Prototype to Production – Extended Version! Oct. 4 – 9, 2026

October 4 – 9
William Holland School of Lapidary
Young Harris, Georgia

SKU: October 4 - 9, 2026 Category:

Description

Register at: William Holland School Of Lapidary

Take your designs from flat to three dimensional with this in-depth workshop from Jayne Redman. Learn the innovative design and assembly concepts that Jayne has developed over 40 plus years of metalsmithing. Jayne will teach you the principles behind centrally radiating forms, properly nested forms, spacing for slotted forms, faux hinge assembly, and tab construction. She will show you how to use your computer as a design tool and how to duplicate the same steps manually. Learn how to make blanking (pancake) dies to quickly cut out the shapes you develop in class and get lost in the process of experimenting with forming and assembly. Speed up your production or incorporate identical shapes in one-of-a-kind pieces.

Techniques taught:

• Developing flat patterns used for three dimensional forms
• Prototyping with heavy aluminum foil
• Using your computer as a design tool or creating the same design manually.
• Layout for a correctly designed blanking die
• How to correctly use a saw frame and choosing saw blades for sawing tool steel
• How to determine rotational angle of your bench pin relative to thickness of tool steel and saw blade
• How to saw a blanking die out of tool steel
• How to use a hydraulic press or bench vise to blank out metal with blanking dies
• Tips and tricks using flex shaft accessories
• How to make your own forming tools

Additional information

Student Tools

Bring your metalsmithing toolbox including the following items:
5–6" deep Jeweler's Saw Frame
Center Punch
Dividers
Bur life
Joyce Chen Shears or similar
Flat or Half-round hand file, #0 or #1 cut
Copper and/or brass to test dies, 24 or 26 gauge
Scissors, ruler, Exacto knife, paper, including tracing paper and white printer/copier paper. Drawing materials including rulers, sharpie markers, pencils and erasers, compasses
Double stick tape
Rubber Cement
Plastic circle and oval templates
Apron
Dust mask
Safety Glasses

OPTIONAL:
Laptop or Tablet with Adobe Photoshop installed
Eye Magnification
Silver or gold sheet: 23 gauge or thinner to use with blanking dies 1/32” thick – 19 gauge or thinner to use with blanking dies 3/64” thick; (sheet stock can be rolled down to appropriate gauge)
Eye magnification
Additional saw blades in 2/0 or 3/0 (you will receive some in your kit, but you may want more)