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trialuser
24-07-2013, 10:04 PM
Hi, not sure if this is the correct sub forum, but here goes.
I have just bought the above which arrived yesterday, thanks.
Whilst checking it over today I notice that the smallest (3mm) punch has an unusual ridged face.
This seems wrong to me, and indeed all the other punches have a machined smooth face.
Before I ask for a replacement, has anyone else here got one they could check for me please.
As it is, it would destroy the disk it was meant to be punching out.
Cookson or Durston if you're watching, is this faulty?
Thanks
Piccy attached, excuse the quality, it was iphone through microscope
4969

Dennis
25-07-2013, 04:59 AM
I don't know and as it is a relatively new product you might not find out here. But it could just be as intended, because they have found that the slight texturing improves the smallest punch.

I presume you have tied it in the relevant hole and it passes through alright, so why not test it with a thin bit of metal? Thin copper would do. If you are reluctant to do that then contact Durston Direct here:

http://www.durston.co.uk/lan-multi/drm-contact.php .You could have the answer in a jiffy. Dennis.

trialuser
26-07-2013, 07:45 AM
Thanks for the reply Dennis.

I wasn't going to try the punch as I was considering returning it unused.
However I tried it last night and it does as expected, and imprints the unwanted ridged pattern on the metal.

I won't bother taking it further though as it still produces discs with one good(ish) face, and on a 3mm disc I am very unlikely to require two 'best' faces.
I also tried my cheapo ebay disc cutter in 3mm and it punches a lovely disc so I will probably continue to use that.
I have to say I'm a bit disappointed in the product though, the first thing I will do is drill a hole in the lovely caddy / holder for the allen key which floats around loose yet is fairly essential for the correct use of the tool.

I didn't contact Durston directly as I have previously bought a ring stretcher reducer (as a result of your explanation of how you work actually), which turned out to be the new stretcher reducer bender, and had sustained minor damage in transit, requiring replacement thumbscrews which hold the bending dies in place. When I contacted Durston about this, the girl who answered the phone, lovely as she was, didn't have a clue about the screws and referred me to Matthew Durston, who to be fair was helpful and I did get the replacement screws, but it took over a month. He is obviously a busy chap and I felt a bit guilty hassling him over a relatively trivial matter which I would have thought could have been dealt with by just about anyone in the company. They are not really geared up for dealing with the end user.

Interestingly (or not), I hadn't realised the item cookson were selling was the new product with the bending facility as the photo on the cookson website was, and still is, wrong, despite them telling me they would change it. It does not come with the dies for bending and these have to be purchased separately at extra cost. Because I had problems with the delivery damage, Matthew did me a favourable deal on the dies.

The reason I posted in the customer service sub forum is because I'd hoped for some input from cookson customer service, but perhaps there isn't any?

I wish I'd spent the 200 odd quid on silver now, that's a few pairs of earrings :-).

Cheers

Dennis
26-07-2013, 02:59 PM
Dear TU,

Thank you for sharing your experiences with us. It never ceases to amaze me how poorly jewelers are served by their suppliers. You are obviously more tolerant than I am, and this is what they rely on, to continue in business without really trying.

At least you are now the proud possessor of a ring bending attachment, one which I haven't tried. It strikes me that to preserve the outer surface of a ring you would still be better off if possible, inserting a thin leather strap when you use it.

As for the planisher at the bottom, there are a few tricks you can do with it which I can describe if you wish. Regards, Dennis.

trialuser
26-07-2013, 03:29 PM
Cheers Dennis, I'd always be interested to hear your tricks.

I have now heard privately from cookson who have said I need to contact Durston directly, which I have just done, and in hindsight is what I should have done originally. I was just a bit fed up with the purchase, and also thought as you did that as the ridging looks so 'engineered', it may be deliberate, I wondered if anyone else here had one to compare.

You are absolutely correct in saying that the bender marks the metal, I'll definitely try the strip of leather approach!!

Thanks again,

Martyn.

mizgeorge
26-07-2013, 09:30 PM
Not terribly much help, but I have the Swanstrom version, on which I think the Durston is based, and even the smallest punch has perfectly smooth faces. I have to say I much prefer the handle mechanism on the Swanstrom to the need for a key, which I would inevitably lose!

I do, however, agree that it's far too expensive a piece of kit for it to be acceptable to have faults to even the slightest degree.

trialuser
27-07-2013, 05:32 AM
Thanks mizgeorge - the info about the swanstrom small punch is useful.
I did look at buying from riogrande or ottofrei or somewhere like that but I reckoned that with carriage, import duty, vat and any 'handling charges' it would be quit a bit more expensive to import a swanstrom or pepe or similar, may have been worth it though!!

Dennis
27-07-2013, 11:37 AM
Cheers Dennis, I'd always be interested to hear your tricks.Martyn.

There are two tricks I learned on a course at Holts, which I use to this day. I'll post them on Monday morning when I have made a test piece and taken some pix. Dennis.

ahunter
29-07-2013, 12:44 PM
Sorry for our delayed responce to this forum thread - and our appologies to 'Trial User' for the quality of the punch supplied with the Durston disc cutter.
A replacement part is on its way to trial user for the Durston Disc Cutter.

A updated photo of Dustons Ring stetcher will go live shortly.

Regards

Adam Hunter

trialuser
29-07-2013, 03:01 PM
Thank you Adam, and also thank you Amy for the lovely answer phone message.
I'm in Edinburgh 'till the weekend so hopefully I'll have a new punch when I get home.
Many thanks again, Cookson and everyone who replied.
Martyn

Tabby66
04-08-2013, 09:32 PM
Hi Adam,
You mention that an updated photo of the Durston ring stretcher is soon to be added..........I bought one recently (when you had the offer on them) and the one I received looks a little different to the one on the Cookies website, which seemed odd, but I assumed that's why they were being sold off, until last week, when a colleague came around and asked me where the missing bit was??!!.............then it made sense, since I couldn't work out how the 'roller' bit worked............it has nothing to compress again.........could you help please??
Many thanks,
Jill

trialuser
05-08-2013, 12:02 AM
Jill, hi, not Adam but trialuser.
I too bought the tool while it was on offer.
It sounds as if you also received the stretcher / reducer / bender.
These don't come with the bending dies - you have to buy them separately.
This picture (http://www.cooksongold.com/Jewellery-Tools/Durston-Ring-Stretcher-prcode-999-8010#) is the one I have and it shows it minus the dies.

And an update to my disc cutter saga - Cookson true to their word sent me a replacement 3mm punch as they said they had checked and the one I had was faulty.
Unfortunately it is EXACTLY the same as the original one, so, either they were misinformed and it is supposed to be like that, or the whole batch is probably sh1te!
We will never know as durston didn't bother to reply to my email, despite me sending it to both the general email address and to Matthew Durston. Oh well :-(
I have bought a durston rolling mill, ring stretcher / bender / reducer, dapping set and disc cutter in the last year, I know what make I won't be buying in future.

Oh, and another thing, they claim the stretcher has an eight splined mandrel, well, it don't!
I can count to 8 and I run out of splines at 6.
Not the end of the world but nevertheless a false statement.
Pee'ed off, who me? All I wanted was a correctly manufactured punch, or simple conformation that the one I have is correct.

Tabby66
05-08-2013, 06:57 AM
Hi Trialuser,

That's exactly the ring stretcher I have, when it was sold it didn't say that it was incomplete or that dies needed to be bought separately. The description on the site is as follows:

High precision Ring stretcher.(Reducer/Bender). Also includes die set for ring bender. High precision ring stretcher / reducer featuring an 8 Spline mandrel and 16 polished countersunk dies... Read the full product description...

The ring bender is quite useless without the dies!! It seems odd to sell an incomplete device?? (The dies aren't available to purchase separately either!).

I've just been and counted my splines!!!!.........mine too only has 6 splines. Becoming more disgruntled!!

Think I'll send Adam an email.......

Tabby x

ahunter
05-08-2013, 08:30 AM
Tabby66 & Trial User

Really sorry for the issues with the Ring Stretcher, we are looking at this issue now and we'll be in touch shortly.

Regards

Adam Hunter

trialuser
05-08-2013, 01:46 PM
Tabby66 & Trial User

Really sorry for the issues with the Ring Stretcher, we are looking at this issue now and we'll be in touch shortly.

Regards

Adam Hunter

Please would you look into the issue with the disc cutter also. Thanks.