METALSMITHING: TAB SETTING
Instructor: Becky Burt
Saturday and Sunday 10:00 am – 5:00 pm
November 12 – 13, 2016 (2 DAY WEEKEND WORKSHOP)

 

What do your dad’s class ring, your mom’s collection of buttons, and great aunt Ethel’s glasses have in common? They can all be used to make fabulous jewelry or wall pieces without risking destruction by a cold connection technique called tab setting. This class covers how to construct and use tabs to provide structure, join and encase disparate objects without solder.

We’ll talk about what are appropriate settings for which objects, and students will create settings for both found objects and newly created pieces into their designs. Students will also gain a familiarity with adding textures to metal via stamping, hammering, and roller printing. (Students who have taken the preceding Surface Design class will be familiar with these techniques and have items from that class to incorporate in finished designs.)

Students should bring items to class to incorporate into pieces, such as washers, stones, shells, old buttons, photos, etc., and each student will leave with at least one piece by the end of class.

Level: Any, but to get the most from this class, students should already have some experience with piercing and sawing metal.
Class Price:
Register before Oct. 29: $225, Register Oct. 29 – Nov. 11: $255
Materials fee: $15
Supplied materials: One 6 x 6 sheet of metal will be supplied by the instructor as well as sandpaper.
Tools that students should bring: Jewelers saw frame, Saw blades, Files, Sharp nose tweezers, Jewelry pliers, Chasing or small peen hammer, Sharpie (fine point), Ruler, Dividers, Bench Pin, Center Punch
Toolkits will be available to rent for $10 for the duration of the class.
Class Size: Minimum 3, Maximum 8