BellaOnline Forums Hobbies and Crafts Jewelry Making recommended tools

Can someone recommend some of the tools needed to start work with jewlery, other than the standard few that you need for start up. I intend to get into beading, wire jewlery, and possibly the fine jewlery pieces but I am not sure of what I would all need. Also do you have any recommendations for references, magazines.. and etc. <img src="/images/graemlins/music.gif" alt="" /> [color:"blue"] [/color]

I've read ORNAMENT magazine for years. It's not specific to beading and jewelry, but the stuff it does have is amazing.

You say you want people to suggest tools for starting work on jewelry, but not the standard few you need for start up. You're either going to have to say what you have, or be more specific as to what you actually intend to make for me to answer that one, as it's too confusing as the original question stands.

I think the bare bones basics are needle nosed pliers, round nosed pliers, and wire cutters. Other pliers including crimping pliers are also great tools to work with but you don't need to invest right away.

I don't use a bead board anymore, but I have found a seamstress's measuring tape invaluable...I usually have one around my neck when I am beading.

For wirework I keep a small jig and a mandrel, but the pliers and wire cutters are used for wire too. Other options could be a rubber covered hammer for hammering wire, a wire writer, a spool knitter, and any other variety of tools based on the work you want to do.

I have alot of tools for polymer clay, I use alot of cloth, glass, game pieces, collage and ephemera as well. I recently got a kiln so I could work with metal clay and hope to invest in a torch to do lampwork soon as well!

I know that when I started out, I was extremely overwhelmed with the breadth of tools available for jewelry-makers, beading artists, etc. Over the years, I found that it often worked best for me to have a use for a tool before I actually bought the tool. In other words, trying to anticipate my tool needs for the future, I often bought items that I have never/very rarely used.

Having said that, I started out with a basic tool "kit". Many of those tools, I still use today. Some have been replaced by higher quality versions, but only after I realized what my true needs were through experience, not anticipation.

I only do beaded jewelry, but my essentials are good wire cutters, round nose, chain nose & bent nose pliers.
I tape a dressmaker's measuring tape to my work surface. I sometimes use a bead board, but it can be hard to get all of your beads out when it's clean up time. I like to use a piece of beige fabric - beads won't roll around & they are easy to pick up. You can roll up your project when you want to clean up.

yes, I agree. Those are the basics. I'm a beader, too, and would add twisted wire large-eye needles for stringing beads and beading needles. I use size 12 long ones but short ones come in handy, too. And I use a mat with a long-napped felt-like surface with different colors on each side, so that different colors of beads show up. Beads falling on this mat stay put, and the whole project can be folded up inside it.

Welcome pizzamaker40!

I am working on a series of articles that talk about getting started with the most popular types of jewelry making.

You can see what's available so far by browsing these two categories:

http://www.bellaonline.com/subjects/9590.asp

and

http://www.bellaonline.com/subjects/5779.asp

There is a huge variety of tools and supplies available. The best way to decide what you need is to do a lot of reading (online, magazines, and books) and work through projects that other people have written out. I'll continue posting projects regularly on the Jewelry Making site, and there are lots of jewelry and beading project books available. You�ll also find that magazines like Bead & Button, Beadwork, and Art Jewelry Magazine are packed with them.

As you think of questions about specific supplies or techniques, feel free to post them here in the forum anytime.

Best of luck,

Chris