07/07 - 07/11 Kinetic Flowers Demystified with Ting Lu

Monday/Wednesday/Friday, July 7, 9, & 11, 2025 
3:00 - 6:00 pm PDT

Instructor: Ting Lu

Learn the secrets of kinetic flower mechanisms!

This multi-day intermediate/advanced class will share the complete design and fabrication process for kinetic flowers, and will present many design and implementation options.

At the end of the workshop, you will take away a repeatable process to create your own unique kinetic flowers.

You should have good basic metalsmithing skills such as soldering, sawing, shaping metal, and stone setting.

All classes include the video recording, which you will have access to for 60 days after the class. The Zoom link, handouts, video(s), and other important information can be found by clicking on the individual class link on the "My Courses" page. The Zoom link and handout (if any) will be available 24 hours before the class starts.

You also get 1 free session of Open Studio Access (OSA) in the month following your class, the Zoom link can be found on the course video access page.

The class supply list is below and contains links to buy the supplies you need.

Supply List for Students

The links below will take you to RioGrande.com or other suppliers. To see prices for precious metal items, you need a free Rio Grande account. Students in the Rio for Schools program enjoy wholesale benefits for six months (instructor code = RFSLMF). This site may contain Amazon and other affiliate links. If you purchase something through the link, at no cost to you, we may receive a small commission on qualifying purchases.

Recommended Materials:

• Sterling sheet: 22ga (3”x6” or larger)
• Sterling wire: 20ga (6”+) to make headpins. You can use 20ga ready-made sterling silver headpins if you have them (12 or more)
  
• Sterling wire: 14ga (3”+)
• 3mm OD heavy wall Sterling tubing (Rio #100425), it is to fit over a 14G wire
• A cabochon, diameter 5mm and up. I suggest at least an 8mm or larger for your first try.
• Fine silver bezel wire or a ready-made bezel cup for the cab 
  NOTE: You can also practice/make samples with copper or red brass.
  

Recommended Tools:

• Disc cutter
• wire cutter
• Jeweler’s saw
• flex shaft
• Drill bits #51 (for 14ga wire), #65 (for 20ga wire)
• Files, sandpaper, sanding discs/wheels for cleanup
• Various doming/dapping punches, mandrels, channel bending blocks for shaping metal. Shop around if you don’t have one. I found an inexpensive set on Amazon.
  
• Soldering station - soldering block, flux, pickle pot
• hard/medium/easy silver solder
• Tripod & coarse mesh screen (Rio grade #502085)
  NOTE: I use a Tripod/Mesh setup, but some students find “Penetrable Soldering Board” helpful for delicate soldering. Options are:
  • Cotronics board
  • Kaiser Lee board
• Small bench vise for stone setting

Nice to have:

• Anti-flux, such as Rio’s Stop-Flow, yellow ochre, Coryell’s Masking Mud
• Any polishing compound and patina treatment (e.g., liver of sulfur) as you like