Grain setting tools

[Faith]

Morning all,

For a while now I've been seriously considering having a go at grain setting. In terms of tools, I think I will need (extra to things I already have):

• A half round scorper for raising grains
• An onglette scorper for scoring lines
• A flat scorper for tidying the metal after the grains are raised
• And a grain/beading tool

My question is, roughly what sizes (i.e. widths) do I want each one of those to be if I'm going to have a first go with 1.5mm stones (brilliant cut zircons if it matters).

PS - I know the answer might be that it depends or that I need a selection of all of them, but just to start out I'm hoping to buy one of each in case I never get the hang of it, and I really have no point of reference to figure out which size of each to buy!

Many thanks in advance,

Faith

[Faith]

Hi again,

Well I appear to have asked an impossible question, but i'll have one last go

After some leeeenghty googling I think I need (for my 1.5mm stones):
- 0.4mm round graver for raising grains
- 1.45mm onglette graver for line cutting, and a
- 1mm flat scorper for tidying around the grains (advice suggests not to go smaller although I wonder how it'll work in little spaces)

And for grain tools maybe a 0.45 (although its not clear to me if the size of the tool corresponds to the size of the grain it makes or whether its like cup burrs and they'll come up littler).

Be awesome to know if anyone agree's / disagree's though before I take a punt

Many thanks again,

Faith

[Dennis]

Maybe no one here does grain setting Faith.
You have left out the most important ingredient: keen eyesight and good magnification-possibly a microscope.
When I found myself on a course including grain setting, some years ago, I couldn't even see what the tutor was doing, let alone copy his example. Dennis.

[josef1]

What you have said is a start . I think you will also maybe need a selection of burrs if you dont have them, a bench grinder for shaping gravers or at the minimum a grinding wheel for your pendant drill and a way of sharpening , a diamond plate will do to get you started. Companies like GRS do setters kits but you will still need to shape and sharpen these and you wont use all of them. I find that you end up cutting and shaping tools so they fit the job at hand. I would also get a selection of grain tools otherwise you will end up with the fried egg look if you try to use a tool thats too small for example as the grains you lift are never the same size. Dont let that put you off though setting stones is great. As Dennis said some form of magnification is essential in my opinion aswell.


sharpening plate


Grs gravers



Also maybe worth getting before you spend any money is the setters package of tutorials from https://www.jewellerytrainingsolutions.com.au/ the tools required are all talked about . I bought this and Peter that runs it very helpful you also get membership to a private Facebook group which is good . I have no connection to this apart from been a happy customer.

https://jewellery-training-solutions...n-setting-rope there are other videos aswell

[ps_bond]

You can of course cut the seat & azures with a saw; follow up with a bullstick scorper to finish cutting the seat. Particularly for fancy shapes, that's what I still tend to do. It's possible to use the same round scorper to make larger or smaller grains, depending on how much metal you gather up as you're doing it.

My flat (that I bright cut with) is 1.2mm FWIW.

[Faith]

Thanks Dennis

From previous posts i was hoping there'd be a few folk, just no one had asked my particular question . I do have magnification now, but not a microscope, so i was hoping to give it a try like that and see how i got on. My near sight at least is pretty good for now, the only benefit of being horrendously short sighted!

Thanks Josef too

i have burrs and diamond plates, currently only pendant grinding capability not a bench grinder, but i was planning on buying individual GRS QC preshaped tools (like in your photo) so i'm hoping my shaping will be more in terms of smaller adjustments and sharpening, and for sharpening i was planning on getting arkansas stone, emery paper and then using rouge on something to be determined (but i have a list of options). Thanks for the tips about the grain tools, i'll get a range then, and thanks for the links to the tutorials, i have some good books but i always find videos really helpful.

Finally thanks Peter

I'm going to start with rounds and drill/burr my seats, but hoping the grain setting in general will build (or not) my confidence with gravers/scorpers. Thanks for the advice about the round scorper too, do you think the 0.4mm size would be okay to start with, there was conflicting advice on that but i worried that a wider one would create grains too big for the stones? Thanks about the flat size too, "bead setting diamonds with pave applications" suggested no littler than 1mm, so that gives me confidence to go for roughly that size.

Ta again all,
Faith