[Jewelry making - Article 00164] - Re: [Orchid] Bezel punch

[Sam Patania]

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    I purchased bezel punches in many different shapes and sizes several
    years ago thinking I was solving a problem. I soon found out that
    the punches themselves were difficult to use and a problem of their
    own. I decided that since the punches were in fact for calibrated
    stones,since they can only make a certain size and shape, I would be
    better using cast bezels which could be made much more rapidly and
    plentiful. Even if I needed only one bezel of a certain size I could
    carve it and cast it better than the bezel punches would produce.
    And if I only needed one bezel for one project why was I spending
    that much money on a punch to make it? 

    I found that I needed to over size my materials and file down what
    the punches made in order to get a good bezel and even then it was
    always off center. Making a cone out of sheet and then employing the
    punches to true it was such a long way 'round I could not bring
    myself to spend the time. I had bought the punches to save time and
    fabricating tiny cones was not saving time. Any of the punches with
    corners like the trillion or rectange were useless because of the
    stress the punch put in the corners would tear the metal. 

    I sold all but the round punch sets I had bought, and lost money but
    I could not justify having spent that money to begin with. My
    problem was that I didn't know that at the time, I thought the
    punches looked like the solution to the sort of small scale
    production I do. Casting turned out to be the answer and I already
    had the equipment. 

    I kept the round one for the once a year time I need to true up a
    small cone, I think I just talked myself into selling that one too. 

Sam Patania, Tucson
www.patanias.com
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