Crafting a Silver Spoon

Prerequisite

These classes are not designed for silversmiths; they are for people who just want to experience and understand the skills of the craftsmen and women who create beautiful silverware. Students will be required to have a basic understanding of annealing and soldering metal, and will need to be comfortable with repetitive hammering for long periods of time.

Course Objectives

This course is an excellent introduction to working with metals. Using traditional tools and methods to transform a piece of silver using hammering and forging – a process known as hand raising – into a simple utensil. Using hammers and stakes, we focus on traditional silversmithing techniques to manipulate silver into 3D form. Learn how we stretch, thin and shape metal to create elegant forms. In the process of making your spoon you will learn how to anneal, forge, form and solder.

These are some of the techniques that you will be guided through: 

• Metallurgy 

• Annealing, Forging, Forming

• Complex solder joins (for both fine jewellery and standard jewellery connections)

• Industry standard finishing/polishing

• New materials knowledge and understanding through application

• Temperature control

• Chemicals and their uses

• Design planning

Course Outcomes

Everyone will complete one silver spoon. You will complete this course having increased your skills set and you will leave with the understanding and confidence to continue making basic utensils. 

What’s Included

Tuition fee includes all materials, tools and enough silver to make one spoon. You will be provided with copper to sample, sterling silver, consumables – saw blades, solder, emery paper, industry standard polishing equipment, notes, trade connections.