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This selected list
describes a number of small, easily made tools which can improve efficiency,
speed and ease of working at the bench. While by no means a complete listing
of the tools one has at one's bench or of vernacular goldsmiths tools it
demonstrates examples of the kind of thinking required for ease of working
at the bench. Remember, speed and efficiency give one more creative time.
Each tool represents a useful production aid and involves skills applicable
to other areas of metalworking in it's making and discussion.
soldering weights Soldering weights are used to hold items down while soldering. Traditionally
they are made with rectangular blocks of steel. 1/4" steel plate and angle
iron can be used. Even a sardine can filled with typemetal or lead will
work. A 3mm (1/8") round or square steel rod emerges from one end of the
weight or is brazed in place using a white paste flux, silver, silver
solder, brass or copper to fix it in place. Sometimes one makes one out
of a sardine can with the hold-down rod brazed in place and the can filled
with lead or typemetal. This involves safety concerns when melting the
lead or tin in place. (Warning-ventilation
hazard) Old needle files serve well for the rod. They are much
faster than any third arm as one has different sized soldering weights
and they are rapidly swung onto the work to hold it in place. They are
often used in combination with a nest. 
soldering nest
 A soldering nest is a loosely wound bundle of fairly thin iron binding
wire. One spreads one fingers slightly to wind the wire (.016 or thinner)
so as not to trap them by binding them too tightly. Several sizes of nest
are useful but in general three fingers will produce a good sized nest
for most work. One winds at different angles to create a loosely interwoven
pad about 4mm (3/16") thick. This gets the work being heated off the firebrick
allowing heat reflected from the brick to work on it. Because iron is
a poor conductor of heat it holds heat after the flame is removed elsewhere
and acts like an electric burner under parts of the piece one is not heating
with the torch because it glows while one moves the flame elsewhere on
the piece. It is most useful with broader flame torch types; those professionals
working only with a mini-torch would not find it as useful. Such a nest
emulates the action of soldering on a charcoal block and provides more
all around heat, albeit without offering the reducing atmosphere conditions
of the charcoal block. Thin iron wire is however much cheaper than a charcoal
block and lasts for years. One can also create reflecting conditions by
inserting pins or small pieces of stainless steel or titanium sheet into
firebrick or charcoal.
earring post tweezers
Self-locking tweezers may be bought and then reshaped to various useful
forms such as clamps for holding heads on rings and holding stonesettings
together while soldering. A pair of the cheaper, chrome plated steel self-locking
tweezers with a triangular notch filed in place at each of the ends automatically
grips and snaps earring posts to a right angle for quick earring post
soldering. To use them one simply throws the earring posts onto the table
and they are easily and quickly held at 90o no matter what angle they
are gripped from. Note that the ends have been filed so that when using
them they smoothly grasp and guide the earring post into its groove. Again,
other grooves, slots and holes can be installed to hold various kinds
of assemblies together while soldering. If made of titanium or if titanium
ends are attached to the self locking tweezers they cannot solder together
or to the metals being assembled and so become a superb soldering jig.
flex shaft emery mandrel This can be made from a nail but it is better to purchase one. Sometimes
they are called split mandrels. The commercial one is better because it
has a 2mm shank. This fits into collet type production flex shaft handpieces
as well as requiring far less work to change bits in the standard #30
Foredom® handpiece which many people use. As with all heavy or potentially
heavy and large flex shaft tools the first thing one does is to cut one
third of the back of the shank off to shorten it and have the tool butt
up close to the jaws of the chuck. This prevents the tool from suddenly
bending to a right angle when in use and taking out one's knuckle. One
uses emery belt sander material called shop roll to wind around the tool.
If ordinary emery paper is used it disintegrates into a fine dust and
the glue used on emery cloth melts with the heat of friction so the abrasive
effect is lost too quickly. Belt sander material on the other hand is
designed to run hot and not fly apart easily. I suggest a fairly coarse
grit, perhaps 150 or 180 as it wears, rapidly providing a series of grits
on the same tool so that one has control over grit size by the position
the work is held on the tool. It can be used to replace certain filing
needs, spot finishing, edges and in fact all finishing on a piece prior
to polishing. As it wears one uses different parts; when worn through
it is torn back and then rapidly across baring new material. It is nice
to have several of these because then one has varying diameters and grits
sizes available for different kinds of jobs. To make it one uses 2.5cm or 1" wide shop roll belting. One tears off
a strip about 4" or 10 cm long and places the end of it into the slit
in the mandrel. The shaft of the mandrel is on the right of the emery
strip as you begin to wind it on. Having the shaft in the other direction
causes the strip to unwind with a flapping roar when used. Winding it
on to the mandrel with the fingers looks something like someone rolling
a cigarette. It is rolled as tightly as possible with the fingers and
then one packs it further by repeatedly rolling the mandrel along the
desk or on a piece of wood with a large flat file using a fair bit of
pressure to completely pack it.
One uses an 18 g (1.2mm) iron binding wire to fasten the roll in place.
Iron wire of this gauge stretches when tightened in such a way that one
obtains good pressure on the emery roll. Other thicknesses or iron wire,
brass, copper and other wires do not seem to work as well. A three inch
or 7-8cm long piece of wire is taken and bent around the roll on the mandrel
which is kept tight with the fingers while wrapping it. Then one twists
it with flat nose pliers, tugging away while gripping and tightening so
that it is very snug. If you tighten too far the iron wire may snap off
close to the roll so be careful as it tightens. The twisted wire is cut
off with snips about 1 cm (3/8" or so) away from the mandrel. It is then
bent down to the shaft of the mandrel as shown in the diagram with the
pliers which burnish it down against the shaft of the mandrel over the
end of the packed shop roll so that one cannot feel anything sharp when
one touches it. One can burnish the wire tight into a safe position and
smooth it with the jaws of the flat nose pliers as shown in the diagram.
This prevents damage to your fingers when using it. Last of all one takes
the same pliers and one gives it a zigzag kink on the opposite side from
the twisted wire. This completes the tightening of the roll. when it is
worn tear it back and then sharply across to bare new abrasive materials.
 
cardboard disc sander A very useful tool is a cardboard disc sander. One uses the side or
large flap of a fairly rigid corrugated cardboard box. Make sure it has
not been bent or creased to damage its rigidity. One side should be smooth.
The disc will be placed onto the tapered spindle (mandrel) of a polishing
machine. One begins by measuring the distance from the middle of the tapered
mandrel to the closest part of the polishing machine or its hood with
dividers. The dividers are then closed slightly so that the disc clears
all parts of the polishing machine and hood when rotating. Remember that
a cardboard disc will tend to ride up the mandrel in use so give sufficient
room for this. One then scribes the appropriate sized circle onto the
cardboard making sure that the center hole actually penetrates the cardboard.
The disc is now cut out carefully with an X-acto® or similar knife. Remember
that most injuries in art schools are from X-acto® knives and therefore
do this carefully. Then one takes a sheet of 220 grit emery paper, spreads
rubber cement (not white glue-it dries in lumps and ruins the tool) onto
the slightly corrugated side of the disc, places it on the back side of
the emery paper and turns it with some pressure from the heel of your
hand so as to evenly spread the rubber cement on all surfaces to be joined.
The disc is then lifted off and fanned over the emery paper so that both
surfaces become tacky, dull and mat. The two surfaces are then pressed
firmly together and smoothed to effect a good join. One then trims the
emery paper flush to the cardboard disc using knife or scissors. Keep
it close to the cardboard. Wearing safety glasses the disc is now placed onto the mandrel while
it is spinning so that it rides up to the third or halfway level on the
taper, piercing through the emery paper. Get your hand off and away from
the rotating disc quickly as any emery paper sticking out past the cardboard
can inflict what might feel like the worlds worst paper cut. One holds
the back end of a steel file or another piece of steel onto the edge of
disc and paper to trim off any overlap and make the edge safer. The motor
is now turned off and the disc removed. The area around the center hole
is now strengthened by melting a hard file-a-wax or other wax around the
center. If one quickly places a torch onto it and removes it fast the
wax may melt and run into the cardboard about the center making the hole
last longer in use. Better than wax is 5 minute epoxy which can make a
very permanent strengthening support. If using epoxy let dry before replacing
on the mandrel. If using wax make sure it is dry and set as otherwise
a vertical spray of wax straight up ones body occurs when the motor is
turned on. When in use there are a number of cutting speeds available
depending upon how close one is to the spindle, further out is faster;
closer in is slower. Within a very few minutes there are also a number
of grits available as the more used parts of the disc become finer so
that one has a lot of choices in speed and grit size all on the same tool
and easily accessible with a minimum of hand movement. To stiffen the
disc while it is running one can hold a piece of wood behind it on the
paper side while it rotates so as to obtain a more rigid surface for faster
flatter cutting.
The tool is used to sand flat surfaces onto jewellery and is unsurpassed
for reshaping commercial and handmade chasing tools and hammers. One can
go directly from this sanded surface to a polishing buff. On steel one
uses Fabulustre® on a buff and the process of completely refinishing a
hammer can be reduced to five minutes or less. It is absolutely essential
that the air and dust intake on the polishing machine be completely blocked
off with a piece of cardboard when using this disc as sparks can be produced
which will set the cotton lint and dust in the filters on fire. This is
a very real danger of fire with such flying sparks-I've seen it happen
twice. If one places a polishing compound such as tripoli or Fabulustre®
onto the smooth paper side of the disc then one has an extremely fine
polishing lap that can produce superb flat surfaces on jewellery that
has flat surfaces. If one makes a traditional version of this disc one
can rubber cement a piece of linen writing paper onto the paper side for
an even smoother polishing effect. Plain paper would probably work well.
Several discs with different starting grits are useful to have around.
For a minimum cost and preparation time this type of disc sander offers
a great deal in return for cost and preparation time.
riveting pliers One obtains a pair of chain nose pliers either new and high quality
or from a flea market and cheap and converts them into riveting pliers.
To test for quality one squeezes the plier handles as hard as one can
in the hand. If they feather then all is well. if they collapse and bend
then they were not the best. Note that at least one student I know has
permanently bent a pair of pliers while testing them at a tool store;
be careful if you might have to buy them - luckily he didn't. One should
use box joint pliers (where one arm of the pliers is inserted through
a hole in the other rather than next to the other arm) as they are far
superior in strength and stability to side joint pliers. Most pliers will
be soft enough to saw into and file. The pliers are cut off fairly close
(8-12mm) to the joint as greater pressure is developed closer to the joint
(the fulcrum) of the pliers than further out.
After cutting off the end of the chain nosed pliers the jaws are filed
into as shown below, probably about five to six millimeters in. The width
of the gap is dictated by the thickness of the commercial or hand made
joint that one chooses to use. My favorites are the sterling (and gold)
joint and catch systems from Fischer GMBH in Germany.
The order numbers for great quality heavy duty silver joints and catches
from their catalog are:
|
Order number |
Description |
| Page 251 |
210/N/70 |
nickel silver pinstems |
| Page 253 |
278a |
sterling silver catches |
| Page 253 |
286 |
sterling silver joints |
The pliers made will be for only one size of joint or
for one specific riveting problem. the gap filed in between the jaws
should be just slightly less thick than the joint used.
The plier jaws are marked using dividers; measuring as shown from one
edge of the jaw and from the back. This is done on both top and bottom
jaws so as to locate the line intersections one each jaw directly above
each other. When using the dividers make sure you use the same side of
the jaws to measure from to ensure accuracy.
A center punch may be used on the intersecting lines scribed on the insides
of the jaws to start an indentation. This is then followed by a round
burr to create a hemispherical dent. This is now polished with a wooden
matchstick mounted in the flex shaft and polishing compound and is done
on both the top and bottom jaws.
The jaws are now filed and shaped so that they strongly support the riveting
indentation and from the top view come pretty close to the curving outer
surface of the jaws. This allows the pliers to be moved back and forth
while gripping the rivet head in the joint without hitting anything. This
is how they are used to rivet the hinge pin into the standardized commercial
joints.
The riveting pliers are used at the end of the making of a pin, after
polishing and setting; the very last thing except for final adjustments
of the pinstem. The joint is opened, the pinstem inserted and if the rivet
does not automatically stick out of the hole on each side of the joint
it is pushed through so that it does. The joint is tightened over and
under the rivet sticking out using normal chain nose pliers. Then one
grips the rivet with the riveting pliers so that each end of it is trapped
in the round indentation. Then one swings the pliers as far as one can
about the joint while gripping them tightly. This action rivets the rivet
wire and burnishes it producing a polished round headed mushroom rivet.
Usually to even things out one then flips the pliers over and does it
again so that each end of the rivet is burnished by each side of the jaws.
Following this operation the pinstem is cut flush with the far side of
the catch, tapered to a point and then polished so that it slips easily
though the cloth when in use.
jump ring closer.
One can create a concave domed hole in the end of a piece of steel rod
which just fits over a closed jump ring when flat on a surface plate or
anvil. Just as with making a bezel rocker (the following description)
the end of a round rod is drilled into with a smallish drill bit (1-2mm).
When the concavity is made with the round burr the burr automatically
stays centered in the previously drilled hole and the concavity is then
afterwards polished using a piece of wood and steel polishing compound
set into the flex shaft. The jump ring size to be closed is chosen and
one makes a jump ring. It is set into the concavity and the metal of the
end of the rod is filed back until the jump ring lies flush within the
end surface of the rod. To close rings in quantity one throws them onto
the surface plate or anvil and taps them closed with the punch. Because
the punch was made relative to the size of the specific ring when flush
with its end surface it closes them neatly, quickly and securely. This
production tool is used in jewellery factories in Providence Rhode Island
among other places.
bezel rocker Bezel Rocker. The making of this tool is the same as was described above
for the jump ring closer and is essentially a rod with a cup-shaped depression
in the end into which the setting fits. A variety of sizes are needed
as one ideally has a rocker which fits the stone one third of the way
into the concave hemispherical cup. The cup is rocked north-south, east-west
and rotated to set the stone. The procedure is very fast and is a clean
setting method, especially for smaller stones. The tool may be made by
drilling into the center of a steel drill rod some 5 mm and then going
in with a round burr (which follows the drill shaft) to cut the concave
hemisphere. It is then polished using felt end buffs or a piece of soft
wood in the flexible shaft with some polishing compound, hardened and
tempered to a light yellow.
Cutaway view of bezel rocker on left and on the right showing how the
tubing setting fits one third of the way into the polished hemispherical
cup.
railroad spike stake Railroad spikes make good stakes. They may usually be obtained free
by asking the local rail yard for some. Sometimes they are first heated
up and the head bent over almost parallel to the shaft of the spike so
that it can be clamped in a vise and provide a 'head' that is similar
to the commercially available ones that are stuck into holders that are
held in the vise. So too do large bolts and trailer hitches when reground
slightly. Dee Fontans and I use several Vitalium® and similar hard brightly
polished metal replacement hip joints as stakes. Medical companies have
salespeople who have samples of these which they show around and which
are superseded and become available cheaply or free for use as stakes.
Almost any piece of interesting metal junk may make a good stake if finished. copper scoop A copper scoop is an essential item if one has a leather or cloth bag
hanging from the cutout in ones bench instead of a drawer. To remove filings
one simply taps the bag at the center and then scoops up the filings to
prepare the bag for the next metal type. to use with a drawer type bench
one makes sure that one side of the scoop is flat so that one can use
a bench brush or shaving brush to sweep the filings from the flat bottom
of the drawer into the scoop. The scoop is also extremely useful for carrying
hot items around the room on the way to pickle and in general for isolating
specific parts while one is working on them. Copper conducts heat well
and so allows one to easily carry multiple items about. One cuts out an
egg shaped piece of copper some 6-8" (15 cm or so) long and then shapes
it with hammers into wood and over a stake until it takes the shape shown.
Such a scoop is also really useful for delivering metal into a crucible
when alloying. We have several in different sizes around to allow for
different alloy additions and various types of jobs. Sometimes one wishes
to have smooth even falls of powders such as solder filings fall onto
surfaces. If one files a series of small notches into one side of the
scoop one can rub a tool along them creating rhythmic vibrations which
cause the powder or filings to fall evenly from the lip of the scoop.
chuck key in handle An old trick is to install a flex shaft chick key into a file handle.
This cuts down on the time required to use a #30 Jacobs type chuck by
at least 20-30%. One can place one's thumb on the cog teeth of the chuck
and press the foot pedal to close the jaws quickly on a tool held in between
them. The moment the cogs start moving slide your thumb off them to avoid
friction burns on it. This combination of rapid jaw closing and use of
the chuck key in the handle for the flex shaft make the #30 handpiece
comparable in efficiency to the standard production lever-type hand piece.
The advantage of the Jacobs chuck is that one can put tools of various
sizes into it, from various sizes of drill bit to toothpicks and match
sticks. To make the tool one chooses a file handle comfortable for your
hand and the axial rotation required of it in use. The cross bar of the
T-shaped chuck key only comes out in one direction so when trying to knock
it out if it doesn't move after a blow or two turn it over and knock it
out in the other direction. One usually grinds several rough notches into
the shaft of the chuck key. Pilot drill the file handle making sure that
one drills straight down the axis of the handle. Then one drills up to
the correct size of the chuck key shaft. I usually then drill into the
file handle at several slight angles through the hole previously drilled.
This combination of a hole with wider parts inside the handle and a chuck
key shaft with notches allow the epoxy glue used to function as a "castable
rivet" mechanically locking the shaft in the hole as well as gluing it
in place in the handle. It also gives any excess glue some place to go
and so avoids accidental splitting of the handle from internal pressure
when tightening the shaft in with a hammer. Daub the shaft with epoxy
and push it in. If there is any glue which squeezes out let it set until
like a hard gel or caulk: not set too hard. When in this condition one
can peel it off the tool. It tears easily off close to the opening in
the handle and is quite clean; an earlier removal would have smeared the
glue. 24 hour epoxy is better than five minute as five minute epoxy may
be more brittle with time and may yellow, though this is not an issue
in this case. On my own version I have used a large file handle which
tapers down towards the front. This is placed just to the right of my
bench pin and fits into a "holster" made of a metal rod. When I wish to
use the tool I hold my palm open and draw it towards me. The back of the
file handle brushes the heel of my hand and it is automatically in place
in my hand ready for use. To put it away I literally throw the tool into
its holster. Besides never having to look for the tool on the bench this
procedure means not having to pick up and put down the tool which cuts
the time required to use it.
bench brush/burnisher A very useful tool for stonesetting and general goldsmithing work is
a bench brush. Often this is a shaving brush. A traditional German goldsmiths
version is a rabbits foot. One can also take a brush intended for painting
with acrylics or oil, cut the handle short and attach a tumbled agate
or haematite stone from the rock shop to it. This may easily be done with
epoxy glue and perhaps as shown the use of a piece of metal tubing into
which it is glued. A conical one works well but something with a bit of
hook to it allows one to easily burnish edges of sheet metal. A stone
burnisher will produce a better finish than a steel one and retain its
polish longer as well.
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