What is a "BENT BUR" good for? => 6 photos

 Don't throw away your bent burs. Why not? They now have another remarkable purpose in their short lives. They plug up little holes in your jewellery.

 Instead of melting solder and finding that the solder is not the same colour as the surrounding metal, here is a quick solution.

 Find a well-worn bur in your bench and heat the top 1/3rd to RED HOT. This will subsequently soften the steel tip on your bur to start your 'bending process' at a 90-degree angle using a pair of pliers.

Softened steel bends very easily; please be careful in the bending.

 Exactly where the steel tip is to make contact with your item is what you are searching for.

 

  Locate that 'soft steel spot' and use any emery tool to make a flat surface. This is exactly your spot that will make a 'hitting' where the hole is.

 This flattened steel flange is where the hitting will literally 'move' the metal over the hole. 

 This flange must be contoured carefully with an emery disk and followed by soft finishing paper. 

 You can now see where the flange is appearing. FOREWARNED, this smooth flange must be made to gently move metal across the hole.

 

 When the bent bur is rotating, it is not pounding the metal flat. On the contrary, it is moving metal towards and over the hole(s).

 How can you reheat the 'bent steel bur'? All that is needed is to reheat (harden) the complete steel bur using a torch flame. 

 I suggest that after a quick drop of the reheated bur into cold water, the steel will become 100% hard again.

 It might be a good idea to 'smooth' the flange again. 

  NOW YOU HAVE A NEW TOOL FOR REPAIRING HOLES IN YOUR JEWELLERY. There is no need to solder any of these holes.

  Another point is to 'experiment' before you need to attempt the real 'repairing'. If the mini-holes are too deep, you might have to solder those holes. This procedure is meant only for a shallow hole.

Diamond Setting Diagrams => 8th (final) Page (8 photos)

 When you have completed the stone setting, 'finishing' is next on the preverbial list. I have displayed the aspects of the 'square stone' setting before. This again is on my immediate "to-do" list in the few weeks ahead.

The contact spot for cutting into the metal is with the fine edge of the rotating HSS bur. NEVER USE A '156C' soft steel Carbide bur.

 

 Continually ensure that the domed ring is kept in a 'DOME shape.

  Drill slowly & gently when preparing the bearings for the stone.

 The chances of preparing for setting a ROSE-cut stone are almost 'nil'. But this is what that stone looks like.

 

 Gemstone & Diamond setting is one of the most difficult aspects of this profession. My apprenticeship took me a mere 9 YEARS, not months, to learn and another 5 years to perfect.

 

Diamond Setting Diagrams = > 7th Page. (7 photos)

 Once the "Emery" wheel cleaning has been completed, the next step is to use the Pumice wheel of #180 grit. This simple task will provide a much smoother surface than using a file.

  Around the Flush Setting must never remain untouched. For aesthetic reasoning, it is imperative to Bright-Cut the inner bezel. I do this at every opportunity. Some jewellers avoid this process, as this is a learned & skilled aspect of Gemstone Setting. 

Get rid of any & all of the minor holes from hammering.

 When the hammer strikes the bezel tip, the hammer must make direct contact 100% of the time. There must never be any spaces remaining around the Girdle Facets.

 To prevent any movement of the OVAL stone during setting. Here is my technique to ensure proper and accurate stone setting.

Just photocopy this diagram and follow the numbers in this gemstone setting. 

 This will result in an accurate 'Oval Stone' setting process every time.

 In setting square stone (aka, "Princess-Cut"), all four claws, including the two sides, MUST BE EQUALLY SHAPED with no deviation in the shaping process. This leads to exactly 8 sides to be filed accurately. THIS IS NOT EASY. This will take many months of determination and skill.

 I even 'BRIGHT-CUT' the inside of each of the V-shaped claws. 

 

 All four claws must be shaped equally with no errors.

 

Diamond Setting Diagrams => 6th Page (6 photos)

  When you use a file, there will be stirations (or file marks), and these are not wanted to be seen.

 I suggest using (as shown) a rotating disk of "Emery" grit. These wheels smooth the surface, as well, not leaving any deep gouges. 

  When new bearings are created, it is required not to have any spaces where the girdle of the stone is resting. The claw should envelope the Girdle rim completely.

  

 No matter the size of the stone, the depth of the bearing should be equal on all sides of the cluster of claws.

 The combined angles between the "Table and the Pavilion" facets will be at 43.5 degrees. This rule will allow the light to be reflected evenly and give the viewer good reflected light. 

 

Diamond Setting Diagrams => 5th Page (2 photos)

IMPORTANT & USEFUL INFORMATION.

 When you are measuring the depth of a stone to the metal, you MUST always measure from the Table of the stone, never the metal.

 I know that this seems redundant, but I've seen some major accidents at this point in my career.

 Just for your information:

 The "Mohs Scale of Hardness" on these two stones is 9.0 out of 10. While a Diamond is 10.

Diamond Setting Diagrams => 4th Page (4 photos)

 When hammering the claw tip, keep the hammer at an optimum weight. My hammers weigh an estimated 85 grams.

 Keep the Culet well inside the metal. ALWAYS MEASURE THE STONE TO THE METAL.

 

Diamond Setting Diagrams => 3rd Page (8 photos)

 On a genuine stone, the facets should reflect light appropriately, giving the viewer a correct dispersion of light. 

  When the stone setting has been completed, don't keep the stone buried in the metal. Trim the unnecessary metal to expose the Table Facet.  

  If the hammer is being used, please keep it away from the stone. just in case it hits the fragile stone.

 NEVER EVER 'PUSH' THE STONE INTO THE METAL, just slide the stone at an angle.

 

DIAMOND Setting Diagrams => 2nd Page (10 photos)

 The photos in these many pages are in NO SEQUENTIAL ORDER.

The Culet is like a razor blade if it cuts into your fingers. WOOPS!

 This bur has little use in the techniques being shown in these pages.

 

  YOU'VE READ IT HERE, AND THIS TECHNIQUE IS A 100% WOW!

 This technique of having a bent bur cover holes was taught to me when many of the readers weren't even born. 

 How would you prepare for this new tool? Use a well-used bur and soften it over a bench torch. and bend it at a 90-degree angle.   When you polish the 'tip', heat it RED HOT again just to harden it. Where the tip is hitting the metal, I suggest 'smoothing & polishing' the contact spot. No longer do you need to fill each little hole with solder; you are just moving little layers of metal over each hole.

 

                                           !RULE OF THIRDS!

A) The bearing should start 1/3rd in from the edge of the claw.

B) The actual bearing should be 1/3rd into the metal.

C) The depth should be 1/3rd from the tip of the claw.

 The graver tip should be at a 45-degree angle on the oilstone.

 You can see why the Onglette graver is best for cutting into metal. Compare this with the Flat graver.