Simple Soldering: A Beginner's Guide to Jewelry Making

I originally bought another book by the same author (Metalsmithing Made Easy) and realized with that one, I was in a bit over my head. (I am pretty new to metal work.) So I am holding off on working through that one, but this one turned up during my browsing on Amazon so I figured I would give it a try first. I'm glad I did. It has made me enthusiastic about continuing on with metal working and has grounded me in some essentials for moving on to more advanced works. Due to the amount of reading I've been doing about soldering and metal work lately, I know there is more out there than this book teaches. But, I don't have a problem with the scope of the book. It is called "SIMPLE Soldering," and by limiting the materials (for example, to silver colored solder on copper metal for the practice pieces), you really get a chance to practice technique. Once you get a feel for the basics, *then* you can move on to other materials. (Plus, limited materials save you a bit of money. Though I will point out, to do the projects in this book or any metal soldering in general, you will need to lay out a couple hundred dollars, minimum, for tools and supplies. This is not a cheap hobby, though if you invest in good tools, those should last you awhile.) With respect to tools, this book does include a chapter about tools and materials, and I think this chapter is more useful than in some other books on similar topics. I feel like a lot of thought was put into it and it wasn't just slapped together for filler. I can't say this about tools sections in every craft book. (Also, love the part that tells you what different gauges of sheet metal are used for. It seems so basic but I really don't think I've seen a chart like that anywhere else, and it is so helpful.) Anyway, the book is printed in full color on high quality, glossy paper (much thicker than the pages of a magazine). The photography is wonderful -- it is done with an artistic eye but still shows you exactly what you need to know. The instructions are clear and easy to follow. I like the approach here. You start by doing a sampler with copper squares. Each square teaches you a new technique. Some are simple, like using jump rings (you do learn a few "cold connections" in this book) or texturizing, but others are more complex, like forming a dome and soldering it to a square, or setting cabochons. They are organized in order of complexity. Then there are some projects that use the techniques you have learned; you can see a few examples of those on the cover. Of course not every project is to my taste (they rarely are in craft books), but I really think there is a huge amount of value in even the sampler section. This does come with a DVD. I haven't spent much time with the DVD because I am just one of those people who prefers to read instructions instead of watch them. But, I do appreciate its inclusion. I know we all learn differently, and working with metal is a bit different from stringing beads (most of my past experience with jewelry making), and I'm sure it will be helpful for a lot of people. Plus, it didn't make the book more expensive. Anyway, as a beginner, I can say that I find this book quite valuable as a resource, and I like the approach to teaching as well. And whether you prefer to learn by reading or watching, there is something for you here.

I took my time before I review this book. And I was not only reading but also following step-by-step in the process. And this book for beginners, beginners.. if you never done anything like this before, it is excellent book to learn from and I can say this 101 beginner’s guide for sure.

I am thoroughly enjoying this book. I am a beginner metalsmith and I purchased several of the high-rated soldering books for beginners on Amazon.com. This one is my favorite so far. Everything is written in an easy to understand conversation-like manner and there are plenty of pictures. This book approaches skill-learning in a unique and interesting way. Instead of jumping head-first into simple jewelry-making, Kate Richbourg has you make "sample tiles" to learn basic soldering techniques. Once you've finished making all the sample tiles you then move on to jewelry making, building on the skills you've learned through your sample making. It reminds me of the crochet books I used to learn how to crochet, first learning how to make a loop, then a chain and so on and so forth. It's a great, common-sense way to approach metalsmithing for beginners. You're not overwhelmed by unfamiliar terminology (you learn it as you go through the book and the exercises) and everything is laid out in a very approachable manner. I definitely prefer this book to Joe Silvera's beginner soldering book (which is also a very good book, don't get me wrong). If you're a true beginner like me, you'll probably want to purchase this book first, then move to Joe's books.

This book gave tons, I mean tons of knowledge. Things I need to learn about soldering and not only that she even teach technique of using dome punch, metal punch, making ear wire...and much much more. If you want to buy a one book that give it all, this is it and it's the best one. I own many jewelry books, as I'm trying to learn new things and technique. I only have a little more technique down for myself which it not worth my money. I took classes and paid lots of money and they only teach 1 and only what that class is for... I often leave feeling like being cheat.. none of them give this much info and details. Oh! and it came with a video that you can watch and see how it's done up close and personal. Her personality is super, she's funny, easy going, calm, words she uses also fun and energetic. She's a total package... love love her. I am now trying to see if she have more books on the market. I can say, I loveeeee her. I can read her books and watch her video over and over again without getting bored. Everyone who's trying to learn Soldering and more other technique should own this book. Worth every single penny, let me tell you.

Book arrived as ordered

Ejercicios con cero gusto

This is the book that I wish I had BEFORE I spend $320 on a 10 workshop course on basic/intermediate jewelry design at a local community college. I had no experience in soldering beforehand (except that one time my grandpa let me make a puddle out of old solder when I was 10) and by the end of 10 workshops each student would be able to create a silver bezel ring from scratch among other things. While the classroom instructor was very knowledgeable and I learned a lot, it wasn't enough. I wanted more one-on-one instruction and a step by step demonstration of each technique. That's what I love about Kate's book and DVD. She breaks down the process and walks you through everything, step by step, both in the book and with video demos on the DVD. I'm a visual learner, so I found it extremely helpful. The best part I found were the practice projects. Those are the tips and techniques I had hope I would learn in a $300+ workshop, but found I got almost as much out of her DVD. If you're just deciding to learn soldering techniques, then I highly recommend this book. It'll save you time and money. Wavy Nettles Studio - Knitted accessories and handcrafted jewelry Kemptville, Ontario, Canada www.wavynettles.com

A fantastic book, I have only one bug bear and that is that the author only uses flux paste; which is very expensive. I had to learn via YouTube and other reading how to solder using more traditional methods. She uses a the odd bit of silver, but you could substitute the silver for more copper or brass. I have enjoyed the projects I've leant so far. The book is easy to read and remember, it just takes a couple of reads to cement in my dull head thanks to her clear, well illustrated instructions. The book talks you 16 tile projects that takes you through many techniques and a few more after that! Great value I believe!

I bought this as a gift for a friend new to silver smithing. It has the foundations I wish I knew when I started. Not for the experience, but having said that it can get rid of some bad habits. A great book for anyone who has an interest in silver smithing.