Only "ONGLETTE GRAVERS" - what can they do? => 47 photos

 Onglette gravers are only blades of steel, but can they do some pretty wonderful metal cutting. I always say, "What do they don't do", is a better term.

 Let me now delve into the many uses of these extraordinary setting tools.

 I'm not tutoring gemstone settings in this essay, I'm just showing you what these basic gravers are able to do. I've selected mostly 'non-CAD' Diamond Setting patterns and techniques in these 47 photos.

 "YOU WANT 'GRAVER DETAILS', CAN YOU HANDLE THESE DETAILS?"

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 For the first photo, I am showing that not everything is done via CAD. In fact, I'm shying away from this process during most of these photos (only 'when & where' mentioned).

This originally this was a very large round silver disk, with a few holes in it.

I used Onglette #1 and #2 gravers. I initially cut out a pattern with the very thin #1 graver. In keeping with the 'rough-cutting' processes, I cut out a square in between each of the holes. I cut this design 2-3 times, each time going deeper resulting in a 'O<>O' all around the disk.

 Upon completing this pattern, I then used my Onglette graver #2 to widen the rough-cutting until the result is what you are seeing here. I Bright-Cut the <> and made it look like a shiny square.

  When the holes are made to the size each of the diamonds, lower them into the holes carefully. With 'separating & pressing the metal' over the girdle with your Flat Graver, you now have 'strong' beads as shown below.

 These 'separating techniques' will give you a pattern just like the design that was featured in a mall 'advertising kiosk'. All that is left is to burnish the beads, with greatest care.

Again, these patterns were not 'CAD' created.

  Here are the 'beads' so nicely burnished, by using a "77B, cup-bur".

 My great ORCHID friend (Taf Schafer) took a photo of a previously written 'introduction' to an essay that I wrote. This is an valuable essay opening...Thank you Taf Schafer.

 At every opportunity, STOP your metal cutting and reshape your gravers to keep them in pristine condition. The desired shape is to be seen in the following photos.

 I always maintain a fine contoured point of a graver, not some thick unmanageable piece of steel.

A Milgrain gives a nice finish to the Bright-Cutting.

  When I'm putting my graver to the polishing paper, I always apply a heavy downward pressure to the rubbing. This way the graver will get a great finish to the steel.

This the desired angle of my "Right-Sided, cutting blade". All of my cutting is now put on the "Right-Side" of the Onglette graver. The left-side is never touched in the course of cutting.

This "Right-Side" can now cut curves with no problem. There is no need to use your Flat graver on delicate curves, if you attempt this maneuver, you will have a ripple effect.

Here you see the minute shavings of metal being removed. Don't even attempt to set any gemstones while you are cutting the metal. You will be defeating the whole purpose of Bright-Cutting.

 This is another version of a "Fish-Tail" pattern. The original design had no patterns to help me cut the metal. Remember, that there no Flat gravers being used in this exercise.

 There is no way a Flat graver can cut curves, so don't attempt or try it. It isn't going to be successful.

 Here are new Onglette gravers just as they look after being bought. The numbers refer to the thicknesses of the blade. The yellow blade root was bought for other purposes, not for now! 

The "HSS" refers to "High Speed Steel" metal.

The numbers on the wooden sticks display the sequence of grits of the polishing paper. Number #240 is the most course, then leading to the finest paper #1,200.

 I use a soft leaded pencil, to make the paper even more soft for the 'pencil rubbing'.

 The 'soft' pencil lead is pushed into the pores of the paper. Each level of rubbing makes the paper even more smoother for making the steel blade just that much more polished.

These gravers are at different lengths, but once these are in their handles, they look the same.

 

As my diagram suggests, all of my gravers are HSS. They last longer and the steel doesn't get worn down too fast.

No matter the thickness of each, they are all made for different purposes.

This long sliver of metal is because of the cutting with my Onglette #2 graver.

With my "Right-Sided" graver I can cut curves and circles. No other blade can do such decorative cutting.

These two uncut blades will definitely assist me in my specialized metal cutting.

 This ultra-thin graver is what I'll be using in carving metal to make new beads. These are seen in various photos in this essay.

 This photo shows how the Gypsy Bezel was "Bright-Cut". There just isn't another blade that will do this detailed work

Would you believe that this was just a flat plate with a few holes in it?

 All I used were my two Onglette blades, plus a few decades of experience.

 This is my close-up of my (favourite) "Right-Sided" Onglette #2 graver. The right side is at a different cutting angle, it is made to cut ONLY ON THE RIGHT SIDE.

 

  Even on Bezel setting, I'll use my modified graver to clean the inside of the Bezel. Some setters just ignore this important step in their 'hand-carving or cutting'.

This process is named "Pre-Cutting" as all of the cutting is done before any gemstone setting has taken place.

  This is named "Two-Bead Setting" as there are only two beads holding each stone. All of this cutting must be initiated long before any stones go into the metal.

  With these two little beads, the stone will not fall out. For decoration, I applied a Migraine to the edges.

   

  I used an Onglette #1 graver to start the first stages of cutting. Afterwards I used my Onglette #2 to finalize the side cuttings.

  For more decoration, I created many 'unused beads' and burnished them as well.

 

  With a Bead forming tool that is made from an Onglette #2 graver. The bottom of the graver has a 'rounded' point to prevent breakage during this process.

  You can see the deep hole just behind the two new beads, this is where the Onglette blade went into the metal.

 As before, keep your bench-grinder ready to modify your gravers. I call this "Graver Maintenance".

After many and 'graver polishing', the graver is now able to "Bright-Cut" the metal.

 This a photo of the early stages of graver-preparation, there is much cleaning to do with the Emery & Polishing Papers.

 With the Onglette graver #1, I experimented with this "Azure" pattern.

BTW, I started to cut this metal with the #1 Onglette, then proceeded with the regular cutting blades.

 Here is another "Bright-Cutting" technique in using a "Right-Sided" cutting blade. The inner circle is just a reflection of the cutting.

 As all of the cutting has been completed, it's time to set the soft gemstones of your choice,

You can use either Genuine Emeralds, Blue Zircon or Amethyst. There is no chance of breakage as your gravers can now "take a nice little well deserved holiday".

3-stone ring setting -=> 40 photos

 I'm very sure everyone has seen one or two stones ring together, but how about 3-stones in one ring? Each stone has it's very own 'tube-like' setting. This not one of those easy items to set as the 'Scale of Difficulty is at 9.0 out of 10'.

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 The very first thing that must be measured will the stones fit into the ring? I'll line up the stones together on top of the openings. It's basically, 'what you see, is what you get'.

I'll be using a very large bud-shaped bur to clean the inner tube-like openings. Get rid of all of the metal remnants from the casting. I don't want any parts of the Pavilion interfering with lowering of the stones into the 3 holes.

  

For the larger center stone, I MUST use an even larger bud-shaped bur to clean out any extra metal.

 

 In any silver or gold casting, there could be a line of extra metal in between the tube settings. How can this metal get to be removed? 

 The only answer is to use a either a bud or round shaped bur. I never use a round tipped file, why not? 

 Filing tends leave striations in the metal. I need to have the metal as clean & smooth as possible.

 This line was caused by the wax-ring being removed from the rubber mold. GET RID OF THE EXTRA METAL, NOW!

 

  I believe that a bud-shaped bur will clean the metal smoother. I will ask you to use a Tapered Pumice Wheel of #180 grit and run that wheel wherever you were using the bud bur. When you are using your bur, apply more 'downward pressure' to ensure more separation of the stones.

 If you wish to use your hand-held, mini-polishing wheel to polish this area, PLEASE DO SO NOW!

 

  Now with the HSS, "High Speed Steel" bur, start to make bearings into the metal, for each stone.

 Here is an up-close viewing of this bur doing it's metal cutting. Keep the HSS bur well lubricated. As you are using this rotating bur, the metal will get sloughed off the bur. Do not overheat the bur. These larger burs are not cheap to replace, trust me.

Allow a slight angle to the bur as it's rotating. The 'slight angle' will put more cutting action where the stone will be sitting.

 Once the bearing is made with this HSS, we need to make the edge of the bearing match the thicknesses of each of the stones.

  Examine the width of the bearings IN EACH OF THE 3 OPENINGS, carefully.

  With a round bur, make the bearings much more acceptable to every stone.

This wider bearing must never be made on an angle, as the stone will sit uneven.

 What size of round bur is needed? I just don't know, but here is the method of measuring the width.

 Place your bur against the Girdle of each stone...(as shown).

 

 After some 'trial & error' you will find the solution in this novel approach on measuring stones.

  When I measure a stone, I always allow a wider thickness, as not all stones are perfect in the cutting of their Girdles.

 Once that the stone width is calculated, I use my 'reaming tool' and make the 3 openings even more wider. I NEED EXTRA LEVERAGE TO GET MY SETTING BURS INTO THE SETTING HOLES.

 

   Now I'm happy, why? The 3 stones have fallen into place with no effort, or labour.

With my Reciprocating Hammer with my tapered Anvil, I'm now starting to do the hammering.

The two outside stones are nicely set and the tip of the Tube-Setting is hammered at a slight angle...but never hammered Flat.

 In this photo, you can see where the angle is being hammered.

There should not be any space in between any of the stones. Not one millimeter is allowed.

  Don't flatten the metal on to the stone, we need the thickness for later.

You can see the name of the stones, the name is "SWAROVSKI".

  Around each of the 3 stones has "Bright-Cutting" that has taken place. This is what makes my Diamond Setting 100% perfect, I don't settle for mediocre setting techniques.

  Now all three Bright-Cutting procedures has taken place.

 In between the 3 tubes, I've cleaned all of the settings.

 The three walls are equally filed and neither is one wall thicker than the other.

If I'm using my Triangular file, I've marked them with lines. These lines relate to the grit of each for easier identification.

This 'cleaning & setting' is starting to look great, agree? But we haven't finished yet.

 

     I'm using only my Onglette #2 graver to do the cutting. It is imperative NEVER USE A FLAT GRAVER ON CURVES.

        I polish my graver on a fine #800 Polishing Paper.

    You can see the curl of metal as I'm cutting around the inner walls.

  

 This setting project is not easy, as there are many chances in not succeeding in setting these 3 stones in one ring....Gerry Lewy.