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Thread: Favourite and unusual tools

  1. #1
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    Feb 2015
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    Default Favourite and unusual tools

    Hi everyone,

    As a beginner, I'm slowly building up a stock of tools for my own use at home and could spend hours browsing online and flicking through catalogues looking at them!

    My question is - what is your favourite (or most used) tool, and why? Is it something you've made yourself, a tool used for something other than the intended purpose perhaps? I realise that answers will vary widely depending on the style and type of jewellery you create, but I'm curious to see what you all find useful.

    I'm currently in love with the 3M radial bristle disks on my Dremel for finishing and have found them to be brilliant - no polish mess on the white walls at home!

  2. #2
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    Aug 2010
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    England
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    I must admit that I enjoy using a piercing saw, I can happily saw for hours and over the years I have built up quite a collection of saw frames. As for tools that I have made, then soldering clamps must rate high, at first I made them from stainless steel sheet and now I use titanium strips.

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    James
    Last edited by Goldsmith; 26-07-2015 at 08:03 AM.

  3. #3
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    Without a doubt my Foredom pendant motor - incredibly versatile and it is used for one thing or another with nearly everything I make. I still have my Dremel 4000 but hardly ever use it now, the Foredom is so much better - the high torque at very low revs is great for use with burrs and drills.
    Barry the Flying Silversmith👍

  4. #4
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    Dec 2009
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    Central London
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    Some people are in love with gem stones and build up a large hoard. Others have a tool mania and buy everything that takes their fancy.

    To me both are useless without a purpose and I recommend you only buy what you need for the project in hand. Dennis.

  5. #5
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    I think that's good advice Dennis. Once you have the basics, just buy what you need for the job.

    Over the years I've "needed" a pendant motor, a rolling mill, a kiln, a super duper torch, a hydraulic press, polishing motor, a Jooltool to name but a few. The most used of all is the pendant motor, second is the polisher and third is the Jooltool.

  6. #6
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    Jul 2009
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    Romsey
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    I'm more in the latter category, although every tool purchase has to be justified - limited use tools I don't really do (for example, shaped cutters where the break-even point is way beyond what I'd actually make with them). Stones - I have some that are stock (round brilliants in the 2-3mm range) and a couple of specimen stones, but generally I only buy stones for specific projects.

    Favourite tools? Airgraver, microscope, Knew Concepts saw and the laser. In no particular order.

  7. #7
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    Feb 2015
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    Brilliant responses and as expected, some sage advice from Dennis.

    James, that's quite a saw collection! Accurate piercing is something that still eludes me, but I'll keep plugging away at it. Do you find that any particular frame is better than others, or does it depend on the job in hand? I have already charged my husband with making some clamps for me using your designs, so I'm looking forward to having a go with them. There are plenty of soldering jobs where a third hand just doesn't cut it.

    I agree with you on the Foredom, Barry - I have access to one at college and am always disappointed after using it that my Dremel won't run at the same low speeds. As soon as I have some dedicated workshop space, I expect that will be my first big tool spend.

    Carole - a small rolling mill and bigger torch (Sievert, I think) are also on the list for when I have some space. I definitely don't want to be using anything bigger than a micro torch when I'm restricted to working in my living room at the moment so have to save my larger solder jobs for college.

  8. #8
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    [QUOTE=jayneharrison;80479]Brilliant responses and as expected, some sage advice from Dennis.

    James, that's quite a saw collection! Accurate piercing is something that still eludes me, but I'll keep plugging away at it. Do you find that any particular frame is better than others, or does it depend on the job in hand? I have already charged my husband with making some clamps for me using your designs, so I'm looking forward to having a go with them. There are plenty of soldering jobs where a third hand just doesn't cut it.

    I have found that the lightweight Knew Concepts saw frames have suited me well now that my hands and arms are not as strong as they used to be, but I think good blades are more important than the frames used. I have used Glardon Vallorbe saw blades for the past 20 years.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Apr 2015
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    I don't have any fancy tools really. My favourite tool is always my saw because I love piercing out my shapes, it's my favourite part really and I make sure I start every day with piercing! Closely followed by my files. As long as I have them I'm happy!

    Always have a stash of stones as well as discounts from Wards are fab.

    It's easy to waste on tools though. I bought a disc cutter shortly after I started as the thought of piercing circles seemed taunting. However, it's pretty easy and quick and irregularities are easily filed out so my disc cutter has only been used once or twice nd I hate the thing!

  10. #10
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    Jun 2015
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    Quote Originally Posted by jayneharrison View Post
    Do you find that any particular frame is better than others, or does it depend on the job in hand? I have already charged my husband ...
    Funny how you can mis-read things - I read "charged" as "changed" and thought that's a bit callous, swapping your husband as you might an inadequate saw frame.

    And James, I'm not sure that constitutes a collection so much as a fetish...

    My most used tool, though really a multi-tool for glass, metals, wood, stone and everything else, is the Dremel - not as good as the Foredom which is on my wishlist, I have the Dremel Stylus, good for being cordless, reasonable range of speeds, poor when it comes to torque. Like you Jayne, my current favourite attachments for it are the radial discs.

    My most essential tool for silverworking generally is probably my torch - a Smith Little torch connected up to the oxygen/propane setup along with our glassworking torches. I often use a basic blowtorch for quick annealing, but the Smith is great when I need more heat and/or more control.

    My favourite specialist tool, unusual around here perhaps but well known to glass beadmakers, is a gadget for flaring tubing to make silver cores for beads (great for metal-on-metal tube rivets too). My partner makes a lot of European Charm beads (like Pandora, Troll, etc) and contracts out all the coring to me. I don't make as many as she does, but have just cored these 5, sold overnight to a customer in the USA.

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    Last edited by ajda; 26-07-2015 at 03:20 PM.

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