My Favorite Jewelry Sanding Tip!

Credit Given: I learned this from my teacher, Brad Smith at Venice Community Adult School (soon to be Venice Skills Center)...the technique was further explained by my friend Ruth Shapiro (Artisan and Judaica Designer - http://growingupjewish.com ) at the 2008 Demo Day held by Metal Artists Society of So. Calif. (MASSC - http://www.massconline.com ).

The following question has come up several times on forums:

May I ask what files or tools do you use to file the edges inside the piercings so smooth?

If you want a great trick to get into tiny piercings...

Take a sheet of sand paper (choose appropriate grit for your piece)

Turn it grit side down on the table

Cover the back of it with strips of packing tape (the kind with the nylon threads running through it)

Cut strips as thin as you need them to be to fit inside the piercing you are working on.

These strips can be used to thread thru the piercings and, if you have a vise, hold on each end - use a sawing motion to sand.

If you don't have a vise to hold your piece then you can thread the strip thru your piece and actually load the strip into your jewelers saw - voila - you have a hand free to hold your piece!

Photos Courtesy of Yolanda Lumel's Camera Phone with the permission of Judy Bapties (isn't that a great bracelet?)! Thanks Lulu and Judy!

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From Jewelry Designers to Bench Jewelers to Students...you know how much easier it is to learn a technique when you can SEE it!

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