Stainless steel shot stuck in back of tube setting

[Bryanlimjh]

Hi everyone! I hope that i am able to get some pointers and help from all you experts!

Just yesterday i received a 18K gold ring with 2 tube set opal stone ring from a dear friend of mine to reshape the band and also to polish the entire ring up.
I was done with polishing the ring and happily threw it into my jewellery tumbler + round ball stainless steel shots and left them running for 2 hours (like i always do, and i have never had any issues with machine or the steel shots getting stuck in my jewellery pieces).

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However, to my absolute horror while i was washing and wiping the ring dry i realized that one steel shot has actually made its way into the back of the tube setting!! I have tried all that i can, which includes the following to nudge it but it is just staying there snugly and does not move at all.

- needles
- tweezers
- jewellery pilers
- cutting blades
- scissors
- throwing into a small container with soapy water and shaking it
- tired to knock on the other side alittle, but not too much as i am afraid that it might dislodge the opal which is in the ring.

would you guys have any other suggestions?
I do no dare to pry open the tube setting or drill a hole or to open the setting just to push the steel shot out as this ring was passed down from my friends mum to her which has alot of sentimental value.

Do you think there should be some other methods which i could try?
I will try to get a N35 magnet and see if it works (even though i hardly doubt it will attract it and make it come off).

I would most appreciate if you lovely people here could share some pointers or if you have this issue before!

Thanks in advance!

Bryan :)

[Dennis]

Dear Brian,

Yes I have had this happen and luckily before the stones were set, so I was able to tap them out with a nail and a hammer. I did try very strong magnets first, but stainless steel is not strongly magnetic, so they did not grip sufficiently.

I would say fess up and hope the ring is wearable with the shot in place. Alternatively get a professional setter to unset the stone, tap out the shot and re-set.

Opals are soft and unforgiving in amateur hands and you are lucky if they were not affected by tumbling. Dennis.

[Kathryn Harrison]

You could try gluing something (string?) with strong glue to it waiting for it to set and then pulling?

[ps_bond]

Might be possible to carve it out with a carbide burr; I'd probably laser weld a shank onto it as my easiest option (cf Kathryn's suggestion of using glue).

Soft gemstones should never, ever be put in a tumbler (or an ultrasonic for that matter).

[art925]

I would normally suggest using an ultrasonic, but I'm not sure how the opal would fare.

[Bryanlimjh]

Dear Brian,

Yes I have had this happen and luckily before the stones were set, so I was able to tap them out with a nail and a hammer. I did try very strong magnets first, but stainless steel is not strongly magnetic, so they did not grip sufficiently.

I would say fess up and hope the ring is wearable with the shot in place. Alternatively get a professional setter to unset the stone, tap out the shot and re-set.

Opals are soft and unforgiving in amateur hands and you are lucky if they were not affected by tumbling. Dennis.

Dear Dennis!

The magnet did not work unfortunately. You are right, they are not strongly magnetic so did not grip sufficiently.
The ring is actually wearable with the shot in place, it hides nicely into the tube setting and does not protrude out of the setting just that it is quite an eyesore to me to see a steel shot stuck there.

Very lucky for me for me that i have never had any issues with opals and freshwater pearls that were affected by tumbling, maybe because those that i make are small, like 3mm or so.

Is it a big no-no to tumble opals and pearls?

B

[Bryanlimjh]

Hi there!

I have not tried with glue, what type do you suggest? Super glue? :)

B

[Bryanlimjh]

Might be possible to carve it out with a carbide burr; I'd probably laser weld a shank onto it as my easiest option (cf Kathryn's suggestion of using glue).

Soft gemstones should never, ever be put in a tumbler (or an ultrasonic for that matter).

Hi Peter,

I don't think i would have the balls to actually carve something out of the ring, but i think to laser weld a shank would be probably a better option.
Maybe i should go and look for someone with a laser weld (i don't own one :( )

B

[Bryanlimjh]

I would normally suggest using an ultrasonic, but I'm not sure how the opal would fare.


Seems scary!

No more tumbling or ultrasonic for anything opal related!

[Goldsmith]

what dimension is the interior of tube setting and the steel ball? if it is a reasonable size then I would suggest that you use a length of round wire that fits easily into the setting and cut a hollow in the end of the wire with a ball burr, then use a tiny spot of super glue in the wire hollow and carefully hold the wire end onto the centre of the dry steel ball for a few seconds until the glue sets, then you may be able to gently pull the ball out from the setting.

James

[ps_bond]

I don't think i would have the balls to actually carve something out of the ring, but i think to laser weld a shank would be probably a better option.
Maybe i should go and look for someone with a laser weld (i don't own one :( )


Not surprising, you have to be fairly mad to buy one for a small workshop. Which probably explains why I have one... Happy to help if all else fails.

[Bryanlimjh]

what dimension is the interior of tube setting and the steel ball? if it is a reasonable size then I would suggest that you use a length of round wire that fits easily into the setting and cut a hollow in the end of the wire with a ball burr, then use a tiny spot of super glue in the wire hollow and carefully hold the wire end onto the centre of the dry steel ball for a few seconds until the glue sets, then you may be able to gently pull the ball out from the setting.

James

Hi James!

the interior of the tube setting is about 2.8mm and the steel ball is probably also about the same size. They seem to be a match-make in heaven.
Thanks for your suggestion! i will go and try it over the weekend! :)

Bryan

[Bryanlimjh]

Hi Peter!

I have an extremely small workshop, and lets just say that i only started making jewellery not that long ago so i am not that mad yet to buy one :P
You are very kind, i will let you know if i would require any help.
Thanks a lot and warm regards from Singapore!

Bryan

[ps_bond]

Thanks a lot and warm regards from Singapore!

Ah... Perhaps someone closer to your location would be more sensible! Definitely try the glue first.

[metalsmith]

Just keeping this as simple as possible, if it tumbled in maybe it would tumble out. Take all the other shot out first and tumble in a rubber barrel.

And for info, opals shouldn't be treated with u/s. Tumbling surely depends on what you're tumbling with. A stack of other opals together with soft polishing compounds and you might get away with it. Inspect frequently.

Generally the rule for stone is to tumble with things of equal hardness: opal 5.5 - 6.5 Steel shot !?8?! (http://www.reade.com/reade-resources/reference-educational/reade-reference-chart-particle-property-briefings/32-mohs-hardness-of-abrasives).

[Aurarius]

Another option - or two.

If you can get a carbide or cobalt drill bit to bite somewhere safely in the middle of the steel ball the torsional force of the drill bit may twist the ball out. If it doesn't, you could try using a HSS tap to cut threads into a pre-drilled hole in the ball, then screw a screw in and gently lever out the ball with pliers gripping the head of the screw.

Before you try this, if it's possible to immerse just the part of the setting with the steel ball in it (i.e. not the part with the stone as well) into an ultrasonic, you may be able to excavate (or "excavitate") it out that way.

[josef1]

I think it's maybe the shot has got inside then the pounding of the shot on the back of the setting has burnished the sides over if you can get between the ball and the sides with a pointy type tool maybe an old bur ground to a point and work the setting out it will drop out failing that lasering something to it so you can pull it out is a good method. Also I agree tumbling opal can end in tears

[MMM Jewellery]

Can you just drill the steel ball out? use a drill bit 2.7 mm and keep everything steady and it should be gone in no time- or use a smaller drill to start it off to reduce the risk of skipping into the side of the tube.
Another alternative would be to use acid to corrode the ball enough that it falls outs-submerge the tube in acid or if that is not possible drop the acid on top of the ball with a dropper and change frequently till the ball comes loose. Strong pickling solution will work, but sulfuric, hydrochloric, or nitric acid will be faster (so long as you do your risk assessments for these acids)

[Kathryn Harrison]

What did you end up doing Bryan?

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