In time past, before computers and the internet and online catalogues, findings were generally made in the workshop by the metalsmiths themselves. This skill has definitely declined amongst most modern metal smiths, which is not a good thing. Knowing how to make a one-off collet for a special stone is a skill that stands anyone in good stead. And, for that matter, knowing how to make your own collets is always good, because sometimes an urgent job does not allow for the lead-in time that is required to order from a supply company. This is not to say that one should only make your own collets. There is no point to make a collet that is available in large quantities for a few dollars each. But sooner or later, in any metal smith's life, there will come a time that the skill demonstrated in this Hidi will be valuable.
This Hidi is the first of a few that are going to concentrate on making collets of different shapes, designs and methods of manufacture.
I am going to start with what is arguably the most popular, and therefore , the most 'machine made' of the collets. The so called crown collet. I am using the six clawed version, but this Hidi can be extrapolated to four claw and eight claw versions very easily.
I assume that the reader is comfortable with standard soldering techniques, and has access to a reasonable jewellery workshop that includes the melting and rolling and polishing techniques generally used in such a workshop.
We start with the basic strip of metal.
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In this case, I start with a strip of 18kt gold about 10mm wide and 40mm long and 1mm thick. Much more than I am going to need, actually. I am going to make a collet for a stone more or less 10mm in diameter. When I say 1mm thick strip, that is more or less. If the collet is smaller the metal could go down to .5mm. But for stones of about 5 to 6 mm the optimum thickness of the metal strip would be .7mm. It is not to difficult to make a collet for a 3mm stone, actually. Smaller than that becomes too finicky and not worth it with respect to the 'visual effect'. A simpler collet can be used for smaller stones. Or, for that matter, it can be purchased from one of the supply houses for a few cents... |
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I bend the strip of gold round, cut it to the right size, solder it and true it up on my baby triblet. ( a small version of a ring triblet ) |
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Then I make it into a cone shaped tube in my coning block. |
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The coning block I use is 17 degrees, which is generally the angle that most supply house collets are made in. There is also a 28 degree coning block that can be used to make collets and tubes that allow large stones to be set lower. |
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I mark off and cut with my piercing saw a groove all around the cone. I will cut this off later, but for now it serves as a mark for the next step. |
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Then I mark six cut with my saw on the top. The circumference of a circle is six times the radius of that circle. If you don't know what that means, Google it. There are many explanations there. |
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Then I cut with my piercing saw down about halfway. I use a No. 3 blade. This is to guide the tapered barrel frazer more easily.( also known as a fisher bur,) |
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Like this. |
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These are the basic tools, really. From the left, a parallel sanding mandrel, then a tapered sanding mandrel, loaded with 220grit and 1200 grit wet or dry sandpaper. Then a barrel frazer, a barrette needle file, then slitting, oval and three corner needle files. |
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With those tools mentioned above, I file the cone into this shape. This is the classic crown collet. If the parting line was not cut in the cone, it would be quite an acceptable collet as is. It is, in fact, in the four claw version, the common house sparrow of collets of the world. |
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Then I cut the bottom third off. |
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With the slitting shape file I file the first of the claw following grooves into the bottom part of the collet. |
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This gets developed with the the needle files and my piercing saw with a No.3 blade in it Note I cut the leading groove right down the middle of the claws to the top. Later, the claws can be split at the top when the stone is set. This give a very "old " feel to the collet and is most attractive in a setting. |
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Here I have positioned the top part of the collet onto the base of the crown. Just to see what it will all look like before I solder it all together. |
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I finish every thing off and polish it all. Then I set it up with binding wire to hold it steady for soldering. |
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Soldered, using the smallest of pieces of solder. I leave the 'base' of the crown quite thick, so that if a half round for the finger shape has to be filed in, there is enough metal. Always easy to file something smaller. Very difficult to file something bigger......:) |
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Another picture of the same collet. |
