Cleaning up bezel settings

[gemheaven]

I'm slowly trying to get my work to be perfect (lol I know I have a long road ahead!!) but I find every so often I learn something new and my work takes another step forward ~ natural progression for someone mainly self taught. Anyway looking at some of my bezels and reading I think I need a scorper ~ what size do you recommend to begin with?? Then they say they need to be it must be sized, mounted, and sharpened??!!

Can anyone help
TIA

[ps_bond]

I'd go for a 1 or a 1.2mm flat for bright cutting bezels - but you will need to be able to sharpen it yourself. Probably not worth going for HSS at the moment - it takes longer to blunt, but it also takes longer to sharpen. Setting them up isn't bad, but shout if you need help with it!

[Goldsmith]

I agree with Peter, a 1mm flat scorper is ideal for cleaning rub overs. I use Glarden Vallorbe, chrome steel scorpers, if the sizes haven't changed then a number 10 is
the size you need. A bench grinder is really useful for sizing and shaping your scorpers as they are quite long when new and need to be shortened to suit your hand size.
I grind all of my scorpers to fit my hand and also to suit their purpose as I do also shape them so that I can cut inside hollows. I prepared a photo tutorial for another website recently, showing my method of shaping, hardening and tempering, polishing and sharpening a scorper ready for use. Below is a copy of the photo sheet, if it is not readable, PM me and I will send you a Zip file of larger photos.
James

[ps_bond]

So you're rehardening/retempering stock gravers then James? I've annealed a couple of mine, but I've only rehardened one or two where I've been a little careless in grinding them.

Additionally - is that a Spyderco ceramic stone I can see there? I've been using those, but I've started using diamond sharpening cards more just recently (purely because they're more portable, really).

[Dennis]

Well I'm the odd one out here, but I still maintain that if you perfect your bezel while the stone can be lifted in and out, then you only need a file and some rubber wheels to finish it. If the stone sits too low it can be raised with a jump ring or a washer which can be left loose, or the bezel can be filed down with the stone out. Dennis.

[Goldsmith]

Yes Peter, I have a good stock of Spiderco stones, in the past when I worked on guns, I had to have a firearm dealer's license and the gun company who supplied my pistols also stocked the full range of Spiderco stones, so I bought a good supply at trade prices. have you seen their slip stones,they are 5"x1"x0.25" and come in all grades, each in a leather case, I use them like files on enamels and stone.
James

[Goldsmith]

Jo,
Here are a couple of rings that I made for my daughter, the oval cab one shows the finish around the rub over achieved by use of a polished scorper.
James

[gemheaven]

Thank you so much James ~ how much better does that look! I now really want/need one of those

I'm a little confused on having to shape and sharpen on my own ~ I usually pass things like that onto my other half lol!! Will check out your pictures though James thank you. Peter thank you for the size info I think I found the right one on cooksons but the price of the arkansas stone !! Do I really need one of those???

[ps_bond]

Yes Peter, I have a good stock of Spiderco stones, in the past when I worked on guns, I had to have a firearm dealer's license and the gun company who supplied my pistols also stocked the full range of Spiderco stones, so I bought a good supply at trade prices. have you seen their slip stones,they are 5"x1"x0.25" and come in all grades, each in a leather case, I use them like files on enamels and stone.

I've got a few... I've got one of the double sided stones like that, all 3 grades of bench stone as well as the stone file set. It hadn't occurred to me to use them on anything other than steel really. Have you had any problems with softer metals galling onto the stones? One of mine has a couple of tiny bits of copper stuck to it, and I can't find a way of removing them mechanically; I'd been wondering about etching them off with some sulphuric.

[ps_bond]

Peter thank you for the size info I think I found the right one on cooksons but the price of the arkansas stone !! Do I really need one of those???

Need, want... They're lovely stones - they're the same ones recommended for the stone setting course. I've not succumbed, despite them being a nice piece of rock.

When I did the engraving course with Wayne Parrott, he advocated a fine Norton India oilstone for most of the sharpening, following up with abrasive papers for polishing. They're in the order of £20.

The diamond card I've been using is by Diasharp; the fine is a good general purpose grit. There's another make around - Ezelap, but I don't like the build quality as much. About £15 IIRC.

The Spyderco stone James shows is the "Double Stuff" - medium grit one side, fine the other; you can get a moderate polish off the fine, while the medium is faster for more general sharpening. £33ish in the UK. The bench stones are a bit more expensive.