Wonky bezel settings on thin bands

[Francescagrace]

Hi all I'm hoping you can help me!

I am really enjoying my stone setting, bezel onto 1.5mm round band, the problem I have is consistency. 3/4 of the time I line it all up with my 3rd hand etc (checking from all angles it's lined up straight) and it solders perfectly BUT I can do exactly the same thing and think everything is all lined up and the solder will make the bezel sit wonky on the band or the solder will not flow all the way across leaving a gap and I have to start again.

I place the bezel face down on the charcoal block, use a 3rd hand to hold the band, make sure everything is lined up then use easy solder paste.

I started with pallions but this seemed to be really unreliable with wether the bezel would sit straight so moved to solder paste which seems better but it still doesn't give me a consistent result! I just want to find a way to make sure it is consistent and professional. Do you have any tips??

Thank you in advance!


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[Dennis]

Hi Frances,

I have long decided that if you want to solder something in a specific position, it must be the right way up. Then what you see is what you get.

So it will be better to hold your bezel in place with a clip, or some binding wire and support the ring the right way up with your third hand.

Provided the bezel fits the shank without any visible gaps, then the type of solder should not influence its position, or cause it to move. Dennis.

[CJ57]

It may also be that you are using too much solder if it displaces the setting. If it's a tube setting I would put the pallion on the inside of the tube and draw it out

[Patstone]

I have had the same trouble in the past but now I would agree with Dennis, put the base sheet flat and rest the bezel on top. What I do is flux the base first and make it quite wet, then place the bezel on top with little pallions of solder every half cm, so on a 1cm diameter ring I would probably use around 7 or 8 pallions of solder on the inside. I dont hold the bezel down with clips because I have found that sometimes it will get too hot and cause the bezel to curl. I hold it down with reverse angle tweezers Cooksons 999 987A. I find that you can control the pressure better. Hope this helps.