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Moon Willow
12-12-2014, 05:19 PM
Okay I have my xmas cash in my pocket I want to buy lots of tools and bits for my workshop where do I begin?

Sawframe ... Basically you can purchase a decent one for less than £10 this saves you £40 by not purchasing a concept saw.

Needle Files ..... Packet or individual, personally my most used are as follows: half-round which is actually two files in one, one flat side
and one H/R (£'s in pocket),

A rat tail (tube like tapering to a point) ideal for making grooves.

A Barrette (looks like a squashed pyramid) triangular it's smooth on the top cuts only on the bottom.

I don't need a flat file because I already have one on two of the three above.

My top file that I use for fun is my 6 inch knife edge with a "0" cut , I could write a book on this file alone !!
Top Jewellery tool shop in Brum JQ told me it was an engineers file and they didn't sell them, I told them it was
a Jewellers file because I used them and they should (Arrogant I know) !! Most files can create tank tracks in your work,
it all depends on the angle they take as it crosses your piece.
As these files wear down the zero cut turns into a 1 then a 2

Ahhhh ! Buff sticks, don't get me started !! Why does anyone buy those stupid little flat pieces of wood with a government
helping of emery paper attached !!! (No offence meant) Get yourself down to the timber yard and pick some up for free
then pop down to B & Q and pick up some emery cloth (last longer than paper) I never go down in grades, my buff stick has
8 sides and is 12 inches long ×1"×1/2" so it has a top and bottom, the more I use it the more it wears down until you're practicly
using it to polish.(So now I have different grades on the one stick). The emery cloth wraps around the stick several times
with the ends taped down with masking tape.

The above is a very small selection in how I advise newbies (students) how they can save a few pennies and still get good results

The above is my opinion based on tried and tested experience, we all have our different ways this is what makes Jewellery so much fun.

CJ57
12-12-2014, 06:16 PM
You are a breath of fresh air:)
Until I joined these forums I worked away with the basic tool kit I bought at college in 1976 and the upgrade and polishing motor I bought when I graduated in 1979. Add to that my dads tools, a machinist friend who left me his and a few adaptations of darning mushroom, rolling pin, iron base plate, etc and I managed. I did upgrade to a Dustmaster a few years ago because the dust was making me iller
I have now bought so much equipment that makes life much easier but also makes you rookit! There's so little room in my workshop now that we've had to build a cabin in the garden as a clean workspace, which was cheaper than building an extension on the house !! The cost of creativity :)

enigma
12-12-2014, 06:30 PM
Do keep going :D
On my wish list are : rolling mill, graver max,some form of more powerful torch/gas set up than my Sievert on propane as I struggle with soldering the larger bangles, and PUK welder, do you have any tips for me or am I beyond help? LOL

ps_bond
12-12-2014, 07:36 PM
Yup. Airgraver, not GraverMax :D

enigma
12-12-2014, 08:06 PM
Oh I meant the graver smith, I think thats cheaper than the air graver?

Moon Willow
12-12-2014, 08:32 PM
Do keep going :D
On my wish list are : rolling mill, graver max,some form of more powerful torch/gas set up than my Sievert on propane as I struggle with soldering the larger bangles, and PUK welder, do you have any tips for me or am I beyond help? LOL

Ye gods.... how big are your bangles, I've had a Sievert for many moons with 3 different ends 3939 I use for nearly everything with the largest used for smelting my scrap bits of silver.

Ahhhh the PUK, I wonder if someone out there who owns one could let me know their strong points, (I already know the weak ones) and with my new found knowledge the £5000 machine collecting dust at work for the last 6 months could possibly be used (Orion 150i)

CJ57
12-12-2014, 08:38 PM
My sievert has been my only torch and I always feel I'm missing out when everyone goes on about little torches and oxycon!

enigma
12-12-2014, 08:39 PM
Umm, 3mm thick by 10mm wide and usually about 220 long.
I know Peter said he does casting with his Sievert but I really struggle to even solder the bangles :(

Peter has a PUK welder too ...

Moon Willow
12-12-2014, 08:59 PM
It sounds like you need to upgrade your nozel,

It'll be nice if Peter can advise on a few techniques to get the machine up and running

ps_bond
12-12-2014, 09:08 PM
Umm, 3mm thick by 10mm wide and usually about 220 long.
I know Peter said he does casting with his Sievert but I really struggle to even solder the bangles :(

The Sievert I've found to be adequate for almost everything - except platinum. That said, being able to dump more heat into even small pieces makes for faster soldering and less firestain.


Peter has a PUK welder too ...

Not quite... I have a laser welder. Different beasts, although they both make small welds. PUKs and Orions are advanced TIG welders while the laser is more of a small death ray.

Moon Willow
12-12-2014, 09:15 PM
I certainly don't feel I'm missing out by only using a sievert, I do own many other torches but my favourite is a small pencil torch
purchased on ebay £3.50 .

CJ57
12-12-2014, 09:29 PM
I certainly don't feel I'm missing out by only using a sievert, I do own many other torches but my favourite is a small pencil torch
purchased on ebay £3.50 .
:). I do sometimes doubt my competence on here :/

susieq
12-12-2014, 09:42 PM
:). I do sometimes doubt my competence on here :/

Glad I'm not the only one. Now off to google rat tail. :-"

enigma
12-12-2014, 10:01 PM
:). I do sometimes doubt my competence on here :/

I don't even doubt mine I know LOL

Think I may have to look into some different nozzles, I only have 2 atm.

caroleallen
13-12-2014, 08:19 AM
I used a Sievert for years and was quite happy with it. Like you, Caroline, I felt I was missing out, so invested in a Smiths little torch with an oxycon. Best thing I ever did. I have much more control now and it's boosted my confidence no end.

CJ57
13-12-2014, 12:28 PM
I used a Sievert for years and was quite happy with it. Like you, Caroline, I felt I was missing out, so invested in a Smiths little torch with an oxycon. Best thing I ever did. I have much more control now and it's boosted my confidence no end.
The thing is Carole I was quite confident about my tools and my methods and especially my soldering until I joined the forums. I only feel I'm missing something because everyone says I am :)

enigma
13-12-2014, 12:33 PM
Naughty Carole! this is a 'save your cash' thread ! :-"

caroleallen
13-12-2014, 01:22 PM
I know, I'm easily lead!

Wallace
13-12-2014, 01:26 PM
ahh, now I thought you were trying to help Save money in the long run- just go straight for the Smithy ( it is a wonderful tool to use)

CJ57
13-12-2014, 01:40 PM
ahh, now I thought you were trying to help Save money in the long run- just go straight for the Smithy ( it is a wonderful tool to use)
Ah but I've had my sievert since 1979 so I think that's been great value for money and as long as it still does the job why spend more!

Nick martin
13-12-2014, 02:26 PM
The Sievert is a brilliant torch as long as you properly TIGHTEN all the hex bolts properly.. as has been discussed. One of the tricks to using it for casting however is of course to do it indoors and to also build something like a soldering station where the heat gets reflected back into the crucible, and of course to use the correct sized nozzle.

Money saving wise, my most used torch is a diddy 'Dremel Versatip' that cost about £30. Totally reliable and ideal for soldering delicate bits.

However... my Smiths / Oxycon will be en route to me soon!

Nick

Wallace
13-12-2014, 02:56 PM
Sievert is a wonderful beast, but I found it just too big and heavy for what I needed. Mine didn't stay a useful item, so found it a new home. I like the small handle the 'Smith' has to offer, it has a vast amount of power for one so small.

Great to have a tool that works for you. Each to their own, hence vast array of tools available.

CJ57
13-12-2014, 03:56 PM
I don't think there was the choice so many moons ago and maybe that was a good thing, you actually had to visit shops or phone retailers which were few and far between and Walsh were the only one who did a proper catalogue and they were so expensive. No tinternet!
I bought my basic tool kit through College then I bought my upgraded ones plus polisher when I graduated, at Coopers in London on my £50 :/ travelling scholarship! I bought my silver and findings from Blundells in Wardour St and there was a great wee very established jewellers supply shop in Edinburgh, really old fashioned with lots of grumpy impatient men in brown overcoat things that has now been put out of business by the big boys. I liked those times even the grumpy men who couldn't understand why girls were buying stuff and made you feel really stupid. I get nostalgic at this time of year as you may have noticed :)

Moon Willow
13-12-2014, 05:21 PM
If you're a Newby and reading this thread and getting confused then take a chill pill get a coffee and sit back,

When you starting out its usually with a small hand held torch which I now use to light my sievert, basically this will be okay for your early small projects but it will not be strong enough when your pieces start getting larger and you begin to get more ambitious.

From experience a lot of folks tell me they have found this fantastic flame from B & Q which is far superior than the £25 small torch... omg
it's a can of gas attached to the torch (don't go there) tears before bedtime !! quite a lot of these backfire (flame comes out the wrong end)

So this is where the sievert comes in, at £70.70 from Tooltray.com plus your gas. It's within your grasp (budget) I have a regulator on the one
end which can strengthen your flame (some folks don't know it exists) it's my preference and has served me well.

Carlton

ps_bond
13-12-2014, 06:55 PM
FWIW, I used one of these - http://www.bernzomatic.com/item.html?id=8 - for ages before moving up to a Sievert. They can be a bit prone to flaring if you tip them when they've only been lit a short while.

josef1
13-12-2014, 07:18 PM
I still use one for the odd big silver items,I quite like the warm orange glow it omits every now and then,you can turn the nozzle to regulate the amount or air the flame receives also if you let it warm up a bit the flaring calms down

Wren
13-12-2014, 09:23 PM
I have a Sievert torch which I bought in the '70s like Caroline, I use it with the burners 39 40 and 41 it copes with just about any soldering job, no need to get a fancy one, but it does have the original handle which is smaller than the ones sold today so it is light to use. I have only basic hand tools, a small Renda flex shaft, a 1960's watchmakers lathe (not posh and I see them all the time on e bay) and a small grinder/polisher, to be honest as a hobbyist (which I am now) you don't need a plethora of expensive tools to create professional looking jewellery.

Moon Willow
13-12-2014, 11:17 PM
I think some folks have problems with the torch based on the following :

The position of the flame is wrong, sometimes too near to your piece (flaring) causing the flame to be 50% less effective

You need to use wire gauze or honeycomb to generate more heat beneath your piece

Make sure you have a point on your flame (concentrates the heat where it's needed)

Carlton :Y:

Moon Willow
15-12-2014, 06:02 PM
So as I'm enjoying my tram ride into Brum (Jewellery Quarter) 6.45am this morning the usual things happen, mobile beeps,
Oh look it's Cooksongold urging me to part with my money in "The Deal of The Day" well my brain doesn't function too well
in the mornings but even this deal woke me up.

Only £195.00 ex vat for a Durston Jump ring maker ........Duuuuuuuuh stop the planet I want to get off !!!!

I use a hand drill at work and my power drill at home, and my spits (rods) I pinch my partners steel knitting needles
job done, I've saved £££££££ 's

Sorry Cooksongold you'll have to fund the xmas party some other way.:raspberry:

Carlton

ps_bond
15-12-2014, 07:15 PM
It does make my collection of transfer punches look very Heath Robinson, but the cutter bit is interesting.
OTOH, it's nice to see a British company competing on the Gucci tools market without them all having to be imported from the US.

Their primary product line isn't one that usually demands repeat purchases, after all.

CJ57
15-12-2014, 07:39 PM
Well you know the problems I've had with Durston Peter and you can bet there are no instructions with any of their new products. I haven't looked in a while but still didn't get the dimensions of the 14 stakes in their Planishing set which they have been promising since the beginning of the year.
I usually use a drill to wind my jump rings round as I don't make that many at a time but a metal knitting needle would be good, I have plenty of those too!