Soldering on copper tape

[Rachbristol]

Hi Faith,

Thank you so much for taking the time to write that in such great detail. I feel like I have got my head around it now and after watching the videos I'm ready to give it a go and am so pleased I can use silver. I just need to wait for the silver bezel to arrive and I can get going. I will most definitley post some pics and possibly some questions along the way.

Thank you
Rach

[Rachbristol]

Hi Faith,

So I had a go at the silver bezel. It is by no means near to perfect. I found when I was soldering the join the solder didnt go to the join it kind of went all around the area so that took a few attempts and I also found it very hard to put the jump ring on which made the join open a bit (I used hard and easy solder). I used my third hand but was so tricky. When I bent the bezel around the stone that fixed a little bit. It's def solid enough that it won't break and it can be worn. not as bad as I thought my first attemp would go.





Also for the ones I just want to put silver on the top would I use the same quarter inch bezel or different silver sheet? I'm not sure how it would wrap around the top of a stone and be a surface for a jump ring?

Thanks
Rach

[Faith]

Hi Rach,

Well they aren't bad for a first go plus double bezels are much more difficult than regular bezels (I think anyway) AND you have a big irregular stone there so you started with a really tricky one

Re the solder join in the bezel, you need to make sure the edges are filed so they fit perfectly before you solder (you shouldn't be able to see light through the join). Then maybe cos your bezels are quite big they could be expanding a bit in the heat so the join opens and then it won't solder. Maybe try this: Once in shape spring fit the join, then anneal it like that with no solder, pickle, spring fit the join again (the springiness will have gone after annealing) and then try soldering. Remember to focus on heating the bezel not the solder and to make sure both sides are the same temperature (don't focus the torch on one side more than the other). If you have any you discarded, practice on them making smaller and smaller bezels (cutting the join out each time) and you'll get it.

Re jump ring, that is indeed a fiddly job, I hold the bezel in my third hand positioned so the solder join is in the third hand jaws, which should serve to heat sink that bit and stop it getting too hot. I have the jaws facing vertically down so the bezel is flat, balance a jump ring on the edge of a soldering block and position the suspended bezel next to it so my hands are free for the actual soldering and nothing should move too much.

Now it's partly a matter of style, but your bezel walls are much higher than they need to be to hold the stone, and that makes for a lot of metal that needs to compress as it goes over & might crinkle. You probably only need about a millimetre or so of silver over the face of the stone to hold it. If your stock bezel is too high emery it down to the right height after soldering. Use rough emery 180 grit ish (or you'll be there forever) put the emery on a steel block (or other hard totally flat surface) and rub the bezel in a figure of 8 motion (or it'll reduce wonky).

For your ones with metal around the top, there are probably other ways but I'd make a funny shape cup bezel for em. Google Soham Harrison's basic bezel tutorial for a start The flat base of your bezel would actually be on top of your stone, with the jump ring soldered on, and the bezel wall around the stone. For height, once you've soldered the bezel wall, push it around the top of the stone, make sure it's lined up with the top edge and flip ur stone over to see how much gap there is between the lower edge of the bezel wall and the stone. You only need to push it in a bit to set it so if the gap is pretty big, take it off and emery it down some more.

If it helps here's a photo (it's not awesome quality) of a 8mm tourmaline in its setting before I pushed the metal in, so you can see the size of the gap on that one.



Best of luck and let us know how you get on

Faith

[Faith]

Hey again,

Here's the link to Part 1 of Sohams vid on normal cup bezels: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=7rbhTrOtdNY

I'd use somin like 0.5mm thick sterling sheet for the bezel base (which would be your roof). One thing tho - Soham puts his solder inside the bezel wall to solder to the base - that's fine for him he's excellent at it - but til you're super confident put your solder all the way around the outside. That way if you get any messy left over lumpy bits they aren't in the way of your stone and will get filed away. Also don't heat from the top like her does at all, do the whole thing heating from below in circles inside the where u think the bezel wall is. By heating inside the solder gets sucked in and by heating from below u won't damage ur bezel wall (which will be more apt to melt than his as its thinner).

Faith

[Rachbristol]

Hi Faith,

That makes alot more sense about soldering the join. I followed your instructions and have now successfully cracked it, also makes way more sense to do the jump ring like that I was trying to hold both in the third hand - was way too fiddily.

Yeah I was also thinking the silver was too high around the stone I will most definitely fix that your pic is helpful to see how much I need extra.

Soham's video's are great have watched a few now and he is very thorough I have learnt alot - Thanks for that tip.

Am going to have a good go at making a silver cup for my stone now. I will post some pics - may take a while!

thanks so much for your advice Faith

[1711]

Good grief... This is the first and second things I was taught in lessons.. I mean that as in "Oh wow... I can do that! 😆'

Pre made bezel cups work fine for regular shaped and sized cabochons... Cooksons also sell some neat tension setting loops I will have to look up the link... These would work for semi irregular pieces..

For the random stuff (sea glass for example) a tension set Bezel is doable if you take your time and remember to work on both the front and rear of the stone as well. As alternating opposing sides... This keeps the tension of your metal band even.

If your stone or cabochon is thin enough the 3mm fine silver bezel is great.. If not just order sheet metal in strips... I get my 0.4 mm sheet cut 4mm wide and a metre long for bezel cups.

This will generally only work for pieces with external curves as it is the tension of the metal that holds a set piece in place.. I have set a shallow indent on a heart but only on a backed bezel

If you make (or buy) a solid backed bezel cup you can always pierce the back then cut and file it out leaving a narrow rim.. You can match the outline of the stone/cab or cut a shape.. I often do, a random organic shape for mine.

Lastly.. The simplest way to set a rim round a flatter stone or cabochon is bearer wire...

It is good for gentle curves.. Has a micro ledge inside that supports the stone and a very narrow profile so you see much more of the object you are setting



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[1711]

Set on bearer wire.. Front and reverse view..



Bezel cup opened at the reverse to allow the back to be viewed



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[Dennis]

Good grief... This is the first and second things I was taught in lessons.. I mean that as in "Oh wow... I can do that! 😆'Sent from my SM-N910F using Tapatalk

Many of our members were college taught and some have found that their tutors struggled to demonstrate what they were trying to teach. Dennis.

[Patstone]

Yes Dennis, I am one of those. College one night a week for 10 weeks doesnt do a lot as far as teaching stone setting. I have learnt most of what I know from you guys and videos, that was about 6 years ago now, so still learning as I go but have mastered the techniques in my head on most but still struggle to put them into practice.

[1711]

Many of our members were college taught and some have found that their tutors struggled to demonstrate what they were trying to teach. Dennis.

I didn't go to college I just have lessons privately - although coincidentally from the person who ran evening classes locally... I guess I was just lucky and she threw me in at the deep end? Lol

I wasn't suggesting it's basic stuff.. Just that little me exploring books and videos with a few lessons chucked in here and there; for once has already done it.. Most of what you guys do is way past my pay grade and understanding!

Mind you I was already depressed that there's no longer term learning path near enough for me to consider... (I can't give up work for a full time course) and now you are telling me what is out there isn't always worthwhile...

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