Tools wanted but not needed !!!!!

[Patstone]

My birthday money is burning a hole in my pocket, I neeeeeeed more tools, I think !!! Looking at a 150watt Silverline Bench Polisher and also at a Swage block, I have a Foredom Pendant Motor which I have bought polishing equipment for, but wondered if it would be a better idea to buy a swage block instead so I can make "D" wire, but the smallest they seem to go down to is 3mm, not sure if I really need one, but I do make a lot of rings with stones in, so it would be useful to be able to easily make bigger tube than I can buy. I get on ok with the tools that I have got already, but you can never have enough tools. Ideas on a postcard please.

[Dennis]

Hi Pat,

I feel uneasy about your choices, and it's not because I've had a bad day.

1. The smallest polishing motors sold by suppliers to the jewellery trade are typically half a horsepower, which translates as far as I can work out to 375watts.
If you are dissatisfied with the polishing results of your flexshaft, by all means look for a lathe, but 150watts will be too feeble and keep stopping when you press against it.

2. Swage blocks are not an ideal way to make D shaped wire. As you will need to buy wire to start with, you might just as well buy the one you need in the first place.

3. To make a setting for a stone, you just make a bezel and you already know how. You certainly don't want to attempt to make a length of tubing, which is difficult to do well and then to cut bits off for use. Murphy's law says that it will be the wrong size for your next stone anyhow.

Dennis.

[CJ57]

A 1/2 hp motor would be the norm, it's what I've had in various forms. This was similar to what I started with http://www.cooksongold.com/Jewellery-Tools/Polishing-Motor--12hp-Includes----Spindles---2800-Rpm-prcode-999-AXL


From experience of making tubing from scratch, as Dennis says not only is it difficult but once you've drawn it through a draw plate the internal diameter can be quite variable and if I remember correctly the walls become quite thick and not ideal for making settings

[Patstone]

To my rescue again, thanks guys. I havent a clue about things like that, but when it equates to the power of a light bulb etc, it puts it into perspective. I know that my Kirby vacuum cleaner is 1hp. My flexshaft does a reasonable job on polishing but I just thought that with the small things that I make, rings etc, that the cheaper one would be powerful enough. I have a grinder that my builder gave me that he said he didnt mind if I put a polisher on one end as long as he could use the other end to grind his tools sharp, but its very noisy and out in the garage, which isnt a good place to lose an earring if you know what I mean, dirty, spidery, and somewhere I dont want to grovel on hands and knees !!!!!!!
I didnt realise that making tubing was going to be so involved, and didnt realise you have to use a drawplate etc. For some reason I thought you just had to roll the silver around a punch and drop it into the swage block to make it perfectly round. It was intended originally for a bigger stone, I tried to do Dennis's one piece ring which you have to solder a jump ring inside to hold the stone, and I struggled to get it so that it was parallel, I have since found a better way, when the ring is still flat (before soldering) put a piece of wire and solder that in place, then bend and solder. Not quite finished the ring, waiting for the "right" stone to come into view.

[caroleallen]

Although I applaud your desire to make everything from scratch Pat, it's just not cost effective if you're making a living. In my opinion, if you need a bit of tube to set a stone, it's best to buy the tube ready made as you won't have a solder join to contend with. For polishing, I'd recommend the tiny Foredom bench polisher - it's so cute, you'll love it.

[medusa]

I think my grinder-converted-to-polisher is 150 watts. It is slower than the other one which is 350w but it seems to do a good job with tripoli and a brush even on my collars. As conversion kits are pretty cheap I think its worth doing anyway. I got another one off ebay which is very quiet and using those alactral mops and menzerna compound it isn't too messy. Takes up a bit of room though.

ETA: Just came back from the shop and it's 370w. sorry for misleading.

[Patstone]

I don't want to work in a dark, cold, damp garage, I make jewellery for pleasure not a living, so clean ish, warm, and comfortable is the order of the day. Plus if something shot out of my hand I would never find it again.
I will have a look at the Foredom motor, can I justify having one tho, that is the question.

[medusa]

I don't want to work in a dark, cold, damp garage, I make jewellery for pleasure not a living, so clean ish, warm, and comfortable is the order of the day. Plus if something shot out of my hand I would never find it again.
I will have a look at the Foredom motor, can I justify having one tho, that is the question.

the foredom motor is 1/6 bhp. is that enough oomph given what Dennis said? But thanks to looking on the foredom site I'm now jonesing their workbench system. Totally appeals to my OCD side as long as the arms all remain parallel.

[metalsmith]

I neeeeeeed more tools, I think !!! I get on ok with the tools that I have got already, but you can never have enough tools.
Only you know what it will take to 'feed your rat'. :D

[caroleallen]

the foredom motor is 1/6 bhp. is that enough oomph given what Dennis said? But thanks to looking on the foredom site I'm now jonesing their workbench system. Totally appeals to my OCD side as long as the arms all remain parallel.

Ooh, I hadn't seen that workbench system before.

The Foredom motor is plenty fast enough. I never use it at full speed.

[Didi]

Ive got the little Foredom bench polisher and its fab. http://www.suttontools.co.uk/foredom-polishing-motor-1.html . I use it for everything. It will take off horrible firescale, polishes a treat and just sits happily in a corner. I use mezerna polish with it. Can thoroughly recommend it
Didi