HOW DO YOU CREATE "BEADS"?..... REPEAT lesson =>19 photos!

   I was taught the principle of 'Raising Beads on BRASS alloy'. This alloy was hard, but my training was slowly taking place. What tools do we need in creating a BEAD?

1) I never create a bead in using any 'power tools'. The 'tools' that we use are our hands, fingers and an oil-stone.

2) My best tool is an Onglette graver #2, with a rounded underneath front-end of the blade. (The collection of photos will show what the gravers will look like).

3) These photos might be repeated, but they are exactly what I aimed to show you with my camera.

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 A) The inside of these new beads seem to be curved, that is so very true! Look at this bead and see the 'curved' hole.

 GET THAT NEW BEAD MOVED OVER THE EDGE OF THE STONE.

 B) The curved bottom (as shown) was shaped at the front end of the Onglette graver #2.

C) In the rear of each new bead, is a semi-sculptured round area. This is where the 'front end of the graver' that moves metal over the Girdle of each stone.

 C) This is another view of the bottom the 'correctly-shaped and contoured' new bead creating tool.

D) This photo shows the exact proportions needed to 'move' (not push) metal over each stone. As you can see there is a gentle 'uplifting' of the front of this new tool. THIS AREA IS SO IMPORTANT IN IT'S DESIGN.

 

E) I don't need to discuss further on how the shaping is needed.

 

F) Here are the exquisite results of 'Bead-Forming'.

G) After metal-cutting and insertion of the gemstones, the new 'bead-creating' action will now commence.

H) This one photo shows how the Onglette graver looks before the Emery Wheel is being shaped. The blade on the bottom is an Onglette #2, while the top blade is a #1. 

I) Bead setting can be a difficult task for the beginner who has to bead-set Genuine Emeralds.

J) On the lower front of the graver is where 'rounding' will start. This Emery paper will give the steel graver a smooth buffeting & rounded appearance.

K) Hold the graver at 30 degree angle, as this will give a nice 'uplifting apperance' to the bottom of the blade.

All about your oil-stone!

1) This is what your oil-stone looks like just after you buy it.

2) I'm holding the graver at a 45degree angle. (Ready for action!)

3) Always 'run your graver' in the oil. Never use it without any contact with any "lubricating" oil.

4) In this photo, the oil seems to be draining away from the immediate work area! Be careful that this doesn't happen.

5) Never let your graver just 'glide on the surface'. Put some applied weight of your fingers unto the blade while you're using it.

6) With each 'runing of the graver' there will be hundreds of little grains of steel remaining on the oil-stone.

 What is now happening is these little grains of steel are getting embedded into the pores of the stone. GET RID OF THEM NOW!

7) Don't wash the stone, never sink the stone into any ultra-sonic cleaner. The BEST way to clean your stone is to use a strong magnet. Your oil won't get discarded, furthermore, you can easily see the shards of metal actually being 'lifted' off of the oil-stone.

  I sincerely hope that some of my tutorial-lessons will make your gem-setting activities 'less of a burdon'.

Pliers for JEWELLERS & DIAMOND SETTERS => 11 photos

 This is essay is for eveyone in our profession. I've modified each of these pliers for the sole purpose of increasing their ability to hold jewellery with extra care.

 This modification technique was not taught to me, but it was out of my need to 'grip or secure claws, without slipping'.

  These are the basic pliers which I used on a daily basis.

  

  

  "It's not the size of the pliers, but how they are used"

      The seperating disks literally cut 'grooves' into the jaws.

 These are the 'newly cut' grooves in the plier jaws. I even thin out the tips to make these jaws 'ultra-thin'. PLEASE KEEP THE PLIER JAWS 100% CLEAN.

  I use various Emery wheels to keep the plier-jaws ABSOLUTELY CLEAN.

 This is another cleaning method. You should use a "Snap-On-Emery-Wheel". These wheels are of a "MEDIUM" grit.

 

 "LINDSTROM" pliers are great for setters & jewellers to use in any situation.

          These other pliers were found on the internet.

 These pliers can be modified with any "Separating Disk". For my bench of new tools, I'd reshape the tips of the jaws to make them slightly rounded for your own use, as well.

 I would (very carefully) cut additional grooves into these jaws, extending from the tip down to middle of each jaw. This will make this instrument a wonderful tool to work with. WOW!

 These pair of jaws are very interesting, but one thing that I noticed was that when you are holding a ring with them there is one problem. The groove for the ring is not sufficiently polished.

 I SUGGEST IN USING A SERIES OF PUMICE WHEELS. The grit should be #180 and #1,000 to overcome this problem before you start grasping the ring shanks. NOW!

 If you want to use your cloth wheels on your polishing wheels BE VERY CAREFUL as the cloth wheels might get caught and I don't want to know of any problems.

What are "Pin-Shaped BEADS"? => 10 photos

 This essay will explore in the greatest detail WHY these little beads were originally created.

These three little beads were placed in a position for just one reason. They were situated not in any random order, but having the beginning of a serious pattern further on.

 These 'three corner' beads are now the beginning stage for the setter to plan out how the pattern will evolve.

  

 Always scribe with an "felt-ink" pen, to assist you in marking where the new beads will be located.

  I WILL DEAL WITH "BEAD RAISING" IN LATER ESSAYS.

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 What I always do is to plan & select the diamonds in order of size. As in this case, I will be needing numerous sizes in close proximatary to each other.

 Not always will you receive your diamonds selected by size. I will sift them into groups, just to be safe!

              => FROM THIS MASS OF DIAMONDS =>

      

    =>TO THIS GREAT SELECTION OF STONES.

  

 Once that the stone arranging has been completed, the next careful step is to set the small stones.

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 I want to save these beads at all costs. The only safe method is to use the "156C" bur and create little 'steps' into the metal. (As shown below).

 Upon close inspection, I'll use my 'beading tool' and VERY GENTLY 'move' the claw-tips over each stone.

 

 BTW, the 'corner diamonds' should be saved for the largest gems, as this is where the two sides will converge. 

  You can see up close where those delicate pin-beads are. There will be only two mini-claws PER STONE.

  It is customary to start setting the 'border stones' as seen here.

 The very last stone will be the center larger stone. I feel that it is best to put the ring into your "ultra-sonic, vibrator-tank" to check for stability in setting of the small stones.

THE RATE OF DIFFICULTY IS ABOUT 7, on the "10 Scale".

HammerIng & Setting an Oval stone #2, (complete lesson) => 27 photos

    OVAL STONE SETTING JUST FOR YOUR BENCH!

 This is the exact hammer hitting sequence to avoid crooked oval stones.

 (self explanatory)

 Wrong hammer to use on these delicate rings.

  Be careful as the size of the hammer head covers the viewing while hitting.

 Keep the delicate Culet on the mandrel curve.

  Always select the right size of stone for the bezel.

 Don't use a 156C Carbide bur. I prefer the HSS 90degree angle bur. The reason being that the teeth are deeper and cut more into the metal.

 Some setters use a round bur, but the cutting doesn't adhere to the shape of the Pavilion of the stone.

Under closer scrutiny, it appears that this stone IS CROOKED. 

  The next problem is to REMOVE IT, IMMEDIATELY

 When setting an Oval stone, make sure that the Culet is not touching the metal mandrel underneath. Keep the stone well within the groove, as seen here!

 I couldn't allow this ring be completed, as it is not aligned into bezel evenly.

  FINALLY, I found a ring that the stone is 'well set'.

 Keep that Reciprocating Hammer head from touching the stone.

 You should 'move' the bezel metal closer to the stone. Never pound the metal onto the Facets as there could be problems further into stone setting.

 To initially remove any rough casting marks, you should use a #2 grit large file to clean any worrisome remnants of casting.

 Please use an Onglette graver #2 graver to carefully clean the inner wall of the bezel.

 If you use a Flat graver, you could have 'faceting' in the metal when the graver hits every facet of the stone.

 Here you really should use a large file of #4 grit, to file the hammered surface.

It's 'Pumice Wheel' time here. You should use #180 grit for a start.

For finishing, instead of using the cloth-wheel. Kindly use a #1,000 grit, PINK wheel.

 To remove any rough areas on the shank, or hammer hitting areas by accident. I'd use a "MEDIUM" grade "Snap-On" Emery wheel, just to clean up the ring in general.

 

 Last, but not least, inspect every detail of this ring to remove any casting errors.