Anyone who wants to get started making metal jewelry must first make an investment of a few basic tools. When I enrolled in my first metals class, I was given a list by my instructor of tools and equipment I would need to purchase. Though most metal schools have the large equipment needed for metal work, every metal worker should have their own tool box with their own hand tools. Of course, there is no end to what you can get in the way of tools, but to get started, you’ll need to acquire the basics. The investment you’ll need to make is about $150 - $200 for the following list. However, I still use about 90 percent of the tools I bought for this class. So, if you continue to work in metal, the investment is well worth it.

Tool Box or Tackle Box: Your tool box will grow in size along with your projects, so I recommend go big now. When I first started, a friend of mine bought me a little tackle box which was a very nice gesture. Of course, neither of us realized then how much stuff I’d be hauling around. A tall tackle box seems to work best for jewelry making, especially when you take classes. It’s nice to have the ones that have lots of compartments and the stacking shelves because if you’re using a jewelry bench, they aren’t always that large so you don’t what to take up a bunch of room on your table or bench. A tackle box is fairly inexpensive and can be found at most discount stores have a large selection.

Bench Pin: This is used for filing and sawing. It is attached onto the edge of the jewelry bench or table you use. This allows you to file or saw a piece of metal and have room to move your tool around and still hold onto the metal.

Jeweler’s Saw Frame: Various sizes of blades can be inserted into this frame. A saw is used for cutting shapes out of plates of copper or silver metal and sawing through wire.

Bees Wax: This is very handy for rubbing on the blade of the saw. You can get this at most bead stores or even a sewing store.

Saw Blades: Of course, these are needed to go into the saw. Size #2 is a good size that seems to work with most projects I do. There are many sizes of saw blades from 8/0 to 8. The smaller the blade number, the more teeth per inch on the blade. We had been told to use a brand called Herkules which I still use and have been very happy with. I've used less expensive brands, but they don't seem to last long for me.

Set of Pliers: Flat, round nosed, and cutters are needed for many different uses. Most jewelry makers have these already, of course.

Large Hand File: These are normally about 8 inches long and are available through most jewelry supply companies. These are used for filing down rough edges.

Set of Needle Files: These are used for filing down rough edges also but are best for small areas or if you need a lot of control over what you’re filing. They come in various shapes like square, round, half round, and flat, so that’s why it’s nice to have a set of them.

Solder: You’ll need soft, medium, and hard solder. This comes in sheet and wire also, but I prefer the sheet. You have to cut it up into little pieces and then stick on the spot you want to solder, so the flat seems to work better than the round solder which sometimes seems to roll. Of course, the round can be flattened with a hammer, but why go through the trouble when you don’t have to? The different kinds of solder melt at different temperatures. This also can be purchased through most jewelry supply companies.

Flux: This is used to help the solder stick onto the metal and prevent oxidation. There are a bunch of different kinds. I’ve used two. Batterns is a self pickling, liquid flux. It is good to use if you want to add the flux and then put the solder on the metal right away. You have to work quickly though so the flux doesn’t melt. I’ve also used a mixture of boric acid and denatured alcohol which creates a white paste. This works well if you don’t like to rush, but it takes a few extra steps because you have to add the flux, heat, then add the solder and reheat. It also dries up quickly, and then it’s hard to get the lid off when it does that.

Brush: A small, inexpensive paint brush is needed to apply the flux.

Book: The Complete Metalsmith by Tim McCreight was a required text for my first class, and I still use this book. It’s available through most large book stores.

Pin Point Torch Tip: Available at most hardware stores, this will be screwed onto a small propane tank.

Propane Tank Kit: This can be found at most hardware stores and, along with the pin point torch tip, is a quick, inexpensive way to create a torch for soldering.

Here are some other tools that I’ve picked up along the way though they weren’t required for my first class.

Vise: This is handy for holding wire while you twist it, or just about anything you need to be held steady.

Third Hand: As the name implies, when you need an extra hand or just a few fingers, this device can hold item in place while you solder them together.

Ring Mandrel: I’ve talked about this in other features. This is helpful for sizing and shaping rings. Make sure you get a metal mandrel and not a plastic one. It needs to be able to handle pounding from a raw hide hammer.

Raw Hide Hammer: This is what is used to shape the ring on the mandrel. It’s also used to flatten sheets of metal. The raw hide makes the hammer soft enough so that it doesn’t mark the metal.

Optivisor: This is used to see your work up close. It is especially handy when filing small pieces like jump rings or charms that have just been cast.

As I explained, a number of these tools can be found at your local hardware store. So, that’s a good place to start collecting tools for metal work. However, a few of these are specialized for creating jewelry. You can find a large list of jewelry tool and equipment suppliers, such as Rio Grande, Macaw Tools, and Tripps, on the Tool/Equipment Supplies section of my site.

All graphics created by Tammy Powley.

Previous Features