Faculty Syllabus

An expansion of the skills taught in Jewelry Tech 1, Techniques 2 focuses on jewelry fabrication, including design
layout, adjusting patterns/designs to different sizes, sawing, filing, soldering, finishing, ring construction, setting
construction, riveting, clasps, precision work, and accurate measuring.

Industry standards are emphasized. This class consists of 3 projects aimed to have students feel like they can saw, solder and construct things that are more complicated than in JT1. This includes hollow form construction, stone setting and hinges. 

Attendance is vital, as these courses are practice-intensive and require that you develop skills progressively
throughout the semester. If more than 10% of the total 80 clock hours for this course are missed (8 hours or 3.2
classes) you could be dropped with a grade of “W,” or after the final withdrawal date of the semester, with a grade of
“F.”
Absences will be considered 'Excused' if the instructor is notified by the beginning of the class following. 'Unexcused'
absences will be more likely to result in your being dropped, although even 'Excused' absences can be a reason for
withdrawal if your progress in the class is excessively hampered.
Excessive tardiness, or early departures from class, (more than 30 minutes) could be counted as absences. If you
know you will be late, please notify the instructor.
Please monitor your ACC email account, as it is the official communication method for all students.

Students will emphasise strong sawing and soldering skills in this course with additional simple stone setting (tubes.prongs).

Three projects are expected from this course:

Gallery Ring

Hollow Form Construction with Hinges

Gallery wire Pendant/Ring (with stone setting) 

Students take this course to:
1. Satisfy degree requirements for a certificate or an Associates of Applied Science degree in Jewelry.
2. Expand jewelry fabrication skills including sawing, stone setting and soldering. 

Project 1- Gallery Ring 

1. Sheet Metal- 16-20g- Traditionally this ring is done in 16g- you can order as small of a sheet as 1"x2" if you are a size 8 ring size or smaller. 16g or 18g will give you the ability to roller print the material and have it be very sturdy. Thinner gauge is cheaper but will be more flimsy. Please do not go thinner than 20g if you are on a budget. Dead soft is preffered. If you are larger than a size 8 you may order a 2"x3" or 1.5"x3". Copper brass and nickel silver is also fine to work in for this project. 

The first day of class we will mock this ring up in copper to get a feel for the sizing and have time for materials to come in if needed. Please email me if you have questions. 

2. 2 dozen saw blades as listed above- 2/0 are the most important for the first project

3. 2” 14ga square wire (dead soft)

4. 1” 20ga square wire (dead soft) 

5. 1qty 6mm 1⁄2 drilled pearl or round stone *check on etsy for stones and locally at AMC Company 

6. Sterling silver hard solder (sheet or wire)

7. Sterling silver medium solder (sheet or wire) 

8. A small metal ruler with mm on it

Project 2- Hollow Form Construction with Hinges

Students will be able to make a project of choice- a locket, box, poison ring or hinged bracelet. 

1. Minimun Sheet to order-

2" x 4" 22g or 20g Silver, Copper, Brass, Nickel Silver (can order more if you are planning to do a larger project like a big box or bracelet) 

2. Tubing-

Silver/Argentium 

2.57mm heavy walled tubing 

1.6mm seamless thin walled tubing

Copper/Brass

3/32 K&S tubing (amazon, Hobbytown USA)

1/16 K&S tubing (amazon, Hobbytown USA)

*(AMC sells tubing in 6" sections, call for pricing)*

3. Saw Blades (2/0)

4. Sterling silver hard solder (sheet or wire) 

5. Sterling silver medium solder (sheet or wire) 

*Optional- stones for setting, cabachon or small faceted stones- 2mm that will fit in the 2.57mm tubing*

Project 3- Caging Stones (pendant or ring) 

1. 12" 16g dead soft round wire- silver, copper, brass, nickel silver

     3" 18g dead soft round wire (optional for prongs and bail if you'd like something smaller) 

2. Hard and Medium solder (sheet or wire)

3. Stone of choice (can be faceted, funky or a cabachon) 

Recommended Finishing Tools:
While some finishing tools are available to share at the shop, students are typically required to
provide their own finishing tools. These are the finishing tools I recommend from Rio, and will
allow you to fully finish out your projects to the best of your ability. (# Rio number)

1.  Red 220 grit Radial wheels #326029
2.  Screw mandrel (for radial or silicon/pumice wheels) #333105
3.  Threaded/point mandrel for bullet silicon wheels #333103
4.  220 grit and 400 grit silicon wheels (knife edge) #332824 and #332829
5.  220 and 400 grit silicon wheels (cylinder style) #332841 and #332845
6.  Mounted fiber wheels (for final finish and/or matte finish) #338123

Your final grade will be based on your progress throughout the semester. Grades will be given in accordance with the
following:
1.) Productivity..........60%
The student must complete all 3 assigned projects to the satisfaction of the instructor. Extra credit may be earned for
projects completed in addition to the assigned projects.
2.) Attendance..........30%
The importance of your attendance cannot be expressed enough. It goes hand in hand with “productivity”. You will not
be able to finish the projects if you don’t attend. If you wish to make up classes you will need to notify me and arrange
lab time with me or another professor. Note that COVID safe practices may limit or void the ability to make up lab
time. We can also discus tools and work that can bee done at home to help catch you up if you fall behind.
3.) Attitude..............10%
All individuals should show a cooperative spirit in working together and helping each other so that the collective
experience will be beneficial to everyone. Cooperation with each other in a working situation is very important so that

an atmosphere of learning, productivity, and creativity may take place.

The Complete Metalsmith by Tim McCreight

The Design and Creation of Jewelry by Robert von Neumann

The Metalsmith’s Book of Boxes & Lockets by Tim McCreight

Jewelry processes can be dangerous if proper procedure is not observed. Stay alert. Be present in your
surroundings. When it involves the safety of you and others, learn to pace yourself and move cautiously and
deliberately. Most accidents occur when people get in a hurry, so don’t get in a hurry and please use your common
sense. ACC strives to provide you with proper training and a safe environment, but you also must do you part. Think
ahead to possible outcomes of what you’re doing. The students are vital participants in a safe lab.
Learning a hand skill, especially one as fussy as jewelry-making, is inherently aggravating. When you feel
emotionally distraught for any reason, e.g., getting in a hurry, frustration with the project/teacher/yourself, etc.--take a
break. It’s time well spent if it prevents an injury to you, or even just damage to your workpiece.

1. Before using any piece of equipment, get a qualified person to explain its proper use.
2. Report all accidents (and near misses) to your instructor without delay. If you suspect an unsafe condition,
bring it to your instructor’s attention immediately.
3. Use of first-aid supplies, even band-aids, must be entered in the log located in the first-aid kit. Instructors
are not allowed to give medicines, such as OTC pain relievers, to students, even when these are
recommended for treating a given condition.
4. If the campus police are needed, their emergency number is 512-223-7999, or 222 from ACC phones.
5. Know the locations and proper use of fire extinguishers.
6. Wear your safety glasses at all times when you are exposed to flying particles, as well as harmful chemicals
and solutions.
7. Wear earplugs in the presence of high noise levels.
8. Wear a dust mask when sanding, buffing, investing or in other situations where respiratory hazards are
present.
9. Tie back long hair, loose sleeves, dangling jewelry, and anything else that could get caught in rotating
machinery such as polishing motors, flex-shafts, rolling mills, or the casting centrifuge.
10. Learn the operation of the ventilation systems used in the Jewelry Dept.

Torch safety:
1. Never walk away from a lit torch, even for a moment. Turn it off and relight.
2. Don’t leave flammables (except firecoat) on the soldering benches, e.g., paper towels, books,
plastic bottles and cups, etc.
3. If you smell propane, don’t assume someone else will take care of it.
4. Be sure that both oxygen and fuel valves are closed on unlit torches.
5. Be aware of the direction of the heat plume from a lit torch.
6. Keep your hair out of the flame.
12. If you are melting metal to pour an ingot, make sure your metal and mold are dry. Molten metal can pop and
splatter if it comes in contact with even trace amounts of moisture.
13. Wear proper eye protection when using the torches. Most soldering is done without dark lenses, but if a
process is causing you to have afterimages, you should wear a #3 shade lens for that type of work. A #3
lens will also be enough protection in most casting situations. A #5 lens may be needed when casting metals
with higher melting points (bronze, brass, and copper) and for prolonged melting of larger volumes of metal
(50 grams or more). A #5 to #11 lens would also be needed for platinum work.
14. Throwing hot metal into the pickle solution can cause spattering, dispersing toxic and corrosive particles into
the air, which can harm your skin, lungs, eyes, and clothing. So do it carefully.
15. Always wear the proper attire when working with fire (torches) and hot or molten metal. Clothing should
be natural fiber. Synthetic fibers melt and stick to skin when heated, making burn injuries far worse than
otherwise. Your legs should be covered to the knees, and shoes should completely cover your feet.