Customer Reviews

Metal Style: 20 Jewelry Designs with Cold Join Techniques

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
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1 star:		(0)

 

 

I just picked this new book Metal Style at my local library and had to give a shout out to the author Karen Dougherty for a job well done. Unlike so many books that look like they will offer up a good range of projects and then fall short on the instructions, this book works you through all different styles of cold connections using interesting projects that you will really want to make. There are 20 projects that feature directions from many of the top metal workers around including Richard Salley and Lisa Niven-Kelly on how to make balled headpins, use resin, etching and many more fun techniques. I am a learn by seeing type of person and the step by step photos along with clear directions will guide you along your way to learning how to use wire rivits, tube rivets, miniature bolts and mesh screen. I am going to have to purchase this book or I will surly be paying library fines.

Fabricating jewelry classically involves soldering at high (red-hot) temperatures. Despite its many advantages, that technique doesn't work in all cases. Some of the studio jeweler's materials, such as aluminum, resist ordinary attempts at solder. Others, including stones and many found objects can't take the heat. Soldered joints are inherently rigid, making articulated pieces difficult. Then, the tools and materials of hard soldering just aren't practical for some home studios. For these reasons and more, today's artisans want additional choices in how to construct jewelry from parts. Cold joining techniques provide a wide range of possibilities.

Dougherty and her contributors focus on two kinds of cold joining: rivets and bolts, with a bit of overlap between the two. Finished pieces in this book's gallery aspect motivate the reader. Then, well-written and well-illustrated directions guide the reader through each step of fabrication. Although I initially found riveting a little intimidating, it's become one of my workhorse techniques. The forged heads of the connectors add to the overall design of a piece, but also let me put together sub-assemblies with finishes too delicate for the torch. Machine screws and bolts add their own look, one that works especially well for steam-punk or industrial styling.

The author skips over a few cold joining techniques that I'm familiar with, however. Swaging never gets mentioned, at least not by name. It's a broad family of techniques that can include crimps and bezel mounting, where one part (usually metal) is crushed to fit around another. And, though nut-and-bolt connections appear in a number of the projects here, I never saw taps or dies mentioned - the tools used to cut female or male threads (respectively) into workpieces. I'm sure other techniques fall into the "cold joining" category but don't appear here, either. Those lacks take nothing away from the material presented here, however. The instruction and the masterworks between these covers offer plenty of inspiration and guidance, and have my highest recommendation.

-- wiredweird

I'm giving this book FIVE stars all the way, because I love it!
My favorite type of art and/or craft book is heavy on information and technique, with plenty of step-by-step photos and accompanying text to illustrate various processes that I'm interested in learning. Inspiration is important as well, but it's third on my list of priorities. I really dislike books that are beautiful and filled with inspiring artwork, but offer little in the way of practical instruction. So that's where I come from as an avid consumer of art-technique books (I spend hundreds of dollars on books every year!). Given that perspective, you will understand why I like this book so much and heartily recommend it to anyone who is interested in learning about cold connections and other basic metalsmithing techniques.
Metal Style offers instruction on a variety of topics such as riveting and tabs, using bolts and screws, etc. plus basics like sawing out sheet metal and other materials, using different tools to texture metal, and design considerations. Best of all, it's a compilation of art from some of today's hottest jewelry makers and teachers, so as a reader I get to see their current work and learn directly from them as they offer step-by-step instruction and advice on jewelry design and construction.
I love the variety of projects in this book, from some fairly simple pieces to get you started to some very complex and challenging designs that inspire the beginning metalsmith to think bigger and bolder. If you're really interested in learning how to make creative and artistic jewelry with cold connections, I strongly recommend this book. It's a keeper!
Sharilyn Miller, author of Arty Jewelry & Arty Jewelry II

Metal Style is one of those books that just continues to inspire and delight. Dougherty has selected gifted artists who share their passion with clarity and precision. This is a must-have book! The variety and beauty of all of these designs will give you the full scope of cold connections. These are do-able projects. The don't overwhelm! They are carefully explained so all skill levels can achieve these fabulous results. Bravo to Karen Dougherty for sharing hot techniques with all of us who want to enter the world of metalsmithing. SUPERB!

I am ready to go out an buy more tools so I can make some of these projects. Good instructions and hints as to what you need to get started. I have been making jewelry for many years and appreciated the hints on how to use things I already own.

I was pleasantly suprised with the variety of projects in this book. The directions are clear and they all look as if I could follow the directions and I would end up with a finished piece I would like to wear. I even bought one as a gift.

I have almost all of the newer titles related to salvage art jewelry, cold connections, wire work, and metal working. There's some great titles out there, and this is one of the best!

One reason is that it deals with mostly metal, which sounds obvious, but many metal working books spend tons of space and time on metal clay. To me, that is an entirely different medium (certainly a different set of tools!)...so I hate it when I end up with a clay book instead of metal. This does touch briefly on using metal clay, but for the most part it's focused on true metal jewelry designs.

Sometimes found objects are incorporated, which is very helpful...the cover shot of the owl is actually made of a portion of an old scissors sharpener (the eyes). The tools that are used are found in most metal working/fabricating jeweler's workshops...so you don't have to run out and get something new.

Another big "pro" is that the designs are adaptable to what you have, and you don't have to send off for some unusual item from another manufacturer. Sometimes you can get a great design book only to find that what they use, for the most part, is from a specialized studio. And you can't replicate it unless you stop and place another order. I did purchase a title recently that had lovely designs, but then I realized it was basic stringing techniques with tons of rare, custom, and extremely expensive components. It was more of a catalog than an instruction book! So I emphasize that this explains the designs and alternatives without the cleverness of the design being dependant on an additional product!

Photo illustrations are clear and organized well. I think some might be a bit brief for a novice, but a good fabrication reference book is useful to have on hand as a supplement to any jewelry design book.

Good stuff!

I am new to the hobby of cold metal jewelry making. I found the book quite informative as to basic tools to get started. I am interested in the unusal designs and this contains some great ideas.

I love the designs in this book - very inspiring, including ideas to re-use found objects.

I'm a little disappointed with the directions however. They are a bit confusing, and the photos to directions aren't always clear. I found Kim St. Jean's book "Mixed Metal Mania" to have vastly more useful directions, and equally interesting designs.

Happy metalworking!

Although I'm not a jeweler I read this book with great interest and admiration. It offered explicit instruction with wonderful photograpy to someone who is not knowlegeble about this particular field of creativity. Bravo for a job well done.