Shaping metal sheet with a silhouette die and a hydraulic press
Make beautiful hollow forms and more
About the Tutorial
Hydraulic presses are becoming more affordable and also more easily available, both through general shopping websites (you know the ones!) and specialist jewellery suppliers. They are available in different strengths (tonnages) ranging from 3 tonnes to 20 tonnes, and even the 3 tonne presses can apply enough pressure to produce some lovely work.
This video class will teach you how to use a hydraulic press to shape metal sheet with a silhouette die - a thick piece of steel or acrylic with a shaped hole in the middle. In a nutshell, as force is applied, metal is forced into the hole. The full technique, and important safety are covered in the class.
I am using a 20 tonne press in the tutorial, but discuss using a lower tonne press as well. The silhouette dies in the class are available from The Jeweller's Bench Shop on Etsy. Also included as a download is the instruction sheet sent out with silhouette die orders.
This is just one in a growing collection of free tutorials. You can enrol on each one individually or enrol on the whole bundle so that you don't miss out on new classes!
The Shaping metal sheet with a silhouette die and a hydraulic press tutorial is also part of The Jeweller's Bench membership. This is the best way of enjoying and learning from all the classes on The Jeweller's Bench,with more classes added each month. Find out more here.
Other Hollow Form Classes
Once you've watched this hydraulic press video, learn how to make hollow forms into beautiful jewellery. Some of the Hollow Form projects on The Jeweller's Bench include:
Dotty Box Earrings - find it here
Hollow Lentil Beads - find it here
Flowered Hollow Form Pendant - find it here
Bird on a Branch Hollow Form Necklace - coming soon
All of these classes, and many more, part of The Jeweller's Bench membership. This is the best way of enjoying and learning from all the classes on The Jeweller's Bench,with more classes added each month.
Course Curriculum
Joanne Tinley
Tutor and Founder of The Jeweller's Bench
The Jeweller's Bench is run by Joanne Tinley. She has been making her own jewellery for as long as she can remember and left her first career as a school teacher to set up business as a jewellery designer and tutor nearly 20 years ago. She is self-taught and like many people started with wire and beads. Learning how to solder, however, opened up a whole new world of jewellery making, one that she is keen to share!
