[Jewelry making - Article 00503] - Re: [Orchid] Hard gold? here's the answer

[Bruce Holmgrain]

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>     As for the problem getting a bright cut on platinoids, that would
>     be platinum, palladium and it's alloys too, have you tried using a
>     carbide graver? You need diamond to polish the stuff, but it's less
>     porous than steel and so it doesn't drag on the platinum. 

    That drag has been cited as making platinum unsuitble for lathe
    turning. I haven't tried turning it myself, but I'll try a carbide
    graver for brightcuts.. 

>     If you mirror polish it, that's what you get on your cuts. Just
>     can't get near a stone with it because it chips easily. Our friend
>     Gerry does all the cut work with onglettes, one with relief to the
>     left, one with relief to the right. 

    I was taught to use half points, left and right. 

>     I've always used a flat graver that tapers up in the cross section.
>     I can send you a diagram on that if you want. 

    My experience in using flat gravers was that it was very difficult
    to feather in cuts. A curved cutting edge seems non intuitive, but
    has served me better. Kind of like using a split lap. The curved side
    is much better to produce the illusion of flat. 

>     I'm sure a lot of us could pull off magnificent masterpieces if we
>     had months and months to work on them. 

    I burned up a lot of $3 earrings that required several hours to
    repair when I started on the bench. I learned then, that given enough
    time, I could produce just about anything. 

Bruce D. Holmgrain
JA Certified Master Benchjeweler
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