Students, hobbyists, and others just getting started in metalworking have turned to this informative, easy-access reference time and time again. Without getting bogged down in confusing details, it teaches them what they need to know about the most effective techniques for working with gold, platinum, copper, brass, steel, plaster, and more. In fact, it covers most of the same subjects as the professional version, only in a simpler fashion: metals, tools, surfaces, shaping, joining, casting, stones, and mechanisms. And, like the larger edition, it has a spiral spine and attractive color images throughout. Newcomers to the field will especially appreciate the safety tips and the many charts covering melting points, conversion, factors, and other fundamental knowledge.
Tim McCreight is a designer, teacher, author, and goldsmith. He received a degree in fine arts from The College of Wooster and an MFA in jewelry and silversmithing from Bowling Green State University. He taught fulltime for 25 years, first at the Worcester Center for Crafts and then at Maine College of Art. Along the way he has taught hundreds of workshops throughout the US and in Canada, Japan, Mexico, and the UK.
After writing two books for large commercial publishers, he decided to take on the challenges of illustration and layout, joining a new generation of authors who took control of all aspects of their books. In this way he has overseen all details of many of his books, most notably Complete Metalsmith, which is recognized as a standard text in the field. His books have been translated into Russian, Japanese, and Italian.
McCreight's books are characterized by a practical approach and commonsense descriptions that empower beginning artists while confirming information for advanced readers. His curiosity and the obvious pleasure he takes in sharing information makes his books not just readable but fun. Most of his books deal with metalsmithing but he has extended into design and into the genre of creative nonfiction with his very popular Syntax of Objects, re-released in a new edition in 2010. In his efforts to explore new approaches, he has also created an App for iPhone, iPod, and iPad called "Metalsmith Suite," available through the iTunes store.
