Bezel setting, Burnishing tool

[Katrina]

Hello everybody,

I have another question to ask, I am just finding my feet so I do apologise for the question spamming.

I have never set anything, and want to try my hand at a rub over setting just for practice. I have a rub over tool and a roller tool (i think those are the name) but in to turorials I keep seeing the burnishing tool.

Do I need this to do the rub over setting correctly? And do I need any other specialist tool I might have overlooked?

Thank you

[ps_bond]

http://www.cooksongold.com/forum/showthread.php?t=3098 should have some useful info there; I usually use a pusher & a burnisher to follow up and even out the marks from the pusher (and then a rubber pumice wheel to hide the burnisher marks).
I also tend to finish with a graver to bright cut the top edge of the bezel, but I wouldn't worry too much about that yet!

[mizgeorge]

I also use a combination of pusher/rocker (mine are brass rather than steel) and finish up with an agate burnisher, which is less likely to damage stones if you make the odd slip!

[ps_bond]

I had been using nickel silver as a pusher, but found that for channel setting it just wasn't hard enough so went over to steel.
(Oh, OK - my steel pushers are cut-down & filed-to-shape nails in graver handles...)

[Dennis]

Please forgive me if you know this already, Katrina but first things first:

1. Bought bezel strip is flimsy and difficult to use. It is also too wide for most cabochons, so you will find it better to cut your own strip from 0.4mm fine silver sheet.

2. It is also easier to create your collet around a standard sized former, rather than around the stone itself. For this you can use the stems of a set of twist drills. It does not need to be expensive, but the bigger the set, the more useful it will be in future.

3. Next you need to learn to solder your collet onto a backing, which is generally done by heating from below, to bring both components up to soldering temperature together.

After that, provided your collet fits snugly, but not tightly and is only just tall enough to hold the stone, the rest is a doddle. When trying the stone into your piece after soldering, lay some dental floss across first, so that you can yank it out again. When setting, protect your piece with lots of masking tape to avoid damaging the surround. Dennis.

[Katrina]

Please forgive me if you know this already, Katrina but first things first:

1. Bought bezel strip is flimsy and difficult to use. It is also too wide for most cabochons, so you will find it better to cut your own strip from 0.4mm fine silver sheet.


2. It is also easier to create your collet around a standard sized former, rather than around the stone itself. For this you can use the stems of a set of twist drills. It does not need to be expensive, but the bigger the set, the more useful it will be in future.

3. Next you need to learn to solder your collet onto a backing, which is generally done by heating from below, to bring both components up to soldering temperature together.

After that, provided your collet fits snugly, but not tightly and is only just tall enough to hold the stone, the rest is a doddle. When trying the stone into your piece after soldering, lay some dental floss across first, so that you can yank it out again. When setting, protect your piece with lots of masking tape to avoid damaging the surround. Dennis.

Ohh No! I already bought bezel strip 3.00mm but I actually think it will be too small for the stone its also triangular shape. but i have a slimmer agate which I might try. I dont know if i will be able to create my own collet for these stones they are all random shapes.

But luckily I know how to solder and have made a solitare ring with collet and a round ring so I hope i have enough knowledge to solder this collet.

This might sound silly but I like to learn the harder way so I at least know how to do it. does that make sense?