Hi,
My grandfather recently passed away and, in remembering him we went over some of the things he made. He spent a few decades silversmithing and made some pretty cool stuff like candlesticks and ceremonial cups that fit together. Any idea where a total beginner can start making similarly cool stuff? I’m looking for video series, books, or maybe someone who can tutor me. All ideas appreciated!
@JBluJkt @sroriginals and @Cairenn_Day all teach classes in metalsmithing with copper and silver.
We do have some classes in copper and silver smithing, though nothing that approaches what your grandfather made, based on your picture. The hydroflux torch class introduces you to soldering silver or copper, making a band ring. Taught about once a month. Cairenn teaches fold forming copper, making shapes from flat sheet. She has a class Wednesday night making leaves of various shapes. Other classes we might offer include working with wire in various ways, using a rolling mill to put texture on metals, and random other classes. Johnny teaches or runs the casting labs once a month, making castings from wax or 3d printed resin in silver or bronze. We also have a hydraulic press, and may get classes in that organized sometime this year.
If the class you want to take is full, still come by and watch. Sometimes not everybody shows up, and you can still get in the class. Look forward to seeing you. And bring pictures of your grandfather’s work…
I will let go shoes comments about taking beginner classes. You need to learn how Metal Works and basic terms before you can really even understand a lot of the videos we have taught classes in making copper bowls and even spoons and forks. But start with any of the basic classes especially anything working in sheet so you you learn what you’re doing you learn the basics. By the way I have seen some videos out there that were pure nonsense so once you’re ready to look at videos you might run them past somebody that has basic ideas like me or Sue arjani and stay at it’s a video worth spending your time on learning their techniques
I’m willing to bet that a lot of the metal-smithing videos are like a lot of the pottery videos. They’re not so much about teaching people – they’re basically a demo tape of that person’s craft. That’s supposed to be one of the techniques for driving sales to your website/online portal.
I remember one pottery video I was watching. The guy made huge bowls and vases with leaves tamped in. They were slab-built and he rounded them on this stool that he had. Then he puts the bowl on the wheel, scores it, and then boom! he’s pulling a foot. I watched it a couple of times and realized that they cut out the step where he attached a coil that he then pulled for the foot. I went back and forth a couple of times, saying “where is he getting the clay for that foot???” before I realized what the missing step must have been.
If it’s a free video it is likely to have issues. What I have I believe there was a group called crashing that had some multi-part classes now they work you had to I understand some of but you still need to know the basics metalsmithing first or otherwise they’re going to talk over your head
