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BOOKS |
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I made my first piece of jewelry in high school and the second after I retired.
It was then that I became a rockhound, started polishing my own gemstones, and
recognized I needed to re-learn how to set them into metal.
After many classes and workshops, I discovered I enjoyed sharing my accumulated skills
with others through teaching and public speaking.
That has led to a series of books for the many home-based jewelers who are unable to travel to my classes.
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In every field, the top artisans have their favorite ways of solving common problems.
Making a piece of fine jewelry is no exception. The work is intricate,
but accomplished jewelers have a variety of techniques, special tools and shortcuts
that are proven to save time and increase quality.
"Bench Tips for Jewelry Making"
is written as a resource for jewelers with skill levels
from beginner through advanced. The tips come from Brad's 18 years
of experience in the jewelry industry, including a decade
teaching hundreds of students.
It features 101 useful tips to help solve the most common problems
encountered in jewelry fabrication projects.
Catch a quick look at the contents and some
sample tips
from the book.
Included are over 20 ways to save time when soldering and polishing,
how to avoid eight common shop hazards, numerous ways to cut costs,
ten tips to improve stone setting skills, and what I have found as the
"must-have" tools for increasing productivity at the bench.
The handy reference book has garnered Five Star reviews on Amazon
and is available in both
print form
and as an
ebook.
It includes 82 close-up photos to help illustrate the tips.
"Bench Tips" is frequently seen on Amazon Top 100 lists in its genre and has ranked
#1 on those lists in both 2014 and 2015.
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Common jewelry tools and techniques can be used to make customized stamping and texturing tools
that add visual interest to your jewelry designs. There are only a few differences in working with steel
as compared to copper or silver. Once learned, unique stamps or texturing tools can be
created for a special application, to accent your work in a unique way, or to brand your
pieces with a stamp that others cannot purchase.
"Making Design Stamps For Jewelry"
covers the step-by-step process of selecting best steels, carving the design, hardening
the steel, and tempering the completed stamp to ensure a long service life. It describes
the tools to use, gives detailed examples for making several design stamps, includes sources
for purchasing tool steel, describes useful shop equipment, and offers tips for saving time
and achieving better quality.
The book was named "Hot New Release in Jewelry Craft" nine times
and has reached #1 in its Amazon Top 100 category.
It includes 74 close-up photos and is available in both
print form
and as an
ebook.
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Sometimes jewelry people just like to play with metal.
"Broom Casting for Creative Jewelry and Metalwork"
is one of the techniques that puts the fun into metal working.
It is a popular subject in many of my classes.
The process is quick and produces icicle-like shapes with intriguing geometries
that are sure to spark your creativity.
And jewelry fashioned from the shapes makes unique and elegant pendants and earrings.
"Broom Casting" describes the equipment needed, each step of the casting process,
and how to work with the irregular shapes in making finished jewelry.
It covers safety, tips for cleaning & polishing, and how to save money by
making some of your own tools.
Also included is a picture gallery of finished jewelry that are made from broom cast pieces.
The book was originally developed as the basis for several one-day workshops
given for local jewelery makers and for members of area rock & mineral clubs.
It includes 41 photos and is available in both
print form
and as an
ebook.
Also included is a complete guide for presenting a workshop on the technique
for a group of friends or your own rock & mineral club.
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"The Reluctant Farmer of Whimsey Hill"
is a hu-amorous, first-hand account of my early
married life in rural Virginia. I was a young love-struck engineer from the city confronted
by a barn full of my wife's quirky rescue animals who taught me to be a better human.
In the story, opposites attract; for better or for worse. That is what troubles me as an
animal-phobic, robotics engineer who learns that my bride's dream is to have a farm with
lots of animals where she can rescue ex-race horses to retrain and find them new homes.
According to the Meyers-Briggs Personality Test, our marriage was doomed from the start.
There's only one problem: we took the test after the wedding.
Whether I'm chasing a cow that my kids named
Pork Chop
through the woods with a rope, getting locked in a tack room
by the family pony, being snubbed by my wife's dog, or unsuccessfully trying to
modernize our barn using the latest technology, the odds are stacked against me.
Will I be able to keep my family and the farm together?
Come enjoy the true, warm, and frequently hilarious stories of my journey along the bumpy
road from my urban robotics lab to a new life on a rural Virginia farm.
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Demos, Speaking Gigs and Workshops
Brad is an accomplished speaker and is available for talks or jewelry skills workshops.
Please contact
BradSmithJewelry@yahoo.com
Current Book Projects
- "Jewelry Projects - Class Notes"
- "Bench Tips for Jewelry Making"
- Volume 2
- "Getting the Most Out of the Foredom & Dremel"
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EVENT SCHEDULE
2018
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Feb 1
Mar 3-4
May 6
Jun 23-24
Oct
Nov
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Del Air Rock Club
Northridge, CA
South Bay Rock Club Show
Torrence, CA
LA Bead Society Bazaar
Culver City, CA
Fiesta of Gems Show
Culver City, CA
MASSC Demo Day
Long Beach, CA
LA Bead Society Bazaar
Culver City, CA
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Articles
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- Brad has written for Interweave's "Jewelry Artist" magazine.
- He has been interviewed for "Rock and Gem" magazine.
- Brad's jewelry technique articles are carried each month by over 200 newsletters
in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa, the UK and the USA.
- Jay Whaley featured Brad on his
Blog-Talk Radio show.
Click below to hear interviews.
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