2 years and have used Andrew's method many times and that was the method I kind of naturally adopted as to me, it makes more sense. Especially with super heavy bands, I often tap the metal around a doming punch that's the right ring size. It does mean cutting a little more excess metal but I don't have a problem with that
I have been making rings this way before I had seen Andrew video. I was wasting material trying to square up the end. The reason is that my hands shake to much when trying too file the end square.
I have been watching Andrew's channel and I have to say that his way makes more sense....
Very cool - thanks for sharing!
Very cool and informative. I find Andrews method tedious at the beginning and slightly more wasteful but he does have the point that there are always less marks on the band because it barely needs to be hammered into shape.
It is better 35yrs jeweler 3rd generation and when i tried it it was better ! Andrew knows his stuff good tip !
Great comparison__thanks for the instructions. 💖😺
You are most welcome! Please be sure to subscribe for more content.
It is worth the time if you take the time to learn. I have found Andrew, Rio Grande!
Mark I use your yell 7" guillotine shear to cut bezel ends and do it the way you do, fast and wonderful. Thanks for the vid.
Thank you Mark.
Hi Mark, I LOVE YOUR WAY! Question about the boric acid you used before fluxing. Straight boric acid? And is that to clean so that flux flows?
Yes! Straight boric acid - item# 704096 on our site! It is a barrier flux to prevent fire scale when soldering. Mark applies the flux to clean and allow the solder to flow which is his flow flux. We hope this is helpful!
Thank you for doing this video. I've found the time difference was minimal for me and I can see for this demo it was as well. The difference is how much extra sterling silver you had left over. With Andrews, there was more. This may or may not be an important factor to who ever is using his method. Turning it back in isn't productive or much savings. It would work well if you melt all the leftovers down later.
+Catherine Franz I agree with you re: the amount of excess sterling that is left over using Andrew's method. However, I never had much luck truing up the ends of the ring for soldering, which was very frustrating. With Andrew's method, this problem has been eliminated.
Great video! And good audio, yay
Love the comparison. What is the purpose of boric acid and denatured alcohol? Does it serve the same purpose as firescoff?
I'm with Andrew on this one. Theres usually less ( or no) time wasted running a saw down the joint to get it flush, as you usually have to do with the round method- especially with thicker gauge material. I would also suggest that Andrew's method is more accurate, without this filing of the seam. Mark is clearly very skilled and capable of making a perfect ring by any method. But I feel lesser skilled beginners should give Andrew's D shape method a try. I find it much better, and much quicker. just my 10c. great video. Dave
Do you have any videos on tumbling silver, rings, earrings, etc.?
ENJOYED THE VIDEO GL&HH
Thank you, I love this video so much
We're so glad you enjoyed it, Samantha!
New to this. Why did you dip in boric acid/alcohol solution then use mighty flux also? I saw on another video that the boric acid mixture was homemade flux. Thank you!
i asked myself the same question
Hi Nay, The boric acid/alcohol solution is used as a barrier flux to protect the work from firescale. The My-T-Flux is used to help the solder flow to the appropriate areas. If you'd like to learn more about making the boric acid barrier flux take a look at this blog post from Mark: riograndeblog.com/mark-nelsons-tips-mixing-boric-acid-barrier-flux/ Hope this helps!
Hi there, what size blade did you use? I am indeed a follower of Mr Berry because I started to learn and follow him from many years ago. He has a great personality and a passion for jewelry making as I do and a strong desire to teach.
-Elisa W.
Hi Eliza - It is s an 18 gauge, so according to this chart, www.riogrande.com/article?name=Saw-Blade-Specification-CGl, you can use anything from a 1/0 to a 4.
Great video learned a lot thank you
You're welcome! We're glad you enjoyed.
Hello, Which half round pliers are you using here? I am looking for a better quality, heavier duty ones than the cheap beginner ones I currently have. Thanks!
The first class videos on your chanell! :)
Hi Ema, Thanks for taking the time to comment-we're glad you like our videos!
what is that camera arm your using? That looks awesome!
Hi Brenden, Thanks for watching! We talked to the video team and this is what they told us, "The arm is the Manfrotto 244 Variable Friction Magic Arm with Camera Bracket. We attach the arm to the bench using a Manfrotto 035 Super Clamp." Hope this helps!
From a technique standpoint, I like the one cut that's matched on both ends. From a structural/engineering standpoint, soldering metal that's mostly curved to size puts less stress on that joint.
Andrew Berry is da bomb!
what measurement device did you use to determine ring size by length?
Another thing to consider about Andrew's method is that, geometrically, the angles should be perfect where the join is made. The way you do it (and most of us were taught), creates a tiny spot of stress when the ring is rounded off, potentially causing the solder join to fail down the road.
I've done both ways and I like Andrew's way but rarely use it lol 😆
I can't rind the ring blanks in the Rio catalogue. are they still available? Great demo!
Hello Marylou, Thanks for your question. Here is a link to our selection of ring blanks: www.riogrande.com/search?q=ring+blank&c=&t=1&pageSize=32 Hope this helps & thanks again for watching!
I think he may have been using a SS strip here: www.riogrande.com/product/Sterling-Silver-12-Strip-24-Ga-Dead-Soft/100273
Do you have a tip on making bezel wire cut flush????????
open thinking- BRAVO Rio Grande (and Mark!), BTW, NIce arms... you've been at the gym we see!!
lol! I thought it was only me who also saw!
Tbh I always take silver tubes and a tube cutter for stainless steel, if out and inside should be flat. Saving some gas and solder. Leaves me with a lot of tubes but also gives me the opportunity to use them for different round settings
Mark, quick question on the boric acid and denatured alcohol- I have trouble getting it to coat my piece evenly, and remain on the piece while heating it, and sometimes I’ll get spots of fire scale. So I always end up using commercial flux instead. Any tips on getting it to coat my piece evenly? I try to saturate the denatured alcohol with boric acid. Is this maybe where I’m going wrong?
Hi Mel, We talked to Mark and he gave us a little trouble-shooting advice to share: "The mix should be about a 50/50 mix of boric acid and alcohol. The alcohol shouldn't be saturated with boric acid...it would be too thick. The best way to get an even coating is to stir the solution and then dunk the piece in. If that isn't possible then stirring and painting the solution on usually works fine." Let us know if this works for you. P.S. If you haven't seen it already, this video might be helpful, too! th-cam.com/video/Bfd8DukeCLI/w-d-xo.html
Rio Grande Thank you so much!! I will give it a try! 😊 This will be very helpful to protect my large pieces from firescale.
You're so welcome. Let us know how it works out for you.
Great video! What hammer/mallet are you using to shape the ring on the ring mandrel? If you no longer sell that exact one, which one is the next best on riogrande.com? Thanks!
Hi Whitney, Thanks for watching! In this video, Mark is using the Bonny Doon Urethane Forming Hammer. It's a great non-marring hammer for this sort of work - take a look at it here: www.riogrande.com/product/bonny-doon-urethane-forming-hammer-10-oz/110921
where did you get those blanks? thank you
Nice one Mark. They both ended up the same time but I think once you're get used to Andrew's method it might go a wee faster but probably not enough to make a dent. LOL. Btw, what kind of tripod did you use in this video?
This method gains utility the smaller you need the ring to be.
Where can you find andrew’s ring sizer guide?
How did the solder flow up when you soldered the join?
YadahYahweh The solder always moves to the hottest part of the area and also because of capillary action
Just watched this for the second time and just as impressed by it as I was the first time I watched it. You were the first jeweller I ever saw, quite a long time ago, and you made a great impression on me. I think it was on a Sky channel and I was really into polymer clay at the time then you introduced me to precious metal clay and literally changed my life. Since then I've been quite ill, in and out of hospital, and too ill to continue working. If it wasn't for my interest in jewellery making I don't think I could have stayed sane. All the times I couldn't sleep I would sit at my bench, sometimes 3-4 am and watch Andrew, John Ahr and you. I now make jewellery from recycled silver and copper and my skill set is improving all the time. Thank you for your frank assessments of Andrews work, without a trace of competition, just respect from one master jeweller to another: I admire that.
Andrew Berry And...capillary action is stronger than gravity.
Thanks for fast forwarding so the video doesn't last forever
Thank you.
I guess if you're trying to mass produce rings time is a big concern but if it take a few more seconds and the final product is better that would be the most important thing for me. The soldered joint should be cleaner and stronger using Berry's method.
Gracias 😄, saludos y abrazos ☀️👍🌈🍀🌍
No significant other both ways working perfectly! Whichever you comfort love and enjoy doing it.
Why do you use boric acid/denatured alcohol AND mytflux? Not overkill? Or just beat combo to prevent fire scale ?
Hello, to answer your questions we spoke with our Jewelry Tech Team and they said that Boric acid and alcohol are a barrier flux to help protect the entire piece, for firescale it is not really a good flow flux. My-T-flux is a flow flux that helps to promote flow at the joint. And your right It is the best way to help prevent firescale. We hope this answers all of your questions and feel free to reach out if there is anything else you would like to know!
That’s so funny it was the exact time. 🙂
The funny thing is the way you soldered that ring is a way Andrew Only recently started using. So he’s also open to new ideas.
Interesting... thanks
You are the best 💗😍
Definitely like Andrews way for the simplicity and ease of making a ring and it seems like less work
Hi I am new jewellery learner, May I know what is the pickle called of can I get that online,
Hello Naveen, Thanks for your question. You might like this PickleIt Starter Kit. It's on our site here: www.riogrande.com/product/rio-pickleit-starter-kit/501020 Please let us know if you have any other questions - we're happy to help!
Cool!!
Can you let mw know what torch that is?
Thanks for the question. Here you go: Smith® Little Torch™ Propane and Oxygen System ow.ly/2qZD50FJnQ2
Great video with 2 techniques. I think though with Andrew's method you ended up having 2 waste pieces of the shank after sawing...
I like him very much but show and sine point the ingredients do you use Please