How do you drill a hole for stone setting? => 7 photos

  This short essay is only about 'drilling holes in metal'. I've seen many errors with this process during my 25 years of travelling. I'll explain them as I proceed with my future writings.

 This very first question is how to resurface a twist drill? This drill MUST BE SHARP as it must cut into the metal but not slide around.

 The best process of reshaping the twist drill is to use your "Emery, Rotating Wheel" of a "Medium" grit and hold it on an angle of 45 degrees (as shown here).

 1) The desired cutting angle has already been created and all that you are doing is to resurface but NEVER CREATE NEWER ANGLES. 

 This is exactly where some errors occur.

  The most desirable Bead Raising tool is shown in this photo. You notice the very gentle uplifting of the front of the blade.

 

  2) The angled point of the Onglette #2 graver, is the only tool that creates beads that will eventually be against edge the Girdle of the gemstone. 

 

 When you are for the first time initiating the drill, PLEASE KEEP THE TWIST DRILL AT A VERTICAL (90degree angle) POSITION.

3) NEVER ATTEMPT TO DRILL AT AN ANGLE!! KEEP THE DRILL VERY WELL LUBRICATED AND NEVER ROTATE AT A FAST SPEED. (Speed ruins your work)!!!

4) When you are drilling, always drill with a series of cuts.

5) Keep the twist drill very well lubricated, if not the twist drill will easily overheat.

                PREPARATION OF 'DRILLING THE HOLES' (IN REVERSE ORDER)

 It is best to prepare a light recess in preparing the hole, this is because the Twist Drill won't wander around the metal.

6) In using the 'power punching' devise make sure that the recess is deep into the metal and not just 'scratching the surface' This is exactly where the twist drill will be doing its work.

 

  7) It is advisable to have the "power punch, tip" sharpened to a point. If this is not done, the power punching hole will not be successful in creating a recess for drilling.

 From this little 'recess', the Twist Drill will start its work in creating the hole that is essential in preparing for gemstone setting. 

Lion Pendant = 'Diamonds in the Body & Wings'. => 31 photos

 These "Lion Wings & Body Pendant" were a multiple-section project for my diamond setting. I planned ahead of time where every diamond and hole was to be eventually drilled before stone setting.                  

 I placed an assortment of diamonds on my workbench just to see which stones to use and where.

                                    

 As there were many areas that had porosity in the gold. This was due to the poor mixture of the gold with the metal alloy. We both decided to cover up the holes by using an 'emery rotating wheel' to apply a textured surface to the rear of the pendant. No more porosity!

 These 'areas' were literally throughout the pendant, and using solder was not an option worth considering.   

 I 'inked' where diamonds would be eventually placed. If a group of diamonds were not placed according to my client's wishes, I'd redo that area.

 As the wings were not soldered to the body, I placed them on a shellac stick for stone setting.

                                                        

 I casually placed the diamonds according to size at specific areas on the wings.

 Once we decided just where diamonds would look best on the wing, I laid out the stones and proceeded to drill the metal. This was not an overnight procedure.

  I graduated from the placement of the diamonds on the gold pendant. I positioned each stone and 'marked' where each stone should be set. THIS TOOK MUCH TIME AND CONCENTRATION.

 My routine was. 1) Lay out the stones on the metal. 2) Mark (ink) the gold. 3) Scribe the metal. 4) Drill the spots that were scribed.

5) Drill through the metal. START THE SETTING, ONE STONE AT A TIME.

You can see the 'spots' for each stone on the tail and neck areas.

 I had to create a definite pattern even while the beads were holding the stones.

 Some diamond holes were not where they should be because of size. I had to reposition them immediately prior to drilling and opening up the holes.

 My client gave me coloured gemstones, I used them in the mouth, ears and face. I had a few extra-large diamonds, and they were put into the feet. I had to find 20 stones all of the same size for the tail.

 Would you believe that there are 3 sizes of stones in this one wing?

 Thankfully, there are only 2 sizes of stones for this one wing. WHEW!

 You can now see the Ruby set into the mouth, and a Blue Sapphire in the ear.

There is porosity everywhere, but we overcame that problem!

Just on this one wing, I set the largest diamonds that I could find.

  I secured the array of diamonds and created a pattern with the beads.

The spacing of the beads was well thought out during this whole setting process.

 Where one bead was created, another bead was joined at its base. The pattern that I created was planned many days before.

 While there were tips of feathers for the wings, they too had to be further enhanced by beads & diamonds. Four sizes of diamonds were used in this wingtip.

 I couldn't have even one bead created out of alignment. There was a definite plan of beading throughout the whole pendant.

              METAL CARVING TO IMITATE FEATHERS!

 This imitation of feather tips is named "Fishtail Setting".

I inked these two holes before I set extremely large diamonds. Even the beads had to be well planned ahead of time. The placement of each bead and its size had a definite purpose.

This shows the 'before photo' of the stones going into the wing.

 This is the metal cutting and Fishtail Pattern. You can see a shiny spot; this is the reflection on some of the facets of the gold.

                             DRILLING PROBLEMS

  There were some partially drilled holes. I wasn't pleased with the 'tail holes', and I had to find more suitable diamond sizes, as the 'tail and foot' had a marginally acceptable width to work with.

 'Uniformity in all of the diamond sizes' was an ongoing stone setting problem.

  After three weeks of planning, the stone placement, drilling holes, and finally setting of this pendant, it was completed. WHEW, eh!

3 Beaded Stones in a row => 19 photos

 "Three beaded stones in a row". This is quite complicated. The only tools that are needed are the Onglette and Flat gravers. Plus loads of patience and being careful in reading this photographic essay. The Scale of Difficulty is only 8+ out of 10.

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 Either you want the 3 stones to be straight across, or on an angle, the decision is up to you. 

 The first thing is to keep your stones in a straight line. The two gravers that will be used in this tutorial essay are the Onglet gravers #1 and #2. Not to forget our Flat graver #40.

 Using your Onglet graver #1, please cut a preliminary line along the edge of the 3 holes, as shown.

 Remove any extra metal around the holes; this is 100% important.

 In between the 3 holes, cut with your Bud Bur of #2, or #3. Then, at the outside edge, cut a "V" for this must be Bright-Cut.

Make sure that the ends of these two lines are cut STRAIGHT to the ends of the ring. There will be a natural tendency to curve these 2 lines. AVOID THIS FROM HAPPENING.

 RE-CUT DEEPLY THE TWO LINES AND THE "V". Recut DEEPLY, where the Bud Bur was used, as this will made into beads.

 There MUST BE AN ADDITIONAL LINE TO BE CUT. This must be a space in between these two lines, and you will see the reason in a few minutes.

Start the Second Line of cutting where you scribed (in ink). This ink line is similar to a GPS as it acts as a guide for you.

                                         

 That space in between the 2 lines will now be "Bright Cut". See the reasons why they were marked with a space?

 Accuracy in the Bright Cutting is 100% warranted and demanded.

 This line of Bright Cutting MUST BE CREATED WITH A FLAT GRAVER, WITH SHARP EDGES.

 The Flat graver is being shown cutting at 45degree angles. The bright mirror finish is so important. Don't use any Onglet graver for this process, PLEASE!

Both sides of these two lines are Bright Cut, as they verge together as a tapered metal wall.

  WOOPS! Here you can see a gentle curvature of the Bright Cutting at the end of the top line. THIS MUST NOT OCCUR.

 When the gemstones are set, you can use your 'bead-raiser' and move (not push) the metal over the Girdle of the stones.

 If there is a 'space' on the inside metal row, there is only ONE SOLUTION. That is to cut the metal deeply with the side of the highly polished graver until there is no more flat top of metal remaining.

  You may, if you wish, roll your Milgrain tool over the tip of the wall; this will be purely a decorative finish.

                                         

 I used a display ring to create these 3-Beaded Stones. With the never ending price of metal. I used every bit of silver I could find.

  Here are two other options for preparing in-between beads.

 This ring has 4 new beads for the middle stone, PLUS ONE BEAD AT THE END.

 You can now use a thin Bud Bur for the separation of the new beads, but cut deeply with your bur.