setting wax v pitch?

[carrie]

HI

I am gypsy setting stones in some small earings and have been told to use setting wax to hold them whilst setting, is this better that using pitch? and can anybody recommend a supplier?

[cuttingedgejeweller]

I find shellac is great for holding odd shaped items. It is cheap and easily removed with alcohol. Any of the tool suppliers sell it. If you have pitch though it will work fine.

[Gemsetterchris]

Get some thermo-loc & a hot air blower...it works great & doesn't stick to the metal (so no need to soak off the residue).
After 20+ years using setters cement I'm converted.

[mizgeorge]

I use polymorph (very like thermo-loc, but I think a lot cheaper!) and would never go back. The clean up is just so easy by comparison.

[Patstone]

This is where I show my inexperience and ignorance, what sort of setting would you use the polymorph in and when would you use it, I bought some a while ago and have never used it. If you put it in the setting for instance a tube setting how on earth would you get it out when it sets, or do you mean some other sort of setting.

I use polymorph (very like thermo-loc, but I think a lot cheaper!) and would never go back. The clean up is just so easy by comparison.

[Dennis]

Rings may be held in a ring clamp, but brooches, pendants and earrings can be held rigid with a compound for setting, hopefully not getting it into any small holes. Personally I have never needed more than just loads of masking tape and a piece of wood as below.

Some times traces of sticky stuff remain and need meths to remove them. Dennis.

[mizgeorge]

This might help Pat - as you'll see from the last picture, this was a tricky piece to stabilise to set the ruby cab. I keep a blob of polymorph on the shellac plate for my gps and just warm it when it need it, the piece presses in and once cooled (very quick) locks the piece in place. Removing it is as simple as warming it again - I use a hot air gun (just a craft one, nothing special).

[carrie]

hi thank you every body who has replied, I like the polymorph idea, would a hairdryer be hot enough to do it?

[ShinyLauren]

I am using polymorph for the first time today and am loving it compared to setters cement! I'm setting a necklace with five faceted stones in tube settings and a cabochon, also in a tube setting. I've left the walls a bit too thick on the settings so am having to really give it some welly on the pushing, but the piece hasn't even shifted whilst I've been doing it.

I used hot water to squish all the granuals together first, but used a hairdryer to mould it round my little plate thingy on the benchmate, and also a hairdryer to put the necklace into the stuff.

Am yet to experience how easy it is to get it out again...

[ps_bond]

It can be a bit of a pig when it gets trapped, but dabbing at it with a larger, slightly cooler blob usually sticks the smaller bits enough to pull them out.