[Jewelry making - Article 01139] - Re: [Orchid] Repairing old platinum ring

[David L. Huffman]

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Hello Steven;

    When you work on those pieces, you need to fill the underside of the
    ring with shellac or Jett Set if you are going to be putting any kind
    of pressure on it. Those rings are typically thin metal, and
    intricate piercing makes them bend even more easily. Heat the shellac
    on your steel bench block, then moisten your fingers and gingerly
    mold it into a ball and pack it up under the top of the ring. (For
    Jett Set, heat in a cup in the microwave) Before it completely cools,
    push it onto a ring mandrel to form the shellac so that it can be
    held on a mandrel of with a benchmate inside ring clamp. The shellace
    will ooze out the holes and around the sides, but you can easily pick
    and scrape it away from areas you need to work on. Melt out the
    shellac gently with a torch (or heat the Jett Set in hot water, no
    rings or other metal in the microwave, of course). The last of the
    shellac can be dissolved out in alcohol. I put the article in a small
    jar of alcohol and let it sit for a long time, sometimes speeding
    things up by setting the jar in a basket perched in the ultrasonic
    with it on). 

    There are many cases where articles won't withstand the pressure of
    bright cutting, engraving, hammering bezels, etc., without the
    support of shellac or one of the thermoplastics. Sometimes its the
    only way to hold on to something while working on it. Shellac is an
    essential tool for jewelers, especially during setting work. 

David L. Huffman
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