[Jewelry making - Article 00294] - Re: [Orchid] Difficulty Fusing

[coralnut]

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    Noel...another way to insure your bezels are flat and fit well to
    the back plate.... 

    Wrap the stone and solder or fuse the ends of the bezel wire
    together. Then put a piece of sand paper (around 220 is good) on a
    perfectly flat surface. Hold the bezel wire down with as many fingers
    as you can get on the top (if you trry this with one or two fingers
    the bezel will probably 'stumble' against the paper and collapse)
    GENTLY move it in circular motion. Do this until you have a perfectly
    flat bezel bottom. Now matching it against a back plate is another
    matter. Be sure to cut the plate larger than the bezel and certainly
    plan for any embellishments you may want to add around the bezel.
    Some people prefer to give it a few thumps with a rawhide mallet on
    bench plate, others prefer to run it through a mill. Whatever works. 

    Be sure to place the bezel back over the stone before soldering it
    to the plate to ensure the shape has not changed. Some beginners have
    a problem when they reshape the bezel over the stone before soldering
    because the bezel tends to be a bit tight and the sides slant towards
    the stone ever so slightly.....often not enough to even notice. If
    the bezel is soldered in this configuration, the base will be wider
    than the top and the stone will fit without burnishing out the top or
    grinding down the stone. UGH!! 

    If the bezel is too tight, loosen it just a tad by rolling a mandrel
    around the inside against a bench plate. This stretches the bezel
    which can then be reformed over the stone. Don't stretch too much!!! 

    Cheers from Don at The Charles Belle Studio in SOFL where simple
    elegance IS fine jewelry!
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