Complete Metalsmith, Professional Edition (Spiral-bound)

by Tim McCreight (Author)
Key Phrases: bezel pusher, round graver, setting bur, Hot Connections, Applied Surfaces, Shop Tools (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review
I was blown away — this is truly complete. I hope it gets the recognition it deserves… it's a masterpiece. -- Bruce Baker Studio

If you are a super-serious metal worker, you’ll like this version, which is twice as big as the Student Edition. -- Tammy Powley, About.com

… a smart, stylish cover and larger binding rings … expanded many topics … a legacy for future generations. -- Tom & Kay Benham, Lapidary Journal

Product Description
This handsome book is twice as large as the STUDENT EDITION. IT COVERS THE SAME MATERIAL, but goes into greater depth. A rigid fabric cover and elastic band makes this a place to store sketches and notes; more than a book, it's a practical tool.

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Product Details

• Spiral-bound: 312 pages
• Publisher: Brynmorgen Press; Professional edition (February 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1929565054
• ISBN-13: 978-1929565054
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 8.6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (43 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #26,789 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

85 of 85 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Update Your Complete Metalsmith, July 19, 2005

By	Christine Cox (Volcano, CA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I've had and used McCreight's original "Complete Metalsmith" for years and wasn't sure I needed the new version. After owning it for several months now I couldn't be happier. The author assumes that the reader is as interested in WHY things happen as he is. This is not a step-by-step project book, but a bench tool. Do you need to know how to score metal to make a sharp corner? How can you tell when a piece of metal is annealed? Have you been bezel setting stones and are now ready to advance to a prong setting? Ready to make a hinge? Casting? Fusing? Repoussé? Need to know what the Precious Metal Clay craze is about and how to start? It's all in here and the information is presented in a format made for the beginner or the experienced jeweler. He even covers how to photograph your work.

I love that McCreight shows several ways of doing things so that if you don't have the equipment or tools, you can still proceed. In his typical style, the author has thought of everything. He's even made a smaller and less expensive version of the book for the "starving artists" and students among us.

I have the version with the CD and use the software on my Palm regularly in my metalsmithing classes.

This book is a worthy successor to the old version and should become as much a classic.

58 of 61 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Improved Edition of a Jewelery CLASSIC, July 22, 2004

By	Tyler Gingrich (Hilliard, OH USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This new "pro" edition of The Complete Metalsmith is everything you would expect it to be. Detailed, accurate, and filled with many useful diagrams. It is a significant improvement over the regular edition in terms of topic depth and scope.

The hard covers are nice and the elastic tie to keep the book closed (and any loose notes you've accumulated inside) is a really nice addition. I'm not a big fan of spiral binding -- I'm sure it's the only way to make a thick reference that will lay flat on the workbench, but the spiral binding makes the pages difficult to turn.

If you're a jewelry professional, the pro edition is definitely the way to go. If you're a beginner, the regular edition is probably sufficient (and $15 less).

22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Review of Complete Metalsmith Revised...., June 2, 2005

By	Nisa Smiley "Nisamoon" (Down East, Maine USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

It is with the highest recommendation that I encourage any metalsmith, be they beginner or advanced, to have this book on hand. It is chalk full to the brim with resourceful information, much of which can be used on a daily basis. I had the priviledge of learning under Tim McCreight's instruction at MECA for 4 years, and learned so much from him. He is a great teacher, but an even better book designer and author. This revised version of the original Complete Metalsmith has not only refreshed my memory of various techniques and how to do them, but it has also introduced me to many new ones, and best of all, many home-made systems to achieve certain results that normally require specific equiptment. Each time I open this book, I am inspired immediately to go try this or that. There is so much to this book that I couldn't adequately describe it in detail, except to say that if you're looking for a comprehensive and thorough guide to the craft/art of metalsmithing, this is a must-have book! Enjoy