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 previously mentioned, 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 and Tripps, on the Tool/Equipment Supplies section of my site.
