Hey! Thanks for the info. Glad you liked the video!

Great to hear! Thanks, Joe

It's exciting to redesign your workspace. Enjoy! If you have any questions when you're in the midst of it, let me know. Thanks for watching.

Thank you for watching! Let me know if you have any questions.

You are so welcome! I'm so glad that it was helpful.

Good point! I'm lucky enough to work near a window and get good ventilation. But it is important to consider your health and set up a bench ventilation system. I should connect some ducting to a window fan and at least use that. Our filigree teacher, Milt Fischbein, set up a simple dust collection system with a shop vac and some nylon as a filter on the nozzle (next to the bench pin). He cleverly installed the vac in a separate room and ran the hose to his space, which really cut down on the noise. Thanks for taking the time to watch and comment.

Glad it was helpful!

You are so welcome!

Yes! We had a "bombola" propane tank when we lived in an apartment in Paris - the whole building had it. I always thought that either we Americans are more squeamish about living with propane tanks in our houses, or Parisians are more trustworthy not to blow themselves up. Jury's still out on that question. Good luck with the reorganization! Joe

@@SilveraJewelrySchool its an issue of old vs new. Old european bldgs cant easily be piped for gas and electric was and is so expensive. Older bldgs dont have modern electric capabilities so that and power costs ensured gas reigned. Add to that the VAT tax on new appliance...old gas stoves can last a long as time.

A tool or two every month or so... you'll have the studio of your dreams in no time! :^)

Working on it...

Hi - Thanks! Good question. If it has a foot pedal option, that helps. Otherwise it can be difficult to not be able to turn it on and off and vary the speed, like you can with a foot pedal and a flex shaft. Also, there are more options for handpieces with a flex shaft, for comfort and to accommodate a variety of bit sizes. Micro motors usually fit only 3/32" mandrels. That said, if it's the tool you have, you'll learn to work with it. Joe

Hi @catherinemartina6469 - Dust sucks. Sounds like there's a lot of dust that is not from you but rather just from the space? Or maybe you're making the dust while making jewelry? In any case, I agree with using drawers to protect tools, etc. Covering your bench between work times is a good idea too, but be careful to make sure that your soldering surfaces and anything else hot like torch tips have cooled completely first. I would also suggest boxes with lids to keep dust off of your other materials. Let me know if you have any other questions. Thanks for watching!

Hi - Acetylene and air torches are great systems for soldering, annealing and even casting. But not every city or county is ok with acetylene inside a home or even your garage. It's a good idea to start by calling your local zoning office and ask what the general code is on tanks, allowed fuel gasses, and maximum cubic feet of gas allowed. The next call, as discreetly as possible would be to your home insurance or to a similar competitor to see if you can have acetylene and still have coverage. In my experience, it's not allowed in cities and more likely to be allowed the more your area is rural or unincorporated. Good luck! If you find out that you can't use acetylene, you can do a lot with a oxygen concentrator and a small bottle of propane, including using melting tips or other size tips that you can get from PaigeTools.com.

@@SilveraJewelrySchool Oxygen Concentrators are high price to buy new, but you can find them at estate sales, garage sales, your local Salvation Army and Goodwill store's for anywhere from $5.00 to $25.00 But their well worth picking up!

Hi Jojo - Thanks for watching and for your question. My unit doesn't beep. I get this question all the time, and since it's not something that I encounter with my concentrator, I can't offer a solution. Have you tried contacting the manufacturer or reseller? Good luck! Joe

Hi Leslie - It's from OttoFrei.com. Item 113.016. But they have lots of similar models at different price points. The dimensions are listed on the page for each bench. Thanks for watching!

@@SilveraJewelrySchool The 113.016 is the BN-250 bench. Your bench looks like the MO-60 which is Otto Frei number 113.010 . They are both made by MasterCraft Workbenches in California.

@@Braz1956 Yes, the 113.010 is closer to my bench. They're pretty similar. :^)

Hi - Thanks for your comment and question. The butane torch is self contained. It holds the butane fuel and draws in its own air to modify the flame for soldering, etc. Butane is a home studio friendly gas. The Little Torch, which is shown with a disposable propane bottle and an oxygen concentrator, mixes the two gasses into a flame. By adjusting the mix with the knobs on the torch, you can make big and small flames, focused and fluffy. You can also change torch tips from tiny to large. The butane torch doesn't offer the same flame adjustment or exchange of tip sizes. In a sense, the butane torch could be seen as a starter torch, while the Smith Little Torch is a more professional and robust torch system. :^) Thanks for watching. Joe

I see. Thank you for your reply. May I know the difference between butane and propane besides portable or not? May I use propane at home? I dont know if the container is allowed at most condos? One more question still, my teacher uses white gas oil for his work, but I joined a online chat group of goldsmithing, people there tell me white gas oil is harmful for the immune system, and they use gasoline. I wonder how no one uses gasoline as fuel as I find out these goldsmithing videos on youtube? All of these goldsmiths use gas, but gas has a minor chance of explosion right? Will gasoline be a safer and healthier choice?@@SilveraJewelrySchool

@@IgalinaoAvolkovv Hi - You'll need to check with your local zoning and HOA re: fuels allowed in your condo. Most places are fine with butane. And a lot of places are fine with a 14 oz. disposable propane bottle or a 1 gallon small refillable propane tank. I'm not familiar with goldsmiths using white oil or gasoline. But I would think that would have a lot more fumes and explosive issues than butane or propane. Thanks again! Joe

thank you so much for your detailed reply!@@SilveraJewelrySchool

Hi Sharon! Yes, a flex shaft is superior to a Dremel, especially the handheld models. And once you've tricked out a Dremel to be like a flex shaft, the money spent would have purchased an entry level flex shaft. Dremel holders (do you mean a hanger?) tend to be too lightweight for flexshafts. Here's a link to an inexpensive one. You can screw it to a board and clamp that to your table with a c-clamp until you're ready to screw it into your bench. www.silverajewelry.com/store/w/id/1405/c/416/t/Flex-Shaft-Accessories/n/Flex-Shaft-Hanger-Screw-Mount/details.asp Thanks for watching!

The concentrator is a medical breathing device, but it's been refurbished for use with a torch. Lampworkers use them all the time because oxygen is used up the fastest. So no oxygen tank. You turn it on and wait a few minutes for it to pressurize, wake up, drink its coffee or whatever it does and then you're good to go. I don't have a video on how to set it up, but check out RioGrande.com. They sell them. The set up is pretty easy. It's pretty close to connect the oxygen line and go. We offer a torch safety and set up class at our school and we're offering an online version this year. SilveraJewelrySchool.com/classes

And LOL! Sexist welding supply. Right. Even I as a dude can detect the concentrated testosterone in those shops. Lots of women welders, jewelers, etc, so start treating women nicer, I say.

NO! Go to the sexist welding store and de-sex it immediately. If you have a problem with them delve into the problem and dismantle it. Ask them if you need a sex change operation to shop there. Be sure to look as feminine and sexy as you can when you go there, and also ask if your money is painted pink or green like the guys. Do not stay away. Visit them every day and be sure to ask them in such a way as to intimidate with your own knowledge of welding. I never miss the opportunity to bust up any sexism around me. I am a regular at Home Depot and I know more than most of the workers. I often help out customers with their project questions. They have a lot of respect for me. Once they only had leather gloves in men's sizes L and XL. I asked the manager nicely if they could carry smaller sizes. He was dismissive. So I stood in the middle of the store and in my very loud voice asked - "Do I need a sex change operation to shop at Home Depot, or can you carry these also in Women's sizes? Do you think my money is not worth the same as a man? What do I need to do to get some respect in here?". That did it. Next week they had the smaller sizes on the shelf. No disrespect either. You must command respect above all.

Hi. You may be hitting the edges of the tool you're using for crimping (bezel rocker, prong pusher, burnisher). Softening the edges helps. Be sure to push down all the micro puckers too, before burnishing. Burinish in small sections, 1/8-1/4" of the bezel at a time, and hard enough to bevel the bezel. If you still have marks use a 600 grit sanding stick or similar grit abrasive rubber wheel to polish the top of the bezel, being careful to avoid the stone. Then repeat your burnishing or buff to a high luster, if that's what you'd like for a final finish. Hope this helps. Happy setting!

No problem. I get the cone and mounting plate from RioGrande.com www.riogrande.com/product/burlife-bench-mount-lubricant/117006

@@SilveraJewelrySchoolthank you...

Shears will cut up to 20 gauge in softer alloys. So brass and nickel will be tougher to shear. Maybe the ergonomics of your sawing aren't the best? If you're hold the saw too firmly, bending your wrist too much etc. you could be damaging your arms. We go over ergonomics in our jewelry classes so people can avoid injuries. You could also go old school and cut your metal with a chisel and hammer on a steel block (a block you don't mind denting a lot!).

Hi! No problem. We sell it here www.silverajewelry.com/store/w/id/1147/c/417/t/bench-top-polisher-accessories/n/bench-top-polisher/details.asp Thanks! Joe

Hi! It's hard to quiet the sound completely, but if you put something under your steel block it can make the sound not quite so sharp. I used to put a mouse pad underneath it. You can also use some leather, cloth or a sandbag. Also, try moving your block so that it is over something solid like a table leg. That should reduce extra sound from hammering, because it's not hollow underneath it. You'll still hear hammering.

Hi - We currently offer a class called Torch Setup and Safety. It covers setting up a oxygen concentrator. We just had one a month or so ago. If you'd like to be notified when we have it again, go to our website and email us or sign up for our email list. SilveraJewelrySchool.com. We could also go over this as a private lesson. Our classes are online or in person and are very informative.

Oh that would be fun to make. I don't have any experience with building one in that kind of space. Is the whole trailer dedicated to the studio or just a portion of it? Let me know and maybe I can offer some tips. I would make sure, if you're going to solder, to include a solution for ventilation. Plus if it's going to travel, you're organization should address keeping tools from flying around while the trailer is on the go. Obvious, but just in case... :^) Thanks for watching!

@@SilveraJewelrySchool just a portion

@@travishaugen4403 Hi. Well, you can build in a bench, using commercial ones as a guide. Also, this book, The Jewelers Bench Book, by Charles Lewton Brain, is full of great ideas for organizing your bench and studio. Remember ventilation, and I would keep any gas for a torch to a minimum. Maybe you can run a line to an outside propane tank and use either a small 20 cf bottle of oxygen or an oxygen canister, if you're using a 2 gas torch like a Smith Little Torch. I know some trailers have solutions like this to keep gas stored outside. Since the trailer is a small space, being careful about gas building up inside is critical. You can also install an explosive gas detector inside the trailer (rated for your fuel gas, like LPG/propane). This is like a smoke detector, but it warns you when it detects too much gas. Good luck! I'd love to see pics when you're done.

I got the sewing pedal mat for my foot pedals through Amazon, but you might be able to find it at a craft store that sells sewing stuff. Thanks for watching!

@@SilveraJewelrySchool hi I'm setting up a casting and burnout in my second bedroom what is the best way to setup my casting area thank you

@@stephenkirnon Hey. Setting up for casting is a lot to describe. We offer lots of info on casting in our Lost Wax 1 Basics class, available online at SilveraJewelrySchool.com/classes. We also offer private lessons. In anycase, make sure you have good ventilation so that you don't fill up your house with casting fumes. Best to you!

Hi! We have some kits of basic tools for making jewelry that you can check out. Go to www.silverajewelry.com/store/w/c/309/t/Kits/browse.asp Thanks for watching!