Download Digital Antique Metalsmithing eBooks

This eBook covers the history of the ancient technique of filigree jewelry making and gives very clear instructions on how filigree is made, and how it can be combined with enamel. Filigree is a group of individual lace-like intertwined wires of gold or silver, soldered together to form a pattern. Topics include: tools and materials, making filigree wire and jigs, soldering preparation and technique, pickling, making filigree jewelry, gold plating and more. 110 pages, 67 b&w photos and diagrams, 3 pages of color, soft cover.

This 1902 book is the third edition. It is 98 jam packed pages of great chasing and repousse information. The author taught many people (including royalty) to do repousse and chasing as a hobby pastime, a recreation. It is clear that at the turn of the century the upper and middle classes pursued hobbies such as painting, drawing and repoussee work (today people watch TV)..... [read more...]

This 1883 book is intended for the jewelry store owner and staff, and for interested amateurs, and pointedly, for the consumer. This seemed to be a new approach for that era. Redman consulted with the top authors of his time (many of them represented in the Ganoksin Antique Books Project) and includes extracts from their books. Any jeweler or gemologist would benefit from reading this book, and its stories are unique and numerous. It is full of history, and chemistry and really great detail. A very interesting book. 109 pages, a number of illustrations. File Size: 3.82MB, [read more]....

This 1885 book (republished in 1921) was written by George Gee, a real hero of the trade for decades, a pioneer in writing for the jeweler, the goldsmith and silversmith. You can tell that the author ran an excellent working shop - the voice of experience is abundant. The book begins with a discussion of the silver price between 1870 and the end of the century, its effects on society and working silversmiths. This book is intended as a thorough, complete reference for practical workers in the trade and those learning. It is to introduce science and and overall understanding of working with silver to the workman. It is very readable. 258 pages. File Size: 8.43MB, [read more]....

This 1918 book covers the gilding and silvering of wood and other materials using silver and gold leaf, chemical gilding of metals, the gilding and silvering of metal and glass as well as an excellent section on metal coloring and patination recipes. Edited by Jones the work is compiled from multiple authors and experts in the 'Work' magazine. This is the most thorough book I've come across when it comes to applying gold and silver leaf, but it goes far beyond that into the chemical application of gold and silver to metals, glass, silk, cloth, making bronze paint, gilding books, lacquer and laquering techniques.. The chapter on coloring metals is worth the whole book, with unusual and hard to find recipes. It is very readable. 166 Pages. File Size: 8.60MB [read more...]

This book is an essential for anyone interested in chasing and repousse designs and details. This 173 page 1881 book is intended for silversmiths to work from as well as to educate the public. The images are of electroformed reproductions of what was considered the best of English silversmithing at that time. The reproductions are exact and painstakingly made. It reveals what, in 1881, was considered the best silversmithing in the world. The works were assembled from many colleges at Oxford, Cambridge and Ireland, as well as from numerous city collections and corporate collections. It is a pretty exhaustive list, and shows what was considered valuable and treasure in the culture at that time. [Click to read more...]

Practical Engraving on Metal, (Including hints on saw-piercing, carving, inlaying, etc.) The 1899, 117 page book is intended for the amateur, the learner. As with many books of this time it begins with a history, placing engraving in a context, and the Old Testament, proving the ancient origins of the technique and its uses. Egypt is addressed. Then leaps into medieval times. Grave brasses are extensively discussed. Picture engraving for books, printmaking (1423) as well. As niello workers are credited with the development of printing plates there are detail of how niello is made and used by goldsmiths. Printmaking history is addressed in terms of different ways working printing plates, mezzotint and more. Steel engraving and gun engraving is discussed. [read more]....

This is a 62 page book written and published in 1884. Chapters include: Utensils and Chemicals, Alloys for Hard Soldering, Structure of the flame, Heat, the Process of soldering, and technical notes and tables. This is a marvelous overview of hard soldering at this time with charcoal fires and early torches... [read more...]

This third edition, published in 1912, is 495 thorough, dense, worthwhile pages of metallurgical and alloy information, almost all of it completely accurate today. The first edition was published in 1890. It begins with an excellent history of metal usage through time, the alloys, colors and characteristics used by different cultures. Then there is a very good review of basic chemistry and its concepts. A remarkable book!... [read more...]

This 1904 book is 141 pages packed with serious information for metal workers. It covers basics like chiseling metals, filing, scraping and construction with thoroughness not seen in contemporary books and sources. It has a section on basic lathe use and screw cutting which is really clear and instructive and finally excellent, deep, superb chapters on blacksmithing tools and principles. A book not to be missed. There are 88 really great illustrations in the form of clear, strong, line drawings and a number of photographs. Chapters with in-depth detail include [read more]....