• $197 or 2 monthly payments of $105

Cut & Paste Challenge

  • Closed

Add depth and detail to your work through the art of layering.  Fundamental sawing and soldering skills are explored and elevated, allowing you to build up multiple layers of embellishment with clean, solid, stunning results every time.

ALL Project-Based Courses Open for Registration Oct. 28th - 30th

No Complicated Tools

You can do complex, intricate, detailed work with simple tools and a few key skills.  You can connect multiple dots with one pass, navigate layer upon layer and explore realms beyond the level, two-dimensional silverscape.  You don't need as much as you may think you need, and you can do more than you might think you can.  Cut and Paste is sawing and soldering... master these and watch what happens.

What's Covered:

Students can expect a comprehensive project that looks at the basics of sawing and filing as well as diving deep into successfully executing layered designs through the use of sweat soldering multiple levels and elements at once.  Setting stones in tight areas and ring band fabrication are also covered.

What's Included:

All the usual perks...

  • lifetime access to all course contents (for as long as I'm offering online courses)
  • ample high quality video demos, all prerecorded so  you can go at your own pace
  • detailed PDF handouts for benchside reference
  • templates for project use as well as practical tips to help you create your own designs
  • community support via a private FB group
  • all shopping links for tools and raw materials
  • exclusive discounts and offers for students only
Have a question?

Requirements & Specs:

Level:
Intermediate

Prerequisites: Some experience with sawing and soldering

Student Supply Lists:
Raw Material Requirements
Tool Requirements

A Word on Torches:
Detachable torch heads with disposable butane canisters will be sufficient for this course.   These should be camping style (or comparable) heads paired with collared butane canisters that are NOT refillable.  Please note that small culinary torches like Blazers will not be efficient for the full scope of this project.  Dual fuel rigs and larger torches such as the Smith Silver Smith and Little Torch, and comparable systems, will work as well.  For more information on my favorite soldering tools, including many used in this course, visit this blog post.

Have a question?

FAQs

Can I use a butane torch for this class?

Absolutely.  However, I recommend using the Sterno brand torch head and disposable canister, as opposed to a small creme brulee torch.  This provides ample heat, an adjustable flame, and the fuel lasts much longer than the aforementioned alternative.  Additionally, a Smith Silver Smith torch or similar rig works beautifully.

Do I have to watch or complete this course within a certain timeframe?

Not at all.  Once you've purchased the class, you'll have access to the course contents indefinitely.

I've never soldered before, or I have limited experience. Is this course still for me?

If you're totally new to soldering, I recommend starting off with the Down & Dirty: Essential Soldering Techniques course.  This will provide you with a foundational understanding of soldering tools and techniques as well as help reduce the element of overwhelm.  

Will you be there to help me along the way?

Yes.  I'll be available by email and also active in the online course community.  Ask questions, share your thoughts, and leave feedback.  I'm only successful if you're successful, and I'll be there to help you however I can, as promptly as possible. 

Do you provide templates for this course?

I couldn't draw you a pretty picture if my life depended on it, so no, I do not provide templates for this particular course.  However, I do provide recommendations and resources for purchasing your own templates from other gifted artists out there selling exactly what you may be looking for.  Alternatively, this project can be done using your own drawings or simply by freehanding with the saw- hey, no lines to follow!  

What kind of support is offered?

Students in this course will be invited to join a private group for this course, located on Facebook.  Within this group, they will be able to ask questions, share struggles and successes, get additional supplemental materials or videos, and interact both with the instructor and other students.  

What if I forget my login information?

No problem.  Just shoot me a note and I can reset your password from my end, which you can then change at any time.

Contents

Hi + Welcome!

WELCOME!
Helpful Tips & Quick Links:
Notes on Safety

Course Resources + Links

Join the Facebook Group
CP RAW MATERIALS LIST.pdf
Preview
CP TOOL LIST.pdf
Preview
DISCOUNT CODES:
BENCHSIDE REFERENCE Cover Page
Raw Materials Overview
OPTIONAL: Essential Soldering Techniques
A Word on Templates:
Template Resources

Part One: Building the Bezel

Measuring & Forming
Soldering it Closed
Checking Fit & Refining Shape
Building the Bezel (Benchside Reference)

Part Two: Tinning the Silver

Part 1: Clean, Prep & Cut Solder
Part 2: Heat, Flux & Place Chips
Part 3: A State of Flow
Tinning the Silver (Benchside Reference)

Part Three: Pierced Motifs

Applying the Template
Center Punching & Drilling
Piercing & Sawing
Refining
Sweating Soldering Sheet to Sheet
Piercing & Filing Revisited
Pierced Motifs (Benchside Reference)

Part Four: Dapping & Designing

Why We Dap
Dapping the Pierced Motifs
Designing Your Layout
Sanding the Edges
Test Fitting Your Dapped Design
Dapping & Designing (Benchside Reference)

Part Five: Soldering It All Together

Soldering it all Together
Soldering it all Together (Benchside Reference)

Part Six: Balls & Bits

Melting Scrap to Make Balls
Sanding and Hammering
Soldering the Embellishments
Tracing Piercing setting.mov
Balls & Bits (Benchside Reference)

Part 7: The Ring Band

Ring Size Chart
Sizing & Measuring
Forming & Filing
Testing the Fit
Soldering the Band in Place
The Ring Band (Benchside Reference)

Part 8: Tumbling // Finishing

Tumbling // Finishing
Instructions for Use: HONE & HIGHLIGHT

Part Nine: Setting the Stone

Setting the Stone
Setting the Stone (Benchside Reference)

Credits/Extras

Video Production Credits & Info:
Preview
Bloopers!.mov
Preview

Silversmith || Storyteller || Creative Performance Coach

If it matters, I hold a Bachelor of Art & Design from NCSU's College of Design, am a trained Creative Performance Coach through an ICF-accredited program, have taught thousands of students over the span of thirteen years, and have been a full-time, self-employed metalsmith since 2007.

More importantly, I don't subscribe to the idea of the starving artist. I believe we design our lives and ourselves as much as we do our work. In addition to project-based technique courses, I create immersive coaching programs and provide 1:1 containers for highly motivated, action-oriented creatives who want nothing less than intentional design, authentic expression, smart structures and studio systems, and full alignment between who they are and what they do. You build durable, valuable, expressive art. You ARE durable, valuable, expressive art. To speak with me about coaching and learn more about how I can support you, schedule free a Connection Call below.

Policies:

  1. Due to the immediate access to written instructions, video demos, templates and other resources, I do not provide refunds for online courses under any circumstances.  Please make your course selections carefully.

  2. Online courses are a privilege to teach and take.  Ethical behavior is non-negotiable.  Sharing passwords, downloads and other materials with anyone who has not paid for this course will result in your immediate removal from the course, nor will you be permitted to register for a future course of mine.  Please note that this website tracks login geography- if you log in to your account from North Carolina in the morning and log in from California an hour later, the system will notify me of potential user abuse.

  3. I reserve the right to dismiss any student at any time from this course if the above ethical guidelines are in question or not met.  Other reasons for dismissal from this course and/or future courses include rudeness/disrespect to fellow students, to me, and teaching this course as your own.