MORE reasons why a steel mandrel' is essential & needed for Bezel Setting? - 13 photos

 This is a detailed review why Steel Mandrels are extremely important in gemstone setting. Let me start in explaining why "Bezel Setting" needs a steel mandrel instead of a wooden, leather-clamp.

 If your Culet of the stone protrudes underneath, I strongly suggest that you place the Culet of the stone in line with the opening in the mandrel.

 When you are hammering on a wooden ring clamp, the 'intense hitting-action' is immediately lost and absorbed into the clamp leather.

 I prefer to have the hammer tightening the stone while on the mandrel, as this gives you more visibility when hitting the bezel.

In securing the mandrel against into the work-bench, you have an additional 'third hand'.

 This delicate stone setting (displaying) project was not easy. As I wasn't 'blessed' with any additional hands, I had to improvise greatly.

How was I going to hold my 1) steel-mandrel, 2) Reciprocating-Hammer 3) loupe and my 4) camera.

  You can see where the mandrel is now resting against my work bench.

 

 Here is the 'leather section' of the clamp, as you can see that the 'additional griping of the ring' prevents any 'stone tightening' to occur.

  

  I can now very easily secure my mandrel into the hole into my bench. Thus allowing both hands to be free.

 In my previous essays I've explained the different angles of the hammer-anvil. Thus allowing the mandrel to be rotated against the bench, while still not touching the ring.

 (This is the photo that I was looking for just for this essay). 

 My right hand is holding the hammer, while the left hand is gingerly rotating the mandrel when needed. BTW, the steel-mandrel is now resting inside of my bench.  

 My left hand is holding the hammering-anvil & while my right hand is holding my iPhone. The steel mandrel is tightly secured into my bench, this is showing 3 things being done at once.

 Here is my hammer resting against the Bezel. As this photo was taken from a previous essay, it's showing the hammering process with the steel mandrel.

 This is my 'hammer-face' that has being displayed in all of the photos in many essays. I keep the 'hammer face' clean from any indentations from the continual 'hitting'.

  For any additional cleaning or "Bright-Cutting" around the inside of the Bezel, I will go to the wooden-clamp.

 As I no longer have any access for the cleaning on the steel mandrel, I need complete 'rotating hand movements' at all times.

 I keep the hammering processes only to my steel-mandrel.

                                  gerrylewy18@gmail.com