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I have decided that my next challenge will be tube settings. I want to use 2mm stones (going up to 3mm stones) initially, to decorate my work. I have bought some tiny stones from kingsclere, mostly faceted and some cabs too. I also have a range of ball burrs but i might have to buy some setting burrs too. I'm going to try setting just with my square bezel pusher. Any sage advice before I set to work. Particularly like to know where you buy your tubing from.
Hi Sheena,
If you have mastered flush setting, then tube setting will be easy.
The secret is to choose your tubing, so that you have no more than 0.40mm thickness surrounding the stone, and very little in height to push over (possibly a quarter or a third of a mm).
You can use a pusher, or for small stones on fragile backgrounds, just cox the edges of the metal over with round nosed pliers.
Cabochons are different, because unless you can provide a flat seat, they will turn turtle as you try to press on them.
When setting, cover everything else with plenty of masking tape to save damaging marks.
Collet closers can be used to restore the roundness if the tube has become distorted. Silicone wheels will polish the edges of the setting.
Silver tubing from Cookson. Copper tubing on line and I think Walsh. Wheel burrs for cabochons Walsh.
Dennis.
Hi Dennis, always on hand with the knowledge. Thankyou :) I've never done flush setting, just prong and bezel setting. But I've watched some videos and read some bits and pieces. Does it need to be a wheel burr rather than a setting burr for cabs?
Ps great ring design!!!
Hi Sheena,
A professional would probably not bother with so many gadgets, but sensible gadgets, will solve problems for you.
Try setting some tiny cabs in tubes. Look out for the problem and see whether you can keep them the right way up.
The ring was part of a project to fit a well known plastic building brick. I wrote to the company all excited and asked whether I could mention their name. They replied with general information that threatened litigation if you so much as gave the first and last letter. Dennis.
Ooh, looking forward to seeing what you do Sheena. When I've set little cabs (not in tubes mind, just in little nuggets of melted silver) I use a ball burr first and then make a little seat with an inverted cone burr. Although if you can get the initial hole bored out with ball burrs and get an exact fit (more by luck than judgement in my case) then little cabs will click into place and not flip over.
Flush setting yes? Sounds like if i get my tube settings to work I'll also be able to do flush ones too. What a great thought:) I've heard that if you use the ball burrs first it helps your other burrs last longer.Quote:
Originally Posted by misspond
when you start measuring the size of your actual stones and discover they're all sorts of sizes. the one i'm going to work with first is a garnet cab 2.6 -2.7mm. so i'm thinking a 3.0mm tube and a 2.6mm ball burr. One thing i've noticed is you can get a set of graduated ball burrs but the inverted burrs/ table burrs it's not so easy to get the exact size. how do you manage? Dennis when you say round nose pliers, are you putting the tube in the pliers jaws and pressing opposite sides of the wall over at the same time?
Sheena, for tubes you need at least 0.3mm of rim all round, so the tubes.you suggest would be too thin. For 2.6mm you would need a tube diameter of at least 3.2. The tube available is 3.5mm.
For small tubes you can use round pliers to coax the very very edges over the stone very gently. First north and south, then east and west etc. Get the pliers too low and the stone will pop out.
I have done this routinely for my thin wire work chains and rings and have even flattened the inside of one beak a little to get a more positive contact, using the round beak for coaxing.
Only practice will show you what you can do. Dennis.
Burrs - it mostly seems to be a fun game of "what did I buy Vs what did I get". For example, I bought a set of setting burrs, 1mm - 3.25mm in range. The smallest is 0.7mm and the largest 3mm. Just get the calipers out, give them a good measuring and mark them somehow so you know what's what.
Mmm I'd forgotten that you need to measure your burr just to make sure it's the size you think it is. Thanks for reminding me :ta:
ah you're right Dennis that tube is too small. I keep getting confused by the figures, and forgetting to half the differance. That was an ordering near miss
I treasure my Cookson printed catalogue, because it groups items in more intuitive ways. When I can't find something online, it's the ancient Cookbook to the rescue.
Here are their silver tube sizes for any aspiring tube setters to keep handy. Bear in mind that they will be slightly undersized, so hopefully Sheena's 2.6mm stones won't drop through. If they do, she will have to get some 2.8 .
Moral: for tube setting you choose the tube first, and then match the stones. Dennis.
Sorry it's taken a little while to reply. Just back trying to order some differant tube sizes for differant stones. Hard going on the brain, but that tube chart is a lot easier to use! Was thinking if my stones are too small I can put a smaller piece of tube inside the 3.5mm one, can't I. That should fix it.
Yes it would, Sheena. Hope to see your results soon. Dennis.
Will post a photo of my first go and see what you make of it :)
Hi all, well here's a photo of my first ever tube setting. I barely burred anything off the inside of the 3.5mm tube so did a telescope setting; which worked brilliantly for my flat bottomed cab. This also happens to be my first bezel set ring.
Attachment 12694
Attachment 12695
That’s lovely Sheena, I’d wear that! Well done. is the big one a sone or a big of your Kirkcaldy pots?
That's great, really nicely done! Will be good to see what comes next :D
It's believed to be the fossilised grinding plate of a wrasse (a sort of fish tooth) :)Quote:
Originally Posted by CJ57
You should be proud, Sheena. I bet someone will try to buy that off you. Dennis.
Aw thankyou Dennis! I'm just tickled pink that I made something i can wear that i couldn't afford to buy. It's amazing really.Quote:
Originally Posted by Dennis
That's a really nice design and very well executed - you should be very pleased with yourself :)
Thankyou :) there were a lot of unknowns when I started, could I have my bezel on top of the band and the tube part of the band? Would that look okay? Should the angle of the tube be parallel to the edge of the bezel or at right angles to the band. You never think about this stuff until you start making :)Quote:
Originally Posted by mizgeorge
I should have gone back and proof read that but I see you knew what I meant:)Quote:
Originally Posted by Sheen