Fusing Gold & Other Metals to Steel with Bette Barnett: November 9-11

Fusing gold and other non-ferrous metals to steel results in jewelry that appears modern and edgy but also feels ancient and rich. The combination of noble and base metals creates a contrast of precious and non-precious metal that is somewhat incongruous yet alluring. Gold has a particular affinity for steel and combining the two in mixed metal jewelry produces striking results. In this three-day workshop, we will examine various ways to combine gold and other non-ferrous metals with steel. We’ll begin by alloying gold to the desired karat and color to achieve the intended creative effect when fused to steel. In this workshop, you will learn: Basics of steel. Understand the characteristics of steel, how to buy steel, different forms of steel (sheet, wire and perforated sheet) and basics of working with steel (cleaning, cutting, sawing, filing, soldering, texturing, and forming). Alloying non-ferrous metals. Prepare a charcoal block for alloying, calculate the weight of different alloy