I Can Learn Step-By-Step!
Step-By-Step Jewelry Workshop: Simple Techniques for Soldering, Wirework and Metal Jewelry by Nicola Hurst
I've wanted for a long time to expand my jewelry making from cold connections (using wire, rivets or other non-heated methods to connect pieces together), but was a little intimidated by the books and instructions I'd read. Nothing went into as much detail as I wanted, and I was frankly scared of using a flame and all the "stuff" required to solder. Additionally, while I had ventured into some metal forming with a saw, punches and doming block, I was completely self-taught...again, I hadn't found a resource that made me feel comfortable that my methods were correct, and I was going through a lot of saw blades learning on my own!
I received an advance copy of Nicola Hurst's Step-By-Step Jewelry Workshop in the mail in January 2008, and started browsing through. I couldn't put it down, and I knew that the detailed photos and instructions were just what I'd been looking for to help me move to the next level in jewelry making!
Step-By-Step Jewelry Workshop contains 350 photos, and intersperses technique teaching with projects that use the techniques. Many of the projects build on other techniques taught in the book, and with the help of the filing, soldering and annealing sections, I was able to complete the simple silver ring project pretty easily, and move on to more soldering projects!
In addition to filing, soldering, and annealing, you'll learn the proper techniques for piercing, drilling, finishing and polishing, forging, riveting, and more. I can't emphasize enough times how great the photos are in each section — because I'm a visual learner, I really need to see how something works. Step-By-Step Jewelry Workshop helps me to do that!
The only complaint I have about Step-By-Step Jewelry Workshop lies in the section on beading near the end of the book. I'd rate this book to be targeted toward intermediate jewelry makers — it's definitely not for someone who has wandered into into a Michael's store, and decided to take up beading. The beading section seems very out of place, and wastes several pages that I would have rather seen devoted to a more challenging project or two. I would venture to say that anyone interested in Step-By-Step Jewelry Workshop will already have mastered stringing beads.
Overall, this book gets a firm recommendation from Beading Help Web. Great photos, detailed instructions and nice projects that will leave you with a sense of accomplishment. US $24.95, Canada $29.95, available from Interweave Press in April, 2008.
