newbie tool advice - which doming set?

[Elizabeth]

Hello,
Am looking at getting a doming set. Wanting to get something good quality that will last me but obviously also don't want to spend unnecessarily - particularly post xmas...

So I'm thinking... either the Cookson's one:

http://www.cooksongold.com/Jewellery...rcode-999-775A

or the Dunstan one (which is over twice the price(!)):

http://www.cooksongold.com/Jewellery...rcode-999-7153

Does anyone have either of these/views on which I should go for? Or do you have something else?
Thanks in advance & happy new year!
Elizabeth

[LydiaNiz]

Hi Elizabeth, what are you hoping to use them for? I only ever made tiny domes (I used to make tiny silver ladles) and had a relatively cheap brass block and slightly better punches. Having said that, cheaper tools have bitten me recently (disc cutters that no longer fit their holes and so on) If it is simething you plan using a lot I'd go for the durston I think - reliable brand and looks fab.

[ajda]

As Lydia suggests, it depends what you want to use it for and how much use it's going to get. In my experience Durston tools may seem expensive, but are worth it in the long run. I've got my eye on this set - http://www.cooksongold.com/Jewellery...rcode-997-1022 - but it's a bit beyond my budget at present!
Alan

[Dennis]

Dear Elizabeth,

Making domes is only a small part of a jeweller's repertoire and though you might be thrilled by the idea now, you will no doubt move on to other things. So in my opinion, these large sets will end up as beautiful white elephants, unless you visualise having a busy workshop in future with multiple users.

I would suggest that to begin with you buy a brass cube and a set of boxwood punches from a reputable dealer and start off with that, because they will be gentle on your disks, even when textured.
For tiny disks you will eventually also need a few metal punches, because the heads of tiny wooden ones quickly break off. However you can make those by simply rounding the ends of steel rods, or found objects of a suitable size.

In 25 years, I have not felt the need for anything more. Dennis.

[CJ57]

I agree with Dennis and can't imagine how much doming one would want to do to justify the Durston set. I have a brass cube and a set of metal punches but as I continually go back to my sawn off top of a dolly peg because it's kinder, I think it's time to get a set of wooden punches!

[ajda]

Actually, that's very sound advice from the last two, though it still depends on what you want to do with it and how much you are likely to use it. If you know you'll use it and use it a lot, it may be worth getting something really good. On the other hand, if you spend big on one tool you'll have less to spend on other things and if that expensive tool ends up gathering dust in a year or two from now you'll wish you hadn't... Better to learn and experiment on something simple and cheap/found/handmade, then upgrade when/if you need to.

My initial answer was coloured by my own fondness for discs and doming - just made 120-odd large bead caps and now working on two pairs of earrings each needing six domed discs of different sizes. I invested in a Durston disc cutter a while ago and it's a million times better than the old cheapo I had. I'm still using cheap and nasty doming punches and block so I will upgrade at some point.

Alan

[CJ57]

I will admit to loving discs and domes too Alan, brought about by buying a swanstrom disc cutter from the US. Durston hadn't yet produced theirs and it was cheaper to buy from Rio Grande. I use them a lot for all sorts of things but even I would find it hard to justify their doming set, although I have recently bought their bangle forming dies so I'm not against a bit of Durston bling!

[trialuser]

Regardless of whether you spend a lot or a little, try and get one which clamps the metal in place, makes things much easier.
Some of the cheap ones don't clamp, and whilst they cut discs perfectly ok, you can't easily be as accurate (stingy) with the metal placement if you are doing a batch.

[trialuser]

Ignore me, I'm daft.
Didn't read the thread properly and thought you were talking about disc cutters.
Just been punching out a load to dome so I have them on my mind.
I standby the advice though - for disc cutters

[Dennis]

You are right Martin, but it still depends on how often you are going to cut disks and how many you need.
Even the most splendid cutter becomes tedious to use, and more so if it is complicated. So if you need say a hundred, you would do well to buy diks ready cut.
Also, many cutters which come in sets, particularly those in wooden boxes, look flashy, but perform badly and have to be abandoned.

For an occasional user wanting a long term reliable job, I would recommend this one, combined with a two pound hammer: http://www.cooksongold.com/Jewellery...prcode-999-772 Dennis.