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The E-Mail Newsletter for Bench Jewelers
May 2002
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<> <> <> <> <> TABLE OF CONTENTS <> <> <> <> <> REVERE FINDING TIPS Useful tips to help you find things in the studio from Revere Academy of Jewelry Arts
FEATURE ARTICLE Learn how to make your shop more profitable, a new technique, or brush up on basic skills. STEWART'S BENCH TIPS Bench Tips from Stewart’s International School for Jewelers
AT THE PLATINUM BENCH Tips for working on Platinum from Platinum Guild International
FAVORITE TIPS Tips and Tricks to make your work on the bench a little easier
GERRY’S GEMZ Stone setting tips from Gemz Diamond Setting
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Here are some useful tips to help you find things in the studio
FINDING YOUR CHUCK KEY By Alan Revere
mounting one of those retractable spring gadgets that hold a ring of keys on your belt (sometimes known as a Keyback or key caddy), under your bench top. Instead of keys, attach your chuck key. Now it is always exactly where you left it.
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If you want to move your greatest obstacle, realize that the obstacle is yourself – and that the time to act is now! Nido Qubein
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<> <> <> <> <> FEATURE ARTICLE <> <> <> <> <> Bead It! By Bradney W. Simon CMBJ
Bench Jewelers often use different methods to accomplish the same work. I believe the end results are what is important, not the method used to get there. In jewelry work the ends often justifies the means.
This is not more evident than in bead setting. I know jewelers who cut the seat with round, bud, cone, setting, heart, or bearing burs. Then they cut the excess metal away with flat, knife, or onglette gravers, or they use heart, wheel, round, or knife edge burs. Some even use needle files or saw blades.
Over the years, I have taken a number of different ideas from a variety of jewelers and developed a method that works well for me. That is what I believe is important. Jewelers need to develop a method that works well for them.
Sometimes the jewelry and stones being set dictate different techniques to use. However, the following is the method I use most often.
Layout To lay out the diamonds, place a thin coat of wax over the metal. Then place the stones table down on the metal. The wax will keep them from falling off. You can try several arrangements of the stones to find a pattern that works best. On a curved surface, space the stones further apart. When setting down in the metal, they will come closer together.
Next, take a small tray or tin and fill the bottom with wax. With the point of a tweezers, draw the shape of the metal plate. The stones can then be placed in this tray in the same position as on the jewelry. Then, when setting them, they will fit the same way you laid them out.
Carefully lift the stones from the jewelry and place them in their position in the tray. After you remove each stone, mark the metal where the center of that stone is to be. A #50 round bottom graver work well for this. Later, when all the stones are removed, you can go back over these marks and make them deeper to center your drill bit.
Drilling the Holes Using a small drill bit (less than 1/2 the diameter of the stone) drill a hole through the metal on each of your center marks. The more accurately you drill, the less work you will have to do later. Inspect your work to make certain the holes are all precisely where the center of each stone is to be.
If any holes are off center, you will need to enlarge the hole to center it. Take a krause bur and place in the hole. Then cut the side of the hole towards the center of the stone. Once all the holes are centered, re-drill the holes with a larger drill bit. Use a drill bit 2/3 the diameter of the stone, and drill through the metal exactly where the center of the stone is to be.
Cutting the Seat Begin cutting the seat by using a setting bur. Select a bur that is one size SMALLER than the stone. For example, for 2.5 mm stones use a 2.3 mm bur. Cut the seat sufficiently deep enough, to have plenty of metal to form the beads. A mistake many beginning jewelers make is to cut the seat too shallow, not allowing them to form adequate beads to hold the stones. However, be careful when cutting that you do not cut all the way through the metal. As a rule, cut the seat deep enough that the table of the stone will set just below the plate surface.
If the metal is particularly thin, the following tip may help. When cutting the preliminary seat, use a setting bur that is slightly dull. Then, rather than cutting the metal away cleanly, it will push some of the metal down. This metal will bulge down below the plate supporting the stone.
Cutting Azures Next, turn the jewelry over and clean up the back of the plate. If the plate is thin, all you can do is scrape away any burs and polish with a bristle brush. If the plate is thick enough, you need to cut away some of the metal surrounding the holes. These cuts are called azures. The easiest method is to cut a tapered hole using a bud bur.
On finer jewelry you will want to cut a square or triangle shaped tapered hole. The results look like bright cutting on the backside of the jewelry. To begin, cut a tapered hole with a bud bur. Then, using a hart bur held sideways cut your corners in each hole. Next, use a small wheel bur to clean away the metal between the corners. Then use a polished flat graver to clean up and polish your cuts.
With a little practice, you can easily cut professional looking azures in just a few minutes.
Removing Excess Metal The next step is to remove excess metal from around the stones and to rough out the bright cut. First, mark where the beads are to be using a scribe or the point of a tweezers. Then using a small (2 - 3 mm) hart bur held perpendicular to the metal begin cutting the excess metal. Use the seat cut by the setting bur as a depth gauge. Do not cut below this line. First, cut the metal from between the stones. Then, cut around the outside forming a 45° angle for the bright cut. Be very careful to not cut any of the metal marked for the beads. If necessary, trim the metal left for beads and clean up the cutting with a graver.
Finish Cutting the Seats Select a hart bur the same size or slightly smaller than the stone. Then, cut the seat for each stone by slightly undercutting the metal left for beads. By cutting the seat in this manner, the bead is already partially over the stone.
Setting the Stones Remove the stones one at a time from the tray and lay it over its corresponding seat. Inspect it to make certain it will fit and make any necessary adjustments. Then, place one side of the stone in its seat and push it in place using a brass pusher. Repeat the process for each stone.
Forming the Beads Next, push the beads down tight on the stones using a graver. For most beads, place a round bottom graver at the base of the bead and push it over the stone. Where a bar of metal is left between two stones to form two beads, use a flat graver and cut straight down. Wiggle the graver back and forth forming a bead onto each stone. Where a triangle of metal is left between three stones, use a round bottom graver. Push sideways on each tip of the triangle pushing it over a stone (one tip over each stone). Then use a beading tool to form the bead down tight on the stones.
When all the stones are tight, clean up the beads with a graver. Then shape them using a beading tool.
Bright Cut Finally, go over all the remaining metal using a highly polished flat bottom graver. Smooth out any rough places, using long even cutting strokes. This will leave the metal polished. If necessary polish with rouge only using a small bristle brush, and finish the edge with a millgrain wheel.
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A cheerful heart is good medicine Proverbs 17:22
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<> <> <> <> <> STEWART'S BENCH TIPS <> <> <> <> <>
Bench Tips from Stewart’s International School for Jewelers http://www.stewartsintlschool.com/
KEEPING TOOLS FROM RUSTING By Jim Stewart
Spray your steel tools regularly with CRC formula 6-56 multi- purpose lubricant then wipe with a clean cloth. It removes rust and protects against corrosion. You can buy it at marine or electrical supply stores. Don't use WD-40, because the rust will come back.
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Nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal; nothing on earth can help the man with the wrong mental attitude. Thomas Jefferson
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<> <> <> <> AT THE PLATINUM BENCH <> <> <> <>
Tips for working on Platinum from Jurgen J. Maerz CMBJ, director of technical education for Platinum Guild International http://www.pgi-platinum-tech.com/
SOLDERING VS WELDING PLATINUM
Soldering is usually required when you are working on a multi- metal piece, such as an 18K and Platinum combination. The metal with the lowest melting point dictates the method used. When installing minor components to Platinum, such as findings, soldering is preferred. Whenever you are sizing a ring and need to use solder, use a 1700 seamless solder to do the task. Lower temperature solders tend to show a seam.
Sizing a Platinum ring is normally done with the welding method, as long as there are no stones nearby and the ring is made of Platinum.
The exception here is Pt/Co, as cobalt oxidizes. To size a Pt/Co ring, the 1700 seamless solder is recommended.
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SIMON SEZ SEMINARS Bradney W. Simon is an accomplished platform speaker, providing Keynote Speeches, and Educational Seminars. Topics include:
For information on having him speak for your organization log onto; http://www.BWSimon.com/SimonSez Seminars
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<> <> <> <> <> <> FAVORITE TIPS <> <> <> <> <> <>
I use a plain old-fashioned wooden clothespin (with wire coil) to clamp & hold pearls after gluing, as well as to clamp on the bottom of rings to hold them upright to dry in a remote place on my bench after applying ceramit or antiquing a ring.
I also want to add my thanks for your time & effort in making this, the most valuable tool of all, available to all free of charge.
Steve Klepinger
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When bright cutting stones in a ring mounting that is going to take more than the usual amount of pressure, take a small piece of emery paper (maybe 11/2" or so) fold it in half and put it around your ring shank before you put in your ring clamp. This will help prevent it from slipping while you're doing your work, especially if you have an older ring clamp.
Stephen Cowan
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Use a water pick (the kind used to clean your teeth) to clean jewelry with colored stones that cannot be steam cleaned.
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Use coffee filters to filter out dirt from plating solutions.
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To make certain prongs are down tight on the crown of the stone, hold the mounting at eye level and turn so that you are looking at the prong from the side view. Then, hold your index finger about 1” above the stone. This will shield direct light from the stone, causing a silhouette of the stone and prong. Then, you can easily see light coming through any gaps between the stone and prong. If you cannot see any light between the crown of the stone and the prong, your prongs are down tight and no further tightening is necessary. Taping a 3 X 5 white index card on the wall in front of your bench helps as it provides a light background to hold the stone in front of.
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Use bent chain nose pliers to set stones with, instead of regular chain nose pliers. Then, your hand and the body of the pliers will be out of your line of sight, allowing you a better view of the work you are doing.
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To keep a coin from turning in a coin frame with tabs, take a piece of wire and roll it through a rolling mill. Then cut pieces to wedge between the coin and frame under each tab. The length and thickness of the piece depends on how loose the coin is, but cut it at least three times the width of the tab. Then push the tab over with a prong pusher. A brass pusher works well, but if you’re concerned with slipping off and marring the coin a wooden dowel rod in a graver handle would work or make a pusher from a plastic handle from a tooth brush.
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Gravers make excellent burnishers. A flat graver works wonders on burnishing the edges of bezels and channels. Place the graver in the same manner you would trim the edge of the bezel or channel. Then pull backwards on the graver to burnish rather than pushing forward to cut. In addition, tips of polished gravers of various shapes can be inserted into slits, cut outs, crevices, or any other tight spots and rubbed back and forth to burnish the metal.
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Schedule more difficult work requiring concentration during times when the store is quiet. The chance for interruptions is diminished during these times. Plan to work on simpler jobs during times when the store is busier. Then interruptions will have less effect on your productivity.
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If you have a tip you would like to share with our readers send it in an e-mail to mailto:Brad@BWSimon.com < < < < < <> > > > > > If you like Favorite Tips then you’ll love Favorite Tip of the Day a bench tip provided daily Monday through Friday on various Internet web sites including: http://www.jewelrydealersnetwork.com http://www.ganoksin.com/orchid/orchid.htm
If you know of a jewelers’ bulletin board or discussion channel that you would like to see Favorite Tip of the Day posted on, have the administrator contact me at Brad@BWSimon.com
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If you want to conquer fear, don’t sit home and think about it. Go out and get busy. Dale Carnegie
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<> <> <> <> <> GERRY’S GEMZ <> <> <> <> <>
Stone setting tips from Gemz Diamond Setting http://www.gemzdiamondsetting.com/index.html
By Gerald N. Lewy
Before placing a ring on a ring mandrel, take a few extra moments and check with a loupe for the culet of any stones. If any culet protrudes into the finger hole, slide the ring onto a grooved mandrel.
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Copyrighted, 2002, B W Simon. All rights reserved.
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