[Jewelry making - Article 00388] - Re: [Orchid] Stone setting in plexi

[Peter W . Rowe]

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>     I'm currently doing a research project on Plastics. Plexiglass in
>     particular actually. I'm going to be experimenting with
>     stonesetting in plexi, and I was wondering if anyone had some
>     experience to share on this matter, or knew someone who would. Or
>     even if anyone knew some sources of information I may use in my
>     research! 

    One cute trick you could use with fair ease, at least in flat plexi,
    would be to use standard stone setting burrs to cut a well fit seat,
    slightly undercut, into which the stone would almost fit.  Cut a
    slight undercut with a bearing burr just at the seat, which will also
    be slightly too small.  now pop the plexi in an oven at the right
    temp to soften it, same as for bending (I don't recall the exact
    temp), maybe a tad warmer.  At that temp it gets not just bendable,
    but slightly rubbery too.  And in that condition, owing to both the
    soft rubbery nature of the hot plexi, and the fact that on heating it
    expands slightly, you'll be able fairly easily to pop the stones down
    into their seats.  once the plexi cools, and shrinks a bit in so
    doing, the stones will be securely held. The stones, as the plexi
    cools, will force the plexi to slightly deform around the girdles,
    giving a very nicely tight fit, yet not so much as to break most
    harder stones, since most of the deformation occurs while the plexi
    is still hot and softer.  probably not good for very soft and fragile
    stones, or those that can't take even this fairly gentle heating.  But
    for most, it will be fine. 

    and for even stronger, more heat resistant stones that could hold up
    to the heat and temp of a vulcanizer, here's another trick, adapted
    from some work by a friend of mine during her undergrad days at Tyler,
     where she had fun putting various scraps and bits of various colors
    of acrylic (plexiglass) into a "sandwich" or laminate stack, and
    putting them into a mold vulcanizer.  As the plexi got warm, she'd
    tighten it down, and the soft rubbery plexy deformed around the
    various pieces flattening everything a bit, smooshing it together
    into a tight single piece that was well bonded, just by the pressure
    and heat, even though it didn't melt.  She incorpoarted various
    objects, wires, etc, into these laminates, then cut the results up
    into bits and pieces which were now like mosaics and other oddball
    shapes she could then use in her pieces.  Nice work.  Any, this could
    be adapted to imbedding stones in the plexi just as well. Just heat
    some plexi sheets in the oven till rubbery,  place stones table down
    on one clear sheet, and cover the culets with another sheet, either
    the same stuff, or another color, or even a solid color.  whill all
    are still soft and rubbery, put the sandwich in the vulcanizer and
    smoosh it all together tightly. The two sheets will flow around the
    stones imbedding then nicely at the junction between the sheets, and
    when done, the result can be cut up and the bits containing the
    stones used as desired. 

    It's important to anneal the plexiglass after these deformation
    operations, especially with imbedments, even more than one needs to
    do it for just benidn the sheet.  Follow the manufacturers
    recommendations for annealing the material. Again, done just in the
    kitchen oven is fine, though if I recall, the temp is a precise
    enough range you'll need a seperate oven thermometer to make sure
    it's right. since most kitchen ovens aren't all that accurate. 

Have fun.

Peter


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