Small Tools


Jewelry makers use many small tools for projects of all sizes. Our Small Tools section covers the equipment you’ll need for delicate procedures.

How to Harden and Temper Tool Steel

How to Harden and Temper Tool Steel

Learn to harden and temper your own custom-shaped jewelry tools. By master goldsmith Charles Lewton-Brain. Filmed in full HD 1080p....
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Method to Quickly Identify Tool Steel

Method to Quickly Identify Tool Steel

Learn how to quickly identify whether a piece of steel has the quality you need for making jewelry tools. By...
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Preparing a Hammer for Foldforming

Preparing a Hammer for Foldforming

Charles Lewton-Brain often hears about the difficulties novice blacksmiths encounter when using forging hammers for foldforming. See how he solves...
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Goldsmith Kit Basic Tools

This article lists the basic tools found in a standard Western Goldsmith's toolbox.
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Jeweler’s Saw Blades: All The Different Sizes And How To Choose Correctly

Jeweler’s Saw Blades: All The Different Sizes And How To Choose Correctly

Originally published under the title: Selecting the Correct Saw Blade This article provides and describes useful tips for selecting the...
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Japanese Chasing Tools

Japanese Chasing Tools

Japanese chasing tools are made from steel blanks available in Japan called tagane. Japanese chasing hammers are lightweight with long...
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Creating and Sharpening Gravers

Creating and Sharpening Gravers

This article is about creating and sharpening gravers before using for your work or project as described by Tom Weishaar....
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Steps for Graver Preparation

Steps for Graver Preparation

Gravers are small cutting tools used for stone setting, texturing, de-burring and applying decorative embellishments and traditional hand engraving. Steps...
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Pitch Bowls and Alternatives for Jewelers

Pitch Bowls and Alternatives for Jewelers

Chasing and repousse is carried out on various surfaces using steel punches to strike and manipulate sheet metal or cast...
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Gem-Setting Tools: A Practical Guide To All The Hand Tools & Bench Supplies You’ll Need

This article lists the basic tools someone learning stonesetting might want to have around. One would of course add to...
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Goldsmithing: Pitch Options

Pitch is used all over the world by goldsmiths and silversmiths to hold metal in place while working it with...
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Jewelers’ Gripping Tools

Jewelers’ Gripping Tools

Euro Tool, Inc. offers a wide variety of innovative and standard holding device's to make working at the bench easier,...
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Stone Setting Tools FAQs

Stone Setting Tools FAQs

Tim McCreight answers 13 of the questions about stone-setting tools most frequently asked by his metalsmithing students.
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Beading Tool Tips

Beading Tool Tips

Like most bench jewelers I do a lot of bead setting and like most bench jewelers I take pride in...
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Fold Forming Tool List

Fold Forming Tool List

These are the jewelry-making tools you'll need for fold forming.
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Notes on Files for Jewelry Making

When one gets a new file one traditionally dips it in alcohol and sets fire to it to burn off...
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How to Modify Tools for Carving Wax

How to Modify Tools for Carving Wax

Casting is the most important method of commercial jewelry production. Even for small workshops, lost-wax casting is often the fastest...
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Wax Tools Update

Wax Tools Update

Euro Tool, Inc. has developed five wax tool kits and a cordless wax pen for the overall improvement of wax...
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How to Make Foredom Handpiece Shield

How to Make Foredom Handpiece Shield

This paper describes two simple methods of creating a shield to be used on the end of a Foredom handpiece....
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Magnesia Blocks Myth Debunked

Magnesia Blocks Myth Debunked

Myth: Magnesia blocks are superior soldering surfaces to charcoal blocks: A topic that seems to raise a fair amount of...
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Polishing Tools and Tricks

Polishing Tools and Tricks

The mantra of polishing jewelry is the shinier the better - and obtaining polishing perfection takes skill and practice. It...
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How to Sharpen Drill Bits

How to Sharpen Drill Bits

Small, fine drill bits used for jewelry making will become dull with normal use. Worn cutting edges make tasks more...
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Frequently Used Wax Tools

Frequently Used Wax Tools

Dental probes and knives make good wax tools. Your local dentist or dental hygienist or school for the same can...
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Modifying Tools as Dapping Tools

Modifying Tools as Dapping Tools

Dapping tools are punches with a ball shaped end. As they are used to dome metal discs and making halves...
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Make Your Own Wax Tools

Make Your Own Wax Tools

I make all my own wax carving tools and hot wax tools.I have done this since the early 1970's when...
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Channel Setting Tools Designed For Wax

Channel Setting Tools Designed For Wax

Stone-in-place casting is growing in practice with manufacturers and retail manufacturing operations taking advantage of these labor saving techniques. Stone-in-place...
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Stakes and Swages Shaping Tools

Stakes and Swages Shaping Tools

Stakes are objects used for shaping metal over, on and into. Hammers or mallets are used to form the metal...
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Tweezers Tips and Tricks

Tweezers Tips and Tricks

Tweezers are a constant in a jeweler's life, particularly in these safety conscious times. Tweezer use can help reduce your...
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Giving New Life to Old Burs

Giving New Life to Old Burs

By Old burs can serve a number of useful purposes in daily bench work. Here are two tips from jewelers...
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Basic Chasing Tools

Basic Chasing Tools

As well as being used for chasing they may also be used as punches to make textures. A stamp or...
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Perfect Finishing Tools and Techniques

Our castings can be flawless, our assembly precise, and our settings secure -- but let any surface go a bit...
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Tru-Seat Setting System

Tru-Seat Setting System

Hoover ' Strong, Inc. in Richmond, VA provides a line of Tru-Seat settings that include solitaire earrings, pendants and solitaire...
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Basic Milling Technique

Basic Milling Technique

In working on jewelry there are many tasks that seem simple - you just do it and don't think about...
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Bench Tools for Jewelers

Bench Tools for Jewelers

This article lists the following useful bench tools for jewelers including contact information where they can be purchased or ordered....
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3M Radial Bristle Discs Proficiency Advantage

3M Radial Bristle Discs Proficiency Advantage

3M Radial Bristle Discs were introduced to the jewelry industry in 2000. Additional discs and end brushes have been added...
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Radial Bristle Discs Excites Jewelers

Radial Bristle Discs Excites Jewelers

how one of 3M's radial bristle discs to a non-jeweler friend, and you are almost guaranteed to get a lukewarm...
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Graver Detailing and Sharpening

Graver Detailing and Sharpening

A sharp graver can improve cutting performance at the bench. There are several approaches to use when detailing a graver,...
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Small Bench Tools Descriptions

Small Bench Tools Descriptions

This selected list describes a number of small, easily made tools which can improve efficiency, speed and ease of working...
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Bud Bur Tool

Bud Bur Tool

Of all the burs used on a setters bench, my one good true friend is the bud bur. Why? Because...
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Sheet Metal Tool Modification

Sheet Metal Tool Modification

Sheet Metal Tool Modification, Look for: WISS Hand Seamer (as LAST resort BRAMEC or VISE-GRIP) sheet metal bending tools and...
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The Kinds of Hammers

The Kinds of Hammers

Hammers are an essential part of silversmithing and goldsmithing. While one can buy hammers ready made one can also do...
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Turning Burrs Into Stonesetting Tools

Turning Burrs Into Stonesetting Tools

Stonesetters frequently convert and and reuse tools intended for other purposes. Often when a tool is needed they will cast...
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Using Coils To Bend Tubing

Using Coils To Bend Tubing

Many tools sold in model/hobby stores can be used for jewelry making. During a recent visit to a hobby shop,...
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Polishing and Finishing Aids

Polishing and Finishing Aids

For polishing it is recommended to use primarily bristle brushes for most of the removal work and to follow up...
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How to Modify Plier Tools

How to Modify Plier Tools

This is a great modification of pliers to give you a tool that mimics the shape of your thumb and...
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3M Bur and Polish Wheels

3M Bur and Polish Wheels

3M XR wheels, formerly known as XK wheels are ideal for sprue removal and smooth deburring with minor surface reduction....
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How to Make Prong Notching Pliers

How to Make Prong Notching Pliers

These pliers notch round prongs easily to a given depth and replace a bur for the job. They are made...
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Using Acid Bath on Used Tools

Bench jewelers hate to throw out used tools. By training and by nature we try to conserve the materials we...
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Ergonomics for Bench Pin Modifications

Ergonomics is the safe and effective relationship between a worker and the work environment. For the bench jeweler who spends...
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Modified Split Mandrel for Finishing Round Bezels

A bench jeweler typically uses a split mandrel to sand and finish the inside of a ring. Various grits of...
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Suggested Tools from Karl Fischer

Ask for a catalog with an English supplement. Order by surface if a heavy order as shipping from Germany is...
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Rules for Tools

While it is clearly impossible to give a set of rules for each tool and procedure that goldsmiths use, this...
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Handling Stakes and Anvils

Shaping a bezel on stakes is a process of forming the metal by stretching. First the metal is bent with...
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Modified Super Tools

Modified Super Tools

Down on your bench, look: It’s a file. It’s a bur. It’s Super Tool! At first it seemed so ordinary....
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Creating a Rotary Burnisher

Jewelers have been going green for many years by recycling old or worn-out tools into something new and useful. Setting...
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Conversion of Dental Tools Into Wax Engraving Tools

Conversion of Dental Tools Into Wax Engraving Tools

This paper describes the conversion of dental tools into wax engraving tools, how they are held and how they are...
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Tube Setting Faceted Stones

Tube Setting Faceted Stones

When beginning to do tube settings, the first thing anyone should do is buy a "Setters Tube Holder" which appears...
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How to Modify a Goldsmith Hammer

How to Modify a Goldsmith Hammer

Jewelers and metalsmiths have had to make their own tools throughout the ages to accomplish different tasks at the jeweler's...
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Customized Mini Clamp Tool

Customized Mini Clamp Tool

I like to hold small pieces of metal with a clamp that allows me to file hands free. I feel...
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Accessories for Small Part Pickling

Accessories for Small Part Pickling

Ever spent way too much time trying to retrieve tiny jump rings, links, or other small parts out of a...
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Reconditioning Beading Tools & Dot Punches

Beading tools and dot punches lose their form and become dull as you use them. You can recondition a tool...
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3 Jewelers, 4 Tools Testing

3 Jewelers, 4 Tools Testing

Editor's Note: Want to know how to make a bench jeweler's day? Send him a box full of new tools...
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How to Modify Wooden Ring Clamps

One persistent daily challenge a bench jeweler faces is trying to figure out the best way to hold onto tiny,...
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Foredom Redesigned Series SR Flexible Shaft

Foredom Redesigned Series SR Flexible Shaft

Foredom has redesigned the popular Series SR Flexible Shaft motor. It has more power/torque and is rated at 1/6 HP...
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Customized 3 Jaw Chuck & Earring Holder

Customized 3 Jaw Chuck & Earring Holder

Steve Satow shares his procedure for customized 3 Jaw Chuck to mount on a Benchmate for hands free trimming &...
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Green Bench Tips – Part 1

Green Bench Tips – Part 1

This is the first in a two-part series on green bench tips shared by jewelers who are taking an eco-friendlier...
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Customized Peg Head Holder & Stone Holder

Customized Peg Head Holder & Stone Holder

Steve Satow shares his procedure on customized bench tools such as 3 prong or peg head holder & wax stone...
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Customized Loose Head Holder

Customized Loose Head Holder

With these pliers you can pre polish platinum and gold peg heads of any shape. Remove any nicks one prong...
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Modified Setting Bur with Safe Edge Tool

Modified Setting Bur with Safe Edge Tool

Here iss a nice little tool that makes use of an old setting bur. If you take the bottom teeth...
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