Makerspaces are popping up all over (see partial list of Michigan makerspaces below), and offer members access to tools, space, instruction, and a community of fellow members with amazing skills and creativity. Even if your local makerspace does not have a jewelry studio, drop by and check it out. You may find resources there to take your jewelry to new places. Most makerspaces will offer basic safety and operation classes for all their tools. Here are a few ideas for how you can use your local makerspace in support of your jewelry:

Laser cutter. Almost every makerspace has a laser cutter/engraver. Most are in the range of 20-100 watts (ours is 50W), and are great for cutting and engraving organic material like plastics, wood, paper, and fabric. They are usually far too weak to cut or even mark metal, but there are coatings that you can apply to metal and then the laser will mark. Anodized aluminum will turn white and produces very high resolution and high contrast images. Engrave card stock or acrylic (both one-time use) to produce patterns for the rolling mill. Create models in acrylic for sandcasting. Remove resist from metal for etching. Create jigs from wood or plastic.

3D printer: Even the smallest of makerspaces will often have at least one 3D printer. (Your local library may have a makerspace with a 3D printer.) There are several types of 3D printers—we often say a “fused filament” printer is a computerized hot-glue gun for plastic, while “SLA” printers use a light-senstive “goo” that a laser selectively hardens. I’ve had nice success using both fused filament (with “PLA” plastic) and SLA (using a “castable” resin) to create models that burn away for lost-wax investment casting. SLA can give outstanding results without a lot of fuss, while fused filament may require more work to get nice smooth surfaces. You can also 3D print models to use for creating silicone molds for wax-injecting or, with high temperature silicone, molds for directly casting pewter.

Pewter investment casting of 3D printed object

CNC milling machine: These can range in size from desktop to the size of an SUV, and are computer-driven tools that can machine away materials ranging from styrofoam to hard steel. “Machinable wax” is a great material to use for jewelry models, but you can directly machine many types of metal easily, and on a small scale. Most CNC milling machines can easily handle tiny cutters well under 1.5mm (1/16”), and v-shaped cutters can add nice detailing. The downside to these computer-driven machines is that they do require learning software to create the model (though you can use 3D scanners to scan a real object, as long as it is big enough). “V-carving” on a CNC milling machine can create engraving with more flexibility than traditional pantograph engraving machines.

Wax model machined on a CNC mill, sitting on the anvil it is a copy of.

Media blaster: Often using a hard abrasive, media blasting can use anything from baking soda (about finger-nail hardness) to silicon carbide (one step below diamond). Depending on the media used, you can strip off coatings, produce bead blasted or matte finishes, and, with the use of stencils or masking, etch patterns.

Powder coating: A plastic-like powder is electrostatically deposited on a metal object, then baked for 10-20 minutes at 400 degrees or so, producing a robust coating. The range of colors, textures, and effects available is impressive. Combine with the laser engraver for different effects—engrave after powder coating to reveal the metal underneath, or use the laser to selectively bond the powder, then blow off the rest before baking for selective coating.

Metal shop tools: The typical makerspace metal shop has tools for welding, grinding, sanding, sawing, shearing, bending, drilling, and so on. In some cases the scale will be off for jewelry, but in other cases the tools will have a precision that applies nicely. For example, a corner notcher for sheet metal will, if in good shape, make precision 90-degree cuts in any sheet metal, including thin jewelry metals. A finger brake can produce repeatable, accurate bends. A vertical bandsaw can be handy for cutting thick sprues that would take a long time using a fine-toothed jeweler’s saw. Some makerspaces may have a water jet, capable of cutting extremely hard materials often with great precision.

Hydraulic press: Aside from cost, the hydraulic press in the jewelry studio used for different types of forming is identical in function to the press in the metal shop. A fast way of creating hydraulic die forms is to laser cut them from acrylic. There’s a machine shop with welding and fabricating tools to make rings and other accessories as you need them.

And don’t overlook the woodshop and other areas at a makerspace. You can make your own display racks, signs, and work benches, for example. Keep your eyes open for the wood scraps—some exotic wood is extraordinarily beautiful even at a jewelry scale. The electronics area will often have stereo microscopes, precision soldering irons, and precision engravers for creating circuit boards—but that can be used for engraving sheet metal. One of the most useful aspects of a makerspace is the cross-fertilization that happens between the different areas.

Each makerspace will have its own feel, set of tools, policies, and community. Most will operate on a membership basis, which means your access to tools is independent of being in a class. Many spaces offer extended hours (even 24-hour access). Pick a makerspace that makes you happy, that you look forward to going to. Most are very happy to give you a tour and explain how they operate.

Some stand-alone Michigan makerspaces:
Ann Arbor: AHA/All Hands Active, Maker Works
Canton/Westland: The Work Shop (The Tool Shop)
Detroit: OmniCorp Detroit
Ferndale: i3 Detroit
Flint: Factory Two
Grand Haven: Studio JSD (jewelry focus)
Grand Rapids: Treetops Collective
Jackson: Jackson Makerspace
Kalamazoo: KZoo Makers
Lansing: Lansing Makers Network

Check with your college, university, or local library—they may have a makerspace or are planning one.

Jewelry Resources at Your Local Makerspace

The future is yours to make!