Pesky bezels

[Faith]

Hello there,

So I'm repeating a number of projects to build experience, and currently am back in the soldering bezel wire phase of bezel making. In my previous first attempts I was rather happy if the bezel wire soldered at all and didn't melt, but now I'm shooting for better.

I've been trying to get my ends as straight and flush as possible and *thought* they were, but a couple of my bezel wires have tiny gaps appeared at the top and bottom of the solder seam. I'm wondering if its the same thing as with rings - the metal is springing apart slightly and I need to anneal them first, but they do seem strong - I have successfully rounded on the bezel mandrel and pushed in tight fitting stones and the seams seem solid apart from the tiny notchy gaps.

The bezel walls are also made a bit high and I'm planning to file/emery them top and bottom to the exact right height so the little notchy bits will file out.

So I'm wondering - are there any tips to avoid said notchy bits, but also how much do I need to worry about them, are they a sign that the whole join isn't great or should they be okay after filing?

Many thanks,

Faith

[Dennis]

Faith, the notchy bits are peculiar to you, although they should not occur if the ends fit well and you use enough solder.

You are dealing with it by starting too wide and filing some away. The part which sits on the base plate will fill anyhow when you solder again.

It is possible that your problem is occurring because your strip is the kind which is sold ready made and therefore very thin. This might then melt slightly and pull away.

If you don't do so already, you will find cutting your own strip from 0.4mm fine silver sheet (or 0.5mm For larger stones) makes the strip much easier to manage. Dennis.

[Faith]

Hi Dennis,

Faith, the notchy bits are peculiar to you...

Before I develop quite an inferiority complex - did you mean the notchy bits are not perculiar to me!?

I had another go (just for fun) making sure the edges fit perfectly, I annealed it first for good measure and used more solder (too much in fact it turns out). No notchy bits, but the whole section with the solder join shrank slightly (and I wasn't focusing the heat on the join).

I am however, as you guessed, using pre-made extra melty bezel wire . I actually find it really good, when I don't melt it, and it's meant to be 0.3mm thick. If I were to cut my own though, how would I cut the strips from sheet? I am reminded here of a comment of yours when I was reading about James' titanium soldering clamps, along the lines of you can pierce or you can't but a new saw won't help. I am rather in the second camp - if there's a way to saw in a straight line, I haven't found it....

Thanks
Faith

[Dennis]

Well the 0.3mm bezel wire is too thin for most of us and liable to melt slightly, or distort when heated. It helps though, to partly close the air hole of your torch to get a cooler flame and to solder in semi darkness, which allows you to monitor any over heating.

Why dont you try again and pierce a strip. You will find you mostly need 2.0-2.5 mm wide strips. Alternatively, if you have access to a rolling mill, you can gently roll down fine silver wire to make suitable stock for bezels.

1.0mm round will roll down to 1.5 x 0.4mm
1.5mm round will roll down to 2.0 x 0.5mm
2.0x1.0 rectangular will roll down to 2.2 x 0.5mm Dennis.

[Faith]

Alas no rolling mill, not yet anyway...

So would it be this kind of sheet to go for: http://www.cooksongold.com/Sheet/Fin...prcode-CSF-040 (and anneal it myself)? Cookson don't appear to have a pre-annealed option.

8mm stones tend to be the biggest I'm setting at the moment, so I figured 0.4 rather than 0.5mm.

Ta as always
Faith

[enigma]

I use the fine silver sheet,( Thanks Dennis! ) Cooksons sell it in various thicknesses and widths from 3mm wide so being lazy I buy 3mm, 4mm, 5mm and 7mm widths in corresponding thickness from 0.3mm to 0.5mm.
I would probably go for 0.5mm on an mm stone myself.
I suspect you are just overheating the metal slightly causing it to start to curl/melt at the edges, you do need to be very careful with 0.3mm sheet.

[Faith]

Oh well that's a nifty idea Sarah, do Cookson cut strips that accurately? I always assumed you got roughly the dimensions you ordered but not millimetre perfect?

[ps_bond]

Are any of the stones you're making the bezels for millimetre perfect?

[Dennis]

Sarah's advice is just what you need at present Faith. You can always order samples of both thicknesses to see which one suits you.

The strip will also be a little too wide at 3mm, because you need to expose as much of the stone as possible. However you can rub it on flat emery paper once you have soldered the ends together. Traditionally it is done by following a figure of eight path, for an even reduction.
It also helps to file a bevel around the top outside edge.

Once all this is done make sure the round shape is restored before soldering on the base. Then if trying in the stone again, lay a longish piece of dental floss across the floor, to yank it out by, or it is likely to stick. Dennis.

[Faith]

Are any of the stones you're making the bezels for millimetre perfect?

Yeah, alright

Well it seems I have some shopping to do, I'll get some 3mm strips and have a go with those.

I was going to ask about the bevelling - I have read about doing that but never have as my pre-made bezel wire didn't seem like it needed it. I presume its just to tidy up the edge and make it neater, rather than being necessary to push the metal over the stone?

I ask that because I'm just trying to gauge how much bevelling is required with the thicker strip?

Thanks for everyone's advice
Faith