Reddit mentions: The best precious metals collecting books

A couple/things of places to look at

SNAG Upscale contemporary metals and jelwery but good links and resources.

Fifteen bucks well worth spending if you are interested in working in small metals Covers technique and material basics and intermediate level techniques as well. Good foundation book.

Retail suppliers: Otto Frei Tools Good site and service and they have good sales.
Rio grande Great print catalogs well worth the ten bucks to order them even just as research.
Contenti Sells decent stuff cheap so a good place for beginner tools.

Metals from a tool supplier or bead store will be more expensive as the mark up is typically a lot higher than a specialized metal supplier so shop around. And start out with copper so it stings your wallet less as you learn a new tool universe.

Hope this helps have fun

I'm surprised they took you to straight to repair and surpassed fabrication work. But congrats nonetheless!

First, know what type of torch you're using. Propane, Acetylene or natural gas. Each of them behave differently, get to different temperatures, and have different safety regulations. Check your regulators before touching the torch and always have a fire extinguisher handy.

Second, you have to notice the difference between reducing, oxidizing and neutral flames You want to try to use a neutral flame most of the time.

Third, remember that size of flame is important. Most of the time, you can get an area just as hot with a smaller flame, it will just be more concentrated in a certain area. Thinner, more intricate pieces need smaller flames.

Fourth, remember to use a heat shield on anything you heat and flux on anything you solder. Unless you want the pink of firescale on purpose, don't forget them. Practice applying your flux and heating it so that it doesn't burn off.

Fifth, remember that solder travels in the direction of heat, and likes to travel on cleaner surfaces. If one part of your piece is colder than the other, the solder is going to want to travel away from that, with some effect of gravity, and closer to the flame of your torch. Try to heat your piece evenly unless there's an area that heat can't be applied.

Sixth, never EVER get heat near stones other than diamond.

Seventh, make sure your solder joints are as flush as you can make them and your pieces don't move. Use a clean sawblade, a file, or 220 sandpaper to make sure everything lines up as best as possible. A cleaner, perfectly made joint will be easier and have nicer result. Line up everything with locking tweezers or a third hand so that they don't move around.

Eighth, remember your hardnesses of solder. Hard is hot, easy is cooler. Use the hardest solder you're comfortable with so the joint is as strong as possible, while still trying to be repairable in the future.

Last, but most importantly, invest in a guide. The Complete Metalsmith is a great resource for any jeweler-in-training.

As others have posted, I too am a big fan of Tim McCreight
if you want a how-to book. He definitely has the DIY ethos.

I just watched this video about very low temp soldering - with a lighter! Can't personally vouch for it, but seems do-able for a newbie?

In case you want more "alternative" diamonds, here are two choices:
rough diamonds and Herkimer Diamonds Okay, these are really quartz, but "diamond" is in the name! And they come naturally "cut" in this shape which is kinda cool.

Lastly, I want to throw in that I'm a big fan of putting steel in a wedding ring. For a ring that you wear everyday, your body's natural oils will keep it from rusting, but take it off and...busted! Frugal and romantic! Win win!

I'm going to give you a list of resources that have helped me the past couple years get into silversmithing. If you have any more specific questions, let me know!

The Complete Metalsmith by Tim McCreight has been the go to for a number of years. Tons of great information and instruction. - https://www.amazon.com/Complete-Metalsmith-Illustrated-Handbook/dp/0871922401

You'll be buying most of your tools and metals from Rio Grande - riogrande.com

Other websites that have tools/supplies - ottofrei.com contenti.com firemountaingems.com stuller.com

There are a ton of youtube channels out there about metalsmithing, but by far my favorite is Soham Harrison's. Tons of videos, easy to follow, does a good job explaining everything.

If you want damn near everything you'll need but a bench and don't mind spending some money up front, Rio Grande's Apprentice Kit is extremely comprehensive. Even if you don't want to order it all in one go, treat the parts list as a goal for what you'll eventually want: https://www.riogrande.com/Product/Jewelry-Apprentice-Tool-Kit/113963

If you want some kits that are much cheaper to get you started, these two will give you almost everything you need to start doing some simple projects. For some reason the soldering kit doesn't actually come with a butane torch, so order that separately: https://www.riogrande.com/Product/JewelersBasicHandToolKit/113906?gclid=CLatubW8gNECFUW4wAod37gC-A and https://www.riogrande.com/Product/Soldering-Kit-for-Butane-Torches/500179

The Complete Metalsmith is a great resource and was used in nearly all of the metalworking classes I took in college. It has a lot of information about a wide variety of metalworking topics.

Before CAD, to design a ring to be cast you would hand carve wax. carving tools and a source of heat to modify the wax is helpful but not completely necessary, you can do some impressive work with carving wax and a decent exacto knife.

You may also want to look into fabricating jewelry. In this case your saw skills and filing skills are paramount. Beth Millner is an artist that I admire, most of her work and designs are based on clean fabrication work.

Other Resources

There are a TON of Facebook groups. Search for them, they are mostly closed but its easy to get access.

Second would be WAGS, the Wager and Griswold Society. They are the resource. You have to pay for membership, but if you are really into it, they are awesome. I mean really awesome.

Second would be the Red and Blue Books.

There is indeed "blue book"! And I mean that literally

There's also a companion "red book" which covers some of the less common brands of antique iron. Any major foundry which was making cookware prior to 1960 in the US will have something in one of those two books. If you have any specific pieces you'd like appraised, I own both books and would be more than happy to take a look, just need pics of the front and back.

The books are worth buying only if you are a collector, and even then they are only a baseline. Prices tend to move around a bit, so you usually have to check Ebay to see what things are selling at. If you are just interested in finding out a few prices, you can always ask here, or check out the books at your local library.

a kit like this would get you started with the main items you need. You will also need brass/copper/sterling sheet metal and/or wire and a metal ring mandrel to make the forms.
You may decide to invest in an acetylene torch, if you do, double check with your states/home insurance rules about having that type of torch in your home. In my state, it voids a home insurance policy if a fire starts in a residential home due to a torch.

Once you move into bezel or prong setting, you may buy bezel wire or make it yourself, same goes for the prongs and prong settings. You will need jewelers files and a flex shat (or small hand-held rotary drill) to help with the polishing and various grits of sandpaper/polishing compounds to get the finish you desire.

This book is a great resource.

Either of these books are what you need to get started. The complete metal Smith was like a jewelry bible for me. Good luck.

https://www.amazon.com/Complete-Metalsmith-Illustrated-Handbook/dp/0871922401/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1517803513&sr=8-5&keywords=Lost+wax+casting


https://www.amazon.com/Practical-Casting-Studio-Reference-Revised/dp/096159845X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1517803438&sr=8-1&keywords=Lost+wax+casting

red book

blue book

yellow book (griswold gem pans)

grey book (early gate marked stuff)

these are about the best we have at the moment... the red book and blue book cover a lot, but obviously not everything.. and they are a bit dated as far as their pricing goes... but good sources of info.. .lots of pictures.

I really like the old Lodge skillets. They are lightweight and very smooth. I've got a book that helps to identify Wagner, Griswold, Lodge, and other brand cast iron cookware. This web page also has useful information for identifying unmarked Lodge and other brands.

Is there any way you can take classes in your area? I've learned some new techniques from online sources, but there's no substitute for in person instruction.

Every Smith should have this book.

The Complete Metalsmith: An Illustrated Handbook https://www.amazon.com/dp/0871922401/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_BknRybJ66D23X

Good luck.

A neat little spiral book is The Complete Metalsmith by Tim McCreight It will not cover any of the wood details, but lots of neat tips on the metal working.

https://www.amazon.com/Book-Wagner-Griswold-Excelsior-Collectors/dp/0764311913

This one and the blue book have been awesome resources in identifying cast iron.

http://www.amazon.com/The-Complete-Metalsmith-Illustrated-Handbook/dp/0871922401/ref=pd_bxgy_b_img_z

Covers the basics of just about everything small/bench metals related and will give you good start points on a ton of techniques

The two books you want are The Book of Griswold and Wagner and The Book of Wagner and Griswold. Both books cover all the major brands and have price guides.

I'm not aware of any book on cast iron restoring, but all the resources you'll need are online, such as at the Cast Iron Collector page.

If you move the decimal over. This is about 1,000 in books...

(If I had to pick a few for 100 bucks: encyclopedia of country living, survival medicine, wilderness medicine, ball preservation, art of fermentation, a few mushroom and foraging books.)


Medical:

Where there is no doctor

Where there is no dentist

Emergency War Surgery

The survival medicine handbook

Auerbach’s Wilderness Medicine

Special Operations Medical Handbook

Food Production

Mini Farming

encyclopedia of country living

square foot gardening

Seed Saving

Storey’s Raising Rabbits

Meat Rabbits

Aquaponics Gardening: Step By Step

Storey’s Chicken Book

Storey Dairy Goat

Storey Meat Goat

Storey Ducks

Storey’s Bees

Beekeepers Bible

bio-integrated farm

soil and water engineering

Organic Mushroom Farming and Mycoremediation

Food Preservation and Cooking

Steve Rinella’s Large Game Processing

Steve Rinella’s Small Game

Ball Home Preservation

Charcuterie

Root Cellaring

Art of Natural Cheesemaking

Mastering Artesian Cheese Making

American Farmstead Cheesemaking

Joe Beef: Surviving Apocalypse

Wild Fermentation

Art of Fermentation

Nose to Tail

Artisan Sourdough

Designing Great Beers

The Joy of Home Distilling

Foraging

Southeast Foraging

Boletes

Mushrooms of Carolinas

Mushrooms of Southeastern United States

Mushrooms of the Gulf Coast


Tech

farm and workshop Welding

ultimate guide: plumbing

ultimate guide: wiring

ultimate guide: home repair

off grid solar

Woodworking

Timberframe Construction

Basic Lathework

How to Run A Lathe

Backyard Foundry

Sand Casting

Practical Casting

The Complete Metalsmith

Gears and Cutting Gears

Hardening Tempering and Heat Treatment

Machinery’s Handbook

How to Diagnose and Fix Everything Electronic

Electronics For Inventors

Basic Science


Chemistry

Organic Chem

Understanding Basic Chemistry Through Problem Solving

Ham Radio

AARL Antenna Book

General Class Manual

Tech Class Manual


MISC

Ray Mears Essential Bushcraft

Contact!

Nuclear War Survival Skills

The Knowledge: How to rebuild civilization in the aftermath of a cataclysm

This book is a must have!

https://www.amazon.com/Complete-Metalsmith-Illustrated-Handbook/dp/0871922401

"Silversmithing" by Feingold & Seitz, The Complete Metalsmith by Tim McCreight, and Form Emphasis for Metalsmiths are my bibles. I could go on with more specific books, if you have more specific ideas, but these three are my go-to reference books for forming and smithing large objects in silver (and other metals!)


https://www.amazon.com/Silversmithing-Jewelry-Crafts-Rupert-Finegold-ebook/dp/B005DIATAU/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1502932334&sr=8-3&keywords=silversmithing

https://www.amazon.com/Complete-Metalsmith-Illustrated-Handbook/dp/0871922401/ref=sr_1_cc_1?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1502932404&sr=1-1-catcorr&keywords=the+complete+metalsmith

https://www.amazon.com/Form-Emphasis-Metalsmiths-Heikki-Seppa/dp/0873382129/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1502932423&sr=1-1&keywords=form+emphasis+for+metalsmiths

The "red' and "blue" books -

http://amazon.com/Book-Wagner-Griswold-Excelsior-Collectors/dp/0764311913

http://amazon.com/Book-Griswold-Wagner-Favorite-Sidney/dp/0764337297

>So now the drug dog is being trained to sniff out kimberlite

I had no idea this was a thing, but apparently... https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1453607137

What do you want to do with copper? If it's jewelry type applications, you could do a LOT worse than to pick up http://www.amazon.com/The-Complete-Metalsmith-Illustrated-Handbook/dp/0871922401