The casting department at Stuller Inc. in Lafayette, Louisiana, has been experimenting with casting photopolymer models, and it has found a way for small shops to eliminate the problem of ash residue defects: Adding vents to the casting…
Master goldsmith Charles Lewton-Brain shows how to turn wax, like on a lathe, but with a flex shaft instead. Filmed in full HD 1080p.
Create DIY wax carving engravers made from everyday steel construction nails. When jewelers carve wax many of them will automatically pick up a normal engraving tool and carve wax as they would metal. But the problem is that wax is very different…
My first reaction when I heard about this book was, “It’s about time.” Think of it: If you tried to read every new book on jewelry-making, you would be reading most of the time. Yet, how many books can you name that concentrate…
While many jewelers work directly in precious metals, many also work with wax, carving models for casting in silver and gold. Working with wax often requires tools specialized for carving, sawing, filing, and finishing material that is softer…
There are many paths to the perfect finish. When it comes to mass finishing production jewelry there are a few tricks you can use to keep your pieces looking their best. The following is a series of tips provided by industry experts to keep your…
This article provides a helpful tip on locating dead center on ring blanks and finding balance on an object. Free-form wax carving offers jewelers an unlimited number of design possibilities. However, one noticeable disadvantage of this…
These slow, quiet days of summer are always a good time to review your shop practices before the busy holiday season kicks into high gear. To help you prepare to successfully cast all of the pieces you hope will be big sellers this year, we’ve …
One of the most revolutionary advances in recent years, apart from laser welding, is the method of setting stones in wax. It has allowed many previously impossible designs andalso allowed the jeweler to forge ahead and create many difficult…
While at the Atlanta Bench Jewelers Conference, my friend Elesa Dillon (the national sales manager for Southern Jewelry News and Mid America Jewelry News, which I also write for) asked me to help her pick out a gemstone to have made into a ring.…
Recently a customer requested that we make her an unusual mother’s ring. She chose a magnificent 3.56 ct. oval blue sapphire as her center stone and this design was made for her ring. The two bezel set side stones, one an emerald, the other…
Welcome to Stacey Rhodes Jewelry Designs, where we will detail all of the steps involved in adding a new piece of jewelry to our line. In this issue we will be working with our latest design. I’ll take you through every phase of production,…
Welcometo Stacey Rhodes Jewelry Designs, where we will detail all of the steps involved in adding a new piece ofjewelry to our line. In this issue we will be working with our latest design. I’ll take you through every phase of production,…
Manufacturer spend much time and money diagnosing defects that are believed to originate in the casting process, but actually occur during waxing. Many companies run in circles, changing this gate/sprue, that metal, these temperatures,…
If you are accustomed to working in this additive fashion, the subtractive process of carving wax may be daunting to you at first. It challenges you to find a form, such as a ring, that is trapped in a block of wax. You must get an image of the piece…
Bill Holman uses modern technology to create his designed line of jewelry featuring Drusy gemstones. Wanting his jewelry designs to be unique but not competitive with the natural beauty of the freeform Drusy gemstones, he creates one-of-a-kind…
The Foredom Wax Carver (WC-1) is a new wax worker recently made available to the jewelry industry by The Foredom Electric Company. To demonstrate many of its features, Michael Dickey performs a wax build-up project.
AJM recently asked two companies, AU Enterprises in Berkley , Michigan , and Racecar Jewelry Co. Inc. in Cranston , Rhode Island , to test out the new ACCU Carve injection wax from KerrLab in Orange , California . Designed for casters and designers…
Euro Tool, Inc. has developed five wax tool kits and a cordless wax pen for the overall improvement of wax working projects..
Stone-in-place casting is growing in practice with manufacturers and retail manufacturing operations taking advantage of these labor saving techniques. Stone-in-place casting requires gemstones be properly set in the wax model prior…
Casting is the most important method of commercial jewelry production. Even for small workshops, lost-wax casting is often the fastest method for creating a jewelry piece, especially if there is any complexity to it. However, one of the things…
The one of the most revolutionary advance in recent years, apart from the Laser soldering, is the method of “Setting Stones in Wax”. It has “freed” up many impossible designs and allowing the manufacturer to forge ahead and create many difficult…
Aside from the visual pleasure one derives from a textured surface, the biggest benefit is the ease in finishing the cast piece. No filing, no burs, no abrasive points, and no scratch removal compounds are necessary. Simply use a wire brush…
An English excerpts from the book “Lost Wax Jewelry Making: The Build-up Technique” by Minoru Azama, printed in Japanese by Kashiwa Hobby Books. This article will guide you on the process of using the wax build-up techniques to create a ring…
A drill press (either a full size, miniature, or Foredom) with an end mill or cylinder bur can thin down wax slabs quickly and accurately. Position the bottom of the cylinder bur or end mill slightly higher than the desired thickness of the finished…
This paper describes the conversion of dental tools into wax engraving tools, how they are held and how they are used.
This article features the manufacturing steps for a one-of-a-kind free-form pendant designed and created by Barney Jette. The center stone is a one-of-a-kind chrysoprase carving by Steve Walters, Ramona, CA and is highlighted by a cultured…
This article features the wax carving steps for this custom made pendant designed and created by Bill Holman. The center stone is a one-of-a-kind black drusy quartz carving, is highlighted by red accent gemstones and pave diamonds set in the…
This paper will describe how to turn a block of wax into a pottery of approximately 1 1/4 inches in diameter and 2 inches tall. The pottery was turned in two pieces. The lower section below the ring below the inlaid stones and the portion above the…
I have great respect for the capabilities of CAD/CAM technology, and Ive seen some absolutely amazing pieces generated by it. Ive also seen some pieces that miss the mark; they need some simple revisions to make them easier to produce and aesthetically…
White, gummy Wonder Bread isn’t just for peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. It’s a fun tool for making hollow forms in carving wax.
I make all my own wax carving tools and hot wax tools.I have done this since the early 1970’s when I could find only dental tools ready-made on the market. I was told a bent nail would suffice, but thought I could do better. So my tools and techniques…
n this installment we present a mold cutting technique called a spiral cut, which is designed to facilitate the successful release of a cage-like wax model from a mold.
In my 25 years of working as a goldsmith, I have always looked for tools that make my life easier — tools that make me more efficient and therefore more profitable. And I’m not an easy sell. Although I have embraced CAD/CAM in the past few years…
Starting out with clear layout lines is essential with any wax-carving project. If you’re creating a design from scratch, it’s easy enough to clearly scribe your lines directly onto the wax block. But what if a customer has a design or image…
A perfect wax model starts with a perfectly cut wax blank. With the Matt Miter Box (Matter Box) you can cut perfectly parallel walls or tapered wax blanks with precision and ease.
Creative Side Jewelry Academy of Austin presents Kate Wolf, owner of Wolf Tools, as she uses the Wolf Trimmer to more quickly carve a piece out of wax.
Creative Side Jewelry Academy of Austin presents Kate Wolf, owner of Wolf Tools, as she demonstrates how to more quickly prepare your wax piece for carving.
Mold cutting Akron RTV-RP clear silicone. Cylinder mold was cured in a round film canister which saves about 1/2 the normal amount of silicone. RP master was designed by Diannah Beauregard in western North Carolina. RP master was built at Rio…
Combining the Matt Mini-Lathe and Matt Gun techniques to create a two-color casting.
The Matt Mini-Lathe removes wax on all kinds of circular and cylindrical forms to help you create bands, bezels, settings, coin holders—all kinds of circular wax models.
Matt Trimmer – The milling operation. With a quick adjustment of the table, you can cut grooves, line channels and open channels on your jewelry wax model with speed and precision.
Tips on how to trim your jewelry wax model quickly and with precision using the Matt Wax Trimmer.
The basic shape of your ring dictates the accuracy of the entire design. Learn how to create that shape with precision. See how the Matt Ring Template assists you in accurately transferring the ring shape onto wax. Save time and avoid problems…
Create the basic structure of a wax ring model with accuracy. With the Matt Trimmer you can precisely file and shape straight or curved surfaces quickly and efficiently. The Matt Trimmer also cuts grooves and channels in tapered or cylindrical…
This video documents the making of a silver necklace inspired by Mozart’s “The Magic Flute”. The green and purple material is wax, which is then cast (using the lost wax casting process) into silver. This necklace is made…
Working with the Matt Gun – The red wax is strong but flexible and resilient. This video demonstrates the weaving technique. The red wax is also excellent for making prongs, pearl pegs and sprues.
Working with the Matt Gun – Using the green wax pellets to design on water creates models with unique and abstract forms.
Designing jewelry with the Matt wax extrusion gun. The blue wax is specially formulated to cool quickly, allowing the jeweler to design on an object, in air or with a pattern.
The Matt wax extrusion gun allows the jeweler to create beautiful organic designs. This video covers getting started with the Matt Gun.
This video is the first in a series that introduces the viewer to working with Matt wax modeling tools including: the Matt Gun, Matt Trimmer and Matt Mini-Lathe.
A Beads Baubles and Jewels project. Make your own original textures for metal clay by carving on wax tablets and using a molding compound. Get inspiration from your surroundings and have fun! For more projects and jewelry-making know-how,…
A Beads Baubles and Jewels project. Make your own original textures for metal clay by carving on wax tablets and using a molding compound. Get inspiration from your surroundings and have fun! For more projects and jewelry-making know-how,…
Jewelers use wax models to cast rings and other jewelry. CNC machining is a great way to create such wax model based on a design in a 3D CAD system. The 123WaxRing system makes it very easy for any jeweler without CNC knowhow to create such wax model…
the building of a custom 10 k yellow gold necklace, artcam jewelsmith, and modelmaster cnc…
An inexpensive method to make a square to lay-out lines on your jewelry or wax carvings is shown in this video tip. For more articles on jewelry making go to: http://GuideToJewelryMaking.com or http://BenchJewelersNetwork.com……
In this demonstration, a wax model is shown, and will be hollowed out from behind. A strong light is mounted on the bench top, and the hollowing work is done in front of this light source. A rim demarcation is made with a set of dividers, and the hollowing…