[Jewelry making - Article 00093] - Re: [Orchid] Appropriate gauge for flush setting

[John Donivan]

========[ Invite a Friend - http://www.ganoksin.com/invite.htm  ]========

>     This is not my area of expertise but I would expect that there's
>     more than one way. Please share. 

    You have a pristine surface with a hole drilled in it, and you want
    to set a stone (diamond) straight into it - what the metal is
    matters but not so much. One thing you must do is make a hole that
    the stone fits into. You could drill a hole to size and cram the
    diamond into it, hoping it will go straight (bad idea without a
    machine shop), you could also drill it to size and insert a tube,
    which would become your bearing. Or you could ream the hole with a
    ball bur, a bud bur or a setting bur (never touch them, myself) or
    undercut it with a hart bur. You could also use something like a
    cone square and try to make it round by hand, but that defeats the
    whole purpose of having burs....but it could be done. I'm sure
    there's about 20 other ways I either don't know or don't want to
    write. 

    To push down the metal you could use a bezel pusher, a burnisher, a
    bent rod in the flexshaft or likely other things. You can get a
    punch and pound on it with a hammer, or use an electric hammer.. You
    can even solder the dang thing in, which I actually have done,
    before. Again, there's probably other ways, and if they work, why
    not? 

    It is important to be able to see the most elegant solution, though,
    and that is to take care, and work with skill, and seat the stone
    properly and then just rub it in. Why take a carefully prepared
    surface, pound it into submission, and then have to go back and
    restore all that surface? Again, I've done it myself but that
    doesn't make it right. Why knock all the holes out of round with a
    hammer just to have to go back and restore each and every one to
    some semblance of symmetry? Why not just set them properly, with
    skill and care, to begin with? All of the above will probably work,
    if done well, there's really not a right way, and people have to
    work within their skill level, always. There is a "best" way,
    though, plus the setter who uses it will be pumping out 40
    stones/hour  AT  $5 per, too......Efficient and elegant. Also
    unforgiving and requiring a fairly high skill level.. 

http://www.donivanandmaggiora.com
____________________________________________________________________
T h e   O r c h i d   L i s t
Open Electronic Forum for Jewelry Manufacturing Methods and Procedures
____________________________________________________________________
Orchid FAQ:
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/orchid/faq.htm
Orchid Archives:
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/orchid/archive
Orchid Galleries:
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/orchid/gallery.htm
Invite a Friend:
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/invite.htm
____________________________________________________________________
Tips From The Jeweler's Bench - Article Archive
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/borisat/tip_sear.htm
The Jeweler's Selected Bibliography List
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/jewelry-books
Buy Orchid Jewelry:
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/shop
____________________________________________________________________
-Unsubscribe:
-Email: orchid-request AT ganoksin.com Body=unsubscribe subject=blank
____________________________________________________________________