I have recently been playing with bezels for the first time. I
have had problems with the ‘top edge’ for the finished piece
being somewhat uneven and a little jagged…
Discovered a tool, ‘Bezel Crimper’ for lack of a better name.
Just place the tool over the bezel/stone and tap lightly!!
What I use for bezels is a pusher tool that I make using a large
mushroom graver handle and a piece of 3/16" square tool steel
about 2" long. (back in my early days I was told it was "a
european st in my left hand) and you can exert a large amount of
pressure on the bezel.
After getting the stone tightly set, I gently file the top edge
of the bezel using a 4" barette file (a favorite size and shape
from Grobet) that has had the edges sanded very smooth (to
prevent scr
The “bezel crimper” doesn’t work on oval stones, allows less
control- and… you can’t see the stone that you are setting.
But sometimes I use one anyway…But then I have a sort of
backhanded way
I have been using a very simualr ‘pusher’ but haven’t tried fileing
with the suggested file… agree… was concerned about scratching the
stone. Now, I am setting round cabs hadn’t thought of oval, but see
your point about the crimpers. Where can I find a set under $95.00??
I have been using a very simualr ‘pusher’ but haven’t tried fileing
with the suggested file… agree… was concerned about scratching
the stone. Now, I am setting round cabs hadn’t thought of oval, but
see your point about the crimpers. Where can I find a set under
$95.00??
Jim
I have a set just looked it up and $110 in Gesswein. They really
won’t work well for cabs- the conical inside hole probably won’t
clear the dome of the cab. I use them on faceted stones. Really a
pusher will work very well, and allows you to see what you are
doing. The hardest thing I find to get across to my occasional
students is looking- focusing their eyes and concentrating on
what they are working on. Stuff gets easy with focus and
practice. So keep working at it- you’ll be amazed with your
progress.
I find that the most important thing about bezel-setting is the
amount of metal above the girdle of the stone. I make my
bezels short, lap the top surface till bright and gently push it
over with the previously described pusher. I recommend a bezel
no more than 30% the height of a cab before its pushed over and
about 30% to 50% (depending on girdle thickness etc) the
distance from the girdle to the table on a faceted stone. The
metal doesn’t have to move very far and so doesn’t distort to
much. If you have to touch up the edge of a bezel that’s been
turned over, you can use a very sharp and well-polished flat
graver followed by a small burnisher made out of thin steel rod
and ground to a “missle nose-cone” shape. You have to be
carefull of scarring the stone with both the graver and the
burnisher. Using the graver leaves a distinctive bright-cut
bevel on thicker bezels. The burnisher should be absolutely
smooth and polished to a mirror finish.