How are freshly made "BEADS" made ROUND? => 7 photos

 1) Until now, we've covered how the gem-setting beads are created. 

2) We are seeing how these beads are 'moved' over the Girdle of each & every stone.

3) We are also seeing how these "psuedo-beads" were made. 

WHAT REMAINS IS THE 'ROUNDING' OF THESE LITTLE 'PIECES OF METAL'.

 A little metal pin with a recess at the tip of this 'pin' will be the answer we are looking for! We've seen these 'pins', but haven't really seen them in action, until now!

------------------"Burnishing, your Bead tips"------------

4) When securing the bead, you should ''rotate the tool' over the head, and at the same time pressing down on the metal (gently).

5) Here you can see 'how and where' these 'bud burs' are doing their work.

                          

   6) With this complete set of new 'bead burnishers', you can judge which size of burnishing-tool is required for your setting needs.

                       

7) This is the generic I.D. classification of bead burnishers.

 

7) The selected burnisher must (at all times)...completely cover the new bead-head.

 

                    (REVIEW ON CREATING NEW BEADS!)

 There will be occasions that a new set of beads need to be created without any stones being set. But how are these psuedo-new beads be created?

1) In between the two holes being drilled, there will be a little square piece of metal. This piece of metal will be the 4 beads.

2) I'll use a #02 bud-bur and cut this square into 4 spots, and cut deeper many times. We now have the spacing of 4 new beads..

  

 =>BUT THEY HAVE NOW BE MADE 'ROUND' IN SHAPE, to be made useful...<=

  3) This is a plate of metal with the spacing of 'new' beads. Although the metal - cutting is mediocre in all appearances. I've allowed enough space for the new beads to be created.

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.

             =================================

 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.