Equipment and Consumables for Metalsmithing in the Classroom

Teachers who participated in our 2015 Train-the-Trainer workshop may rent equipment for their classrooms. Rental charge is $40 for any or all equipment (that's a lot of equipment!) for a three week period. Teachers can pick up the equipment at the BoMA studio in North Boulder and we'll collect the equipment from your school's main office when the rental period is over. Rental agreement may be downloaded here. 

Consumables are provided for each project until we run out as noted by the 'while it lasts' in the description. After that, that, if you choose, we'll purchase the consumables for you and pass along the cost, just let us know how many students will be participating.  

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Soldering

Students will measure, cut and solder a trio of copper rings. Tools and equipment available for soldering includes:

Tools & Supplies

• Butane torch (6)
  
• Butane refils (while it lasts)
• Ceramic tiles (6)
  
• Soldering pads (6)
• Flux
• Flux brushes
• Pickle pots
• Pickle (citric acid while it lasts)
• Copper tongs
• Solder (while it lasts)
• Soldering pick
• Cross lock tweezers
• Sanding sticks
• Ring Mandrels
• Tumbler
• Half round pliers
• Files
• Rawhide mallet
• Texture hammers
• Jewelers saw 
• Saw blades (while they last)
• Bench pins

Consumables

• Butane refills 
• Pickle (citric acid)
• Silver solder (hard, medium, easy)
  
• Saw blades
• Copper wire

Stone Setting

Using previously learned soldering skills, students will learn to capture stones and found objects by bezel setting. In addition to the tools and supplies listed about, tolls for stone setting includes:

Tools & Supplies

• Copper bezel wire
• Stones (while they last)
• Copper sheet (discs while they last)
• Jump rings (while they last)
• Patina (while it lasts)
• Bench pins
  
• Flat nose pliers
  
• Hand drills 
• Bezel pushers
  
• Bezel mandrel
• Wood hammer
  
• Roundnose pliers (2)
  
• Files
• Sanding sticks
• Jewelers' saw & saw blades
• Center punch (2)
• Flux & flux brush
• Pickel pot & pickel
• Solder (while it lasts) & soldering pick

Consumables

• Copper sheet
• Copper bezel wire
• Stones for setting
• Solder
• Copper jump rings 
• Flux
• Pickel
• Sanding sticks
• Patina

Cold Connections 

Students learn to layer metal and use tube and wire rivets to connect the pieces. Tools and equipment available for cold connections includes:

Tools & Supplies 

• Alphabet Stamps (2 sets)
• Decorative stamps (1 set)
  
• Brass hammer (1)
  
• Polishing cloths (6)
  
• Rawhide/wooden hammers (1)
  
• Ball peen hammers (2)
  
• Files
  
• Bracelet mandrel (6)
  
• Steel block (1)
  
• Block of Wood (1)
  
• Doming block & punches (1)
  
• Metal punch (1)
  
• Hand drill (2)
  
• Drill bits - 1/16"  (4)
  
• Texture hammer (1)
  
• Flush cutters (8)
  
• Center punch (1)
  
• Hole punch (2)

Consumables

• Copper, brass, bronze or nickel silver
• Tube and/or wire (for riveting)
• Tin containers
• Sandpaper
  
• Oil paint pens
  
• Rubbing Alcohol
  

Electrolytic Etching

 Students choose a copper alloy including brass, bronze or nickel silver to create a design and etch using copper sulfate and a battery charger.

Tools & Supplies

• Disc cutter (1)
  
• Hole punch (2)
  
• Hand drill and drill bits (2)
  
• Flush cutters (6)
  
• Brass brushes (5) 
  
• Polishing cloths (12)
• Wide mouth plastic containers (6)
  

Consumables

• Copper, brass, bronze or nickel silver
• Copper Sulfate (aka 'Root Kill')
• Duct tape

• Paint pens
  
• Sanding sticks 
  
• Rubbing alcohol 
  
• Green Scotchbrite scrubby pads
  

Sawing & Piercing

Pierce two to three separate images connected with a jump ring to create a pendant. Students will learn to drill through metal, saw with a jeweler’s saw, and finish with filing and sanding. 

Tools & Supplies

• Bench Pins (up to 25)
  
• Jewelers’ saws (up to 25)
  
• Hand drill (2)
  
• Drill bits - 1/16" (4)
  
• Center punch (3)
  
• Brass hammer
• Needle Files (10)
  
• Safety glasses (up to 25)
• Dowels (2 for making jump rings)
  
• Sanding Sticks

Consumables

• Copper, brass, bronze or nickel silver
• Permanent double-stick tape 

• Tracing Paper 
  
• Masking Tape 
  
• Sharpie - fine
  
• Flat File (4)
• Saw Blades - 2/0 or 4/0
  
• Sanding sticks
  
• Wax, Bar Soap or Bur Life