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Under Pressure: Bracelets & Rings

with Chapin Dimond

Advanced beginner
Under Pressure: Bracelets & Rings: a finished piece from the class

Photo 1 of 3

When and where

  1. Tuesday, Feb 2, 2027

    8:00 am to 5:00 pm

Times are MST, the event's local time.

At a glance

Skill level
Advanced beginner. Advanced beginner minimum. Helpful if comfortable with using a torch, saw, files, hammers, and flex shaft.
Class type
Workshop. None (ability to use a jewelers saw and a torch to anneal is helpful)
Prerequisites
None listed
Total time
9 hours
Room
Announced closer to the event
Class size
12 students

Fees

Class fee
$290
Kit fee
$85, paid to the instructor on class day, not charged online

Cash, check, Zelle. Price subject to change due to metal price fluctuations.

About this class

The hydraulic press is one of the most versatile and powerful tools in the studio, and Bonny Doon is providing presses and all the tools and attachments to make the hydraulic press do the heavy lifting (or should we say heavy pressing).

There are lots of different techniques and ways to form metal - let's play with the hydraulic press to learn the basics and some new techniques.

In this class students will learn how to safely use the press for bracelet forming, and ring forming, with forming dies and their variations, how to bend heavy stock, and use blanking dies to cut out blanks.

We’ll also use hammers to add textures to our metal as well as pancake dies (sometimes called blanking dies) to make cuff and ring blanks.

Copper will be used to practice forming.

Students can choose to work with copper, nickel, brass or sterling silver. (Students will bring all their own metal).

Contact Chapin Dimond

Included in the kit

Covered by the kit fee.

  • Use of instructor’s tools and equipment in class
  • Flex shafts
  • Flex shaft tools: sanding drum and eve wheels with mandrel, Scotch brit wheel, Polishing wheels, 3m blue wheel, Eve wheel deburring (class set)
  • Double sided tape
  • Cleaning supplies
  • Patina
  • Handouts
  • Other needed supplies, consumables and tools/equipment for use
  • Torches - Ac/Atmosphere - annealing
  • Pickle pot for cuffs - pickle
  • Floor fire blanket for soldering/annealing area
  • Lighter/striker
  • Soldering bricks
  • Cookie sheets for solder bricks
  • Lazy Susan with pumice
  • Bonny Doon Hydraulic presses
  • Bracelet formers for hydraulic press
  • Ring formers for hydraulic press
  • 95D 3x2x1 blocks urethane
  • Aluminum spacers
  • Pancake dies/ Blanking dies - ring, bracelet/cuff
  • Hot plate and pot - patina
  • Water tube for washing, quenching, patina
  • White board
  • Hammer for texture
  • Steel block
  • Rawhide mallet or dead blow plastic hammer

What to bring

Your own tools and materials for the class.

  • Bring copper or brass or sterling silver sheets. (at the minimum 1 sheet of 18ga (6”x12”)) - Some sheet of each gauge 16-20 is good.
  • Recommend some to be pre-cut to 6" x 2”.
  • Pre-textured metal is great, we will be texturing in class as well.
  • Bench pin and C-clamp
  • Bench light
  • Files large (I like #2 cut)
  • Sharpie
  • Safety glasses
  • Caliper- metal
  • Sharpie marker
  • Sanding sticks 320, 400 grit
  • Saw blades (I like 2/0)
  • Saw frame
  • Dill bits (I like 1mm)
  • Battery-operated or rechargeable work light
  • Noise protection (sometimes it gets loud in class!)
  • Optivisor or other magnification

Optional supplies

  • Hand shears
  • Large soldering brick/pad (rio 502090) [optional- great for annealing]
  • Other tools for cleaning jewelry you normally like to use that you already have in your toolbox - separating discs, sanding discs, 3m wheals

Safety and preparation

Safety
Clothing requirements: closed toed shoes and avoid wearing polyester, it can be flammable.
Before class
Tools and supplies for class can be found at Rio Grande (#’s provided) or any other jewelry supply company.

Suppliers and discounts

Rio Grande
RFSCDIMO Instructor discount code

Your instructor

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