24/08/17 Working with Gold-Fill - VIDEO ONLY

Recorded live Sunday, August 17, 2024 

Students will have access to the video recording until October 17, 2024.

Instructor: Jennifer Stenhouse 

Gold-filled can add value and a gold color option to your work while remaining affordable. But what is gold-filled and how is it different from working with other materials like sterling or gold? This workshop will focus on an introduction to gold-fill, essential metalworking techniques, tools, and designs used to create jewelry using gold-filled wire and sheet. Instruction will include information that will familiarize you with how gold-fill is made, alloys, plating options, and how it is similar and different when working with gold or sterling. Students will learn through instruction, demonstration, and practice the techniques using wire, sheet, and findings to construct pieces that can be used for all kinds of jewelry & wearable art. The focus will be on the essentials of soldering, forming, and construction using gold-filled materials. Also, the proper use of tools and equipment, studio safety, and finishing techniques specific to gold-fill. Project demos will include making gold-fill rings and earrings, making borax-based flux paste for gold & gold-fill, soldering with paste solder, and finishing including gold plating with a plating pen. 

Recommended Skills: Beginning Jewelry/Metals skills. You will need the ability and tools to solder.

All classes include the video recording of the live class, which you will have access to for 60 days after the class. Zoom link and instructions for joining the call will be emailed 1 day (24 hours) prior to class.

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 Tools & Materials used in Demo:

• Soldering surface
  • 6" x 6" solderite pad
  • Soft charcoal block
• Flux - also see Options for Flux below.
• Solder
  • Easy, medium, and hard, minimum 3" each
  • Paste solder
• Solder pick
• Tweezers
• A heat source capable of soldering (ie, butane torch, propane torch)
• Pickle. A good pickle substitute is “Ph Down” (aka sodium bi-sulfate) available for purchase at local spa and pool suppliers or at Home Depot in the spa supplies section. You can also use vinegar and salt, or citric acid.
• Jeweler saw & 4/0 blades and/or 2/0 blades
• Small hammer
• Small rawhide mallet
• Drill of some kind pendant drill, flex-shaft, hand drill
• Center punch/scribe or you can get one from the hardware store
• Bezel mandrels
• Forming pliers
• Pin vise
• Bench pin
• Needle files
• 6" half-round file
• Flush wire cutters

Materials I will be using for the demonstration in the class:

• Gold-filled page on Rio
• Gold-filled stampings
• Gold-filled wires
• Gold-filled sheet
• Gold-filled earring posts with a 2.5mm pad
• 14k gold solder: 1 or 2 inches or each: extra easy, easy, medium
• Yellow silver paste solder

Preferred Options For the Flux:

I use both of the fluxes below when working with sheet and flat stampings to protect it and prevent fire scale.

• Borax-based flux. This is flammable. Safety when working with this is important.
  • You will need a bottle of Boric acid powder from a drugstore like Bartell’s. This is essential to making the flux for gold-filled soldering.
  • Denatured alcohol from your local hardware store for the borax-based flux.
• My-T-Flux from Rio Grande. This is water-soluble and non-flammable. I have a small spray bottle from the drug store I use to spray it onto the items before soldering.

Items from the hardware or drugstore:

• Denatured alcohol
• Small spray bottle
• Emery paper, 200/400/600 or emery boards
• Small pack of drill bits
• Small hammer
• Safety glasses

Other tools that are helpful:

• Torch and soldering set up. (If you don’t have a torch and set up, check out the starter set from Seattle Findings! Use the code ME20 for a 10% student discount when ordering from Seattle Findings!)
• Seattle Findings also have some good starter kits for students
• Here’s a good basic student kit from Rio