How do you create a '4-Claw Setting' - #2. (43 photos)

 This "4-claw" design can be made using "CAD". But unfortunately, not everyone can afford this program because of the dollar costs and have access to a computer design program at their bench. (Here are 40 photos in this essay.)

 The "Difficulty Level" is about 8, out of 10, chances of making errors are something I must constantly show you. In Diamond Setting, nothing is easy!

 The next step is to do much of this "claw creating" on your own.

 This basic exercise is (almost) easy to create. There is no need to use any alternative computer design programs in making this new '4-claw setting'.

 A fellow who owned an 'exclusive, high-end' jewellery shop where I was teaching showed me this simple method. Thankfully, I examined the technique just like taking a 'mental picture' of it, this picture is now yours.

 "CAD", aka "Computer Assisted Designs" are just fantastic, but this method is so inexpensive. The costs are for a few selected round and bud-shaped burs, but knowing how to create this, is so unbelievably easy. 

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 VERY IMPORTANT NOTES FOR YOU!

 1) Initial 'spacing' is not as you know from my previous essays. Remember, this is not anything like Pave' setting where the stones must almost touch, not here!

2) We can use any size of gemstone that you need, why? This is mainly for 1.50 mm <=> 3.0 mm sized genuine stones, you just can't do this with Pave' setting.

3) Another note is that we are not creating a 'Pave' style of beads, we are now actually making individual 'CLAWS', and this is the main difference.

4) This process is great for a "4-claw setting", (6-claws are not in this exercise).

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 Before you start your drilling of the gemstone holes, do what I just did is to use an inking pen and 'decide where these holes could be located'.

  Once you've decided on the location and spacing, use a small round bur and make a little indentation for your twist drill.

 Here is the first step in the drilling process. Keeping the twist drill in a near vertical position.

 At this point, open up the hole to a more workable size. I'd use a bud-shaped bur for this basic step.

 If or by any chance your hole needs to be 'moved', you can do this very easily, just lean your bud-shaped bur in the direction that you need.

I like to keep my working surface clean, I use a wire-wheel to do this.

 Here is the very same wheel doing its final brushing.

Here are just a few of the 'preferred' burs that I have on my bench peg for easy access.

  From each drilled hole a 'rough cutting' line is carved. This is so important as the centre square will be made into 'claws'. Just watch and see what happens!

 Recut this line DEEP as you can. The deeper you go, the longer the new claws will be created. DON'T MAKE YOUR CUTS TOO SHALLOW.

 At the end of the two lines of cutting, this is where a 'decoration' effect will be made. If you think that this looks like an error, I did this with a purpose.

 This is what 'we' are aiming for in our DEEP' rough-cutting. At this depth, I can "Bright-Cut" anywhere that's needed.

  Make sure that there is no metal on the edge of the numerous holes. I'd use a #005, or #006 Bud-shaped bur to do removal any metal. DO THIS NOW, not when the 1.4 mm stones are set!

On my 'Digital Microscope' screen, I can easily examine and enlarge every step at approximately 125x power magnification.

 If you see that one of the 'lines' are out of alignment, what would I do in this case? I'd use a saw blade of #4 cut and address this problem!

 Use your #006 Bud bur to cut a line from one rough-cut side to the other. 

 I 'sometimes' use my tapered cutting bur, as this action will start to give me a lead for the next step..."Bud Bur carving". 

Don't worry if there are a few "metal slips" these can be easily repaired.

 Keep the depth of the bur carving always as you can cut deeper and the claws will be more effectively created.

 

 The "Cross" carvings are now giving you the claws that you need. Use a Bud bur on the 'hole to hole' carvings. 

Then use a Round bur to cut from one sideline to the one across. Two burs when used will give you the claws that you need.

This is my larger selection of burs. I don't let them sit 'everywhere' to get lost on my bench.

 From one side to the other, I will carve with my bur a deep line. This is the very first step in making claws. Please use a Round bur to scribe each bur line.

Don't be too concerned if you slip with your burs, they can be repaired.

 I'm now joining the two side lines together, using a 'bud-shaped' bur. I prefer the 'tapered cutting' bur to continue the 'joining' process. 

 A Bud bur of #005, or #006 will give me the desired depth.

 To repeat, don't keep the bur carving too shallow, get your burs to cut DEEP.

 Cut these 'joining lines' DEEP, as these will be claws so very soon!

 

 In using my Digital Microscope, here are an ultra close-up of the new claws. Think of creating a 'cross' of line cuttings. Remembering to cut this cross DEEP. The deeper you can go, the more pronounced these claws will be.

 From a new series of carvings, you can see how this set of 4-claws is starting to get nicely ready for setting.

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 Here are many pieces of metal on the edges of the holes, GET RID OF THEM NOW before the stone setting, I'd use a #006 bud bur to clean this.

 Just to show you that the simplest error can lead to major problems. One hole on the left is 'off-centre' from the others. Bud bur cutting held on an angle will gently repair this problem, don't use a round bur. This is called 'moving a hole'.

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Additional examples of "4-Claw Setting"!

 In these final few photos, I suggest using your #77B Cup bur and rounding off the claw tips now, why NOW?

 When your mini 1.4 mm gemstones are placed into the claws you need to round off the tips, something happens as you are trying to keep the tips round. During this delicate process, you might just damage them. Why not just use your Cup Bur and make them round NOW.

 This is the reason for rounding them at this point. You will transform them from a 'little square, mini-claw' to a nice-looking round-looking claw.

 This is a 1.4mm stone and with my 156C Undercutting bur. I'll make a little bearing incision at the base of each new claw, this will prevent and stone from being set crooked.

                                                                                

This is how the enlarged "X" claw-carving looks under 140x power magnification.

 When you fully need to push over claws of this size, I suggest using your "Bead Burnishing tool". This will push and as well, keep the round tip from getting maligned in the process.

 If you are having any sort of a challenge in keeping the ends square. You can cut & curve the ends into a half-circle...as shown! 

 There are curves all over as they will reflect the curved design that is around the Pear Shaped centre stone. 

            "Square-cutting does not mix well with the centre stone curves".

 This essay is now happily completed. I've shown you so many variations on these two tutorial essays, I just couldn't allow any instructions to get ignored.

A personalized tour of my Diamond Setting bench. Circa=>2023. (43 photos)

 

 This essay was originally printed in 2006, I have made at least 7 "bench revisions" since I started my long career, circa 1965. These revisions are to my tools and diamond-setting methods, I call them my ongoing "improvements". 

 I do not use any microscope, why is this? My Cataract surgery has greatly improved my eyesight in both eyes.

  I enjoy doing only the most difficult style of setting namely; Pave Setting, Gypsy Setting, Bezel Setting Pear-Shaped stones, and Bright-Cutting around Princess-Cut Diamonds. I prefer only the most difficult types of settings. If I didn't have my specialized types of tools, I'd be at a loss.

 My 'guided tour' of my gem-setting 'improved' bench starts...NOW!

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 BURS IN WOODEN BOXES. I keep my "High-Speed Steel" burs in a safe area of my bench, preferably in the rear of my working area. They are arranged in sizes and functions. My costs of these "HSS" burs are just phenomenal.

 My favourite bur for diamond setting is the 90-degree angle "High-Speed Steel'. The reason is that its shape is equal to the shape of a gemstone, it's great for cutting a Pavillion seat into the claws. You just use the Pavillion shape of the bur, as a pseudo-file. 

  BURS IN GREEN (PEG-BOARD) HOLDERS. I keep a collection of specially cut burs separate from any other burs. I keep them in ascending order of size in one green (peg-board) tray, my "#77B, Cup Burs" are in another box. The very large sets of burs that I don't use, are also kept separate. 

 

 This rack of burs is my 156C (Carbide) burs. There are just too darned too many and very time-wasting to keep in any order of size and quality.

 As above, these two plates of burs are my 'working tools' in a stone-setting environment. If your bur gets worn down..bye-bye!

MODIFIED BURS. I will keep these specially shaped burs that are created for Bezel setting in another. These large ROUND-shaped burs have been designed on a "Bench Grinder" just for the sole purpose of setting Cabochon-shaped stones. (I came up with this idea many years ago.) 

 PUMICE WHEELS AND EMERY DISCS. I keep all of my wire wheels, pumice wheels and Emery (sanding) disks all by themselves for instant retrieval.

 Gemstone Holders. These claw-like instruments are great to have when you are examining any large stone, prior to setting. 

 OIL. I keep my bur oil in a (not shown) electrical fuse, where I removed all of the brass fittings. This left me with only the useable glass shell.

  I avoid "Oil of Wintergreen" as a lubricant, this liquid stings & hurts if it rubs against the tender area on your face. I did this by accident, I had to quickly bathe my face.

This is a 'make-up' container, it's great as it has a screw-on lid.

BENCH-PEG.  I like to see a clean wooden surface. Plus it makes your bench pin look much cleaner. This will prevent any reflection of light from your fluorescent light into your eyes as you work. 

 FILES. To quickly locate a particular file of grit. No more guessing and searching those small grit numbers. I just use black marker ink and scribe each file with lines or numbers.  

 HANDPIECE. I just adore my MICROMOTER handpiece, especially for Bezel & Gypsy Settings. This is where easy-hand operation is a total must.

 VULCANIZED RUBBER. I use a piece of vulcanized rubber that came from an old 'rubber mold'. I cut off a little piece and shaped it to my fingers, why is this so important? I use it to remove any residue from my 'charcoal wax stick' for picking up stones and it lightly shines the metal.

 OIL STONE. (As I am right-handed) I will leave this oil stone on my left side as I need it to reshape my gravers or large Cup-Burs constantly. These large Cup-burs are used in reshaping large and bulky claw tops.

 WAX, PICK-UP STICK. This stick is a mixture of 'charcoal and paraffin' wax. The paraffin sticks, but never leaves any residue on any gemstone.

 Polishing Papers. I've tackled this topic recently in previous essays, no harm in showing the photos again.

 STONE PADS. This is why you must not leave the small stones on your benchtop, loose. I suggest glueing some of these mini-trays to your bench. When I saw these little square rubber pads in a furniture store, I grabbed them and thought of how can I use them on my bench? I removed one side as I wanted great visual access to where the stones will be sitting.

 In this tray of often-used burs of all sizes, I keep them in pristine condition at all times. Once they get used, I'll put them into my "Green Bur" pads for later use.

 My tray of often-used gravers of all shapes and sizes is always handy to my fingers.

 Assortment of graver blades, I will eventually keep many of them close to my working area for use at a moment's notice. All I will do is interchange one graver for the next.

 Bench-Pin with a 'stone-holding' opening. This idea shows how easy it is to keep every stone within your eyesight and not to be loosing any of them.

 Gemstone holding (portable) mini-tray, this was bought in a local furniture store. This was originally a pad that was used under the legs of the table, but not anymore! I cut off a side of this pad so I could see if any stone got out of my line of sight.

 If you are having a large number of stones on your bench please keep them in a secure place. It's time-wasting looking for them if you lose one of them.

 I remember one setter lost his diamond, it was found about 25 feet away.

 TWIST DRILLS. These are so-o very important and I have no desire to lose any of them. I use an Emery Wheel of 'Fine grit' to recut the teeth when needed.  

 PLIERS. These pairs of pliers have been altered continuously. The claws rest in between the grooves that I made.

 Here is a Corundum (7/8th inch wide) wheel starting to make those important grooves. If they get worn, you can just recut them again and again.

  Polishing Wheels. You might be having hundreds of burs and wheels, and every item needs to be looked after and properly maintained.

  If you have other exciting bench organization ideas that you’d like to share with our readers, just e-mail me at "gerrylewy18@gmail.com".