In this course, you will learn all about using a hydraulic press for jewelry making.  We'll cover the types of jewelry you can make, different techniques you can use, manual presses vs. electric presses, all the press accessories, safety measures, and much more!  

In this section, you'll learn all about the different parts of a hydraulic press, 20-ton jack, electric pump, and what all the parts do.

In this section, we will go through everything you need to know to set up both a manual and electric hydraulic press.  We'll talk about how our presses ship to you, what you need to know about your bottle jack, as well as how your press should be mounted and other safety measures.  

In this section, we will talk about important safety measures to make sure you are using your hydraulic press safely and effectively in order to avoid injury as well as damage to your tools.  

In this section, we'll give you a general overview of all the different types of dies you can use in your hydraulic press to make jewelry, as well as the types of things each die can do.  Later on in the course, we have a section dedicated to each type of die that goes into a lot more detail on how to use each one.  

In this section, you'll learn all about urethane!  We'll talk about what urethane is, what it is used for, the different sizes and shapes, as well as durometer (hardness).  We'll talk about when you should use each of the different types and durometers to get the best results from your dies. 

In this section, we discuss the best materials for making jewelry with your hydraulic press.

This section is all about pancake dies.  We'll discuss what they are for, how to properly use them, what type of metal is recommended, what gauge metal you should use, how to open and close them, and we will cover lots of FAQs.

In this section we will cover FSS dies, what they are for, when they should be used, how to use them, as well as FAQs. 

For many of our dies, softened metal is required in order to get the best results.  Metal is softened through a process called "annealing".  In this section, we will discuss what annealing is, how to do it, when to do it, and why it is necessary.  

In this section, we will discuss silhouette dies.  We'll talk about what they are, what they are used for, how to properly use them, as well as FAQs.  

This section is all about impression dies!  We'll discuss what they are, how to properly use them, different methods of pressing (and different materials for pressing), when to press sheet vs. solid material, etc.  We'll cover shallow dies, deep dies, and all the FAQs.  Ring dies will be included in the next section of the course. 

In this section, we will cover how to use ring impression dies including t-shanks and bands.  

In this section, you'll learn about using pattern plates.  PotterUSA pattern plates are recommended for use in a rolling mill,but can be used in a hydraulic press.  In this course, we'll only cover using them in the hydraulic press, but to learn how to use them in a rolling mill check out some of the videos listed below. 

Pattern Plates with Kevin: https://youtu.be/VzfQBKUuH0k
Making Day - Using one of our Pattern Plates: https://youtu.be/cV4GuONkbUI
PotterUSA Pattern Plates - Fine Detail and Shallow Depth: https://youtu.be/ISVLdY-Prjs
Fine Detail - Kevin Demos one of Our Most Delicate Pattern Plates: https://youtu.be/uacvDEK7pIw

In this section, we'll cover the bracelet forming dies.  You'll learn about the different types of dies, what they can do, how to properly use them etc.  We'll discuss cuffs and bangles, using pancake dies to cut blanks, determining appropriate bracelet width as well as size and other FAQs. 

In this section, you'll learn a brief history of die striking for jewelry, and how that legacy is being carried on here at PotterUSA.  We'll talk about hubs vs. dies, how things were made in the past, and how those traditions can translate into your contemporary jewelry practice.  

This section includes some additional resources we thought you might find useful, like how to prevent and remove rust from steel tools, how to make the most of your silver, etc.  Enjoy!