having missed most of the foregoing posts on ‘calculating a bezel
size’ because aol is still randomly blocking orchid’s posts i was
fascinated by this part of the thread that made it through the email
maginot line - all the references to “calculating”, or for arriving
at a formula, or for dragging a solid white cat to the cemetery at
11:59 on a Monday night and measuring it’s tail for the dimension of
a bezel. whatever. people, when you need to buy a belt do you walk
into a department store and hand a piece of paper with a formula or
calculation on it to a clerk? if you do that probably is the reason
some kids walk around with their pants at half mast or the old guys
with their pants snugged up under their arm pits. people, stop
complicating a simple procedure and save yourself a lot of time and
frustration; if you really want to get the bezel made instead of
sinking further into calculation quicksand, you’ll figure out an
easy method like i did.
good luck -
ive
think logically now, be less embarrassed less later.
The thread have started to degenerate and produce a lot of redundancy
in arguments. If I can, I would like to close it with the following.
The main objection can be characterized as " I have been doing wrap
and cut all my life, and I do not need any mathematics ".
If “wrap and cut” has been working for you, it simply means you
never worked to exact specification. But, even if for argument sake
we assume that there is some validity to the method, it is only a
tiny percentage of all the situations where bezels of many different
configurations are used. To extrapolate “wrap and cut” to any
situation is akin to a statement that multiplication is unnecessary
because instead of [ 2 * 2 ],- [ 2 + 2 ] gives the same result.
That said, if you find mathematics so objectionable, use whatever
works for you. My intentions are not to change mind of some crusty
goldsmith doing dollar a dozen bezels. My intentions are to reach
those who do just starting in goldsmithing, but having some
apprehension because they are told that they are not good at Math.
Mathematical formula is like a microwave oven. If you never used
microwave oven before, it looks very confusing, but after reading
manual and some practice it becomes very easy. Mathematical formulas
are the same. They may look scary at first, but time spent on
understanding them will prove to be the best investment you will
ever make. So stop listening to has-been(s). Every shop has some of
them. Very often advice that “you don’t need the stinking Math” is
motivated not by you well-being, but by resentment of your youth and
all the potential that Math can help you to develop.
Then I lay my file on the table and run the bezel along the file
while holding it with my thumb and index finger and middle finger
to make sure it's flat.
Clip board with sandpaper works better, use index and middle finger
gently holding the bezel against the sandpaper, use a circular
motion.
of course I work predominantly in copper and sterling and I'm of
the mindset that if you actually see the seam then you KNOW it's
handcrafted!
Sorry, just a standard too low for me. Whether silver or gold,
attention to detail of quality construction too important to me, and
my customers deserve better, they can get poor quality craftsmanship
somewhere else. Just my not so humble opinion. Who sets the
standard? Me…
when you need to buy a belt do you walk into a department store and
hand a piece of paper with a formula or calculation on it to a
clerk?
–ive–In the U.S., there is a formula for a man: if he wears 36
pants, he needs a size 36 belt.
when I was 20, I worked in the men’s clothing department. Some poor
guy would come in needing underwear, and about die of embarassment
when you asked him what size. He didn’t know that the SIZE on men’s
underwear refers to the size of his WAIST!!
the last thread-turned-into-a-rope that i can recall was the
old-i’m-bored-and-want-to-stir-up-things question: what is art?
there’s a solution much easier than requesting advice from stephen
hawkings, it requires 2 hemostats/clamps, one jeweler’s saw, one
brain and a snippet of double-sticky tape or dab of wax (pry your
fingers off of keyboard and step over to work bench) - once again:
stick the cab flat onto an old business card or scrap of cardboard
save yourself frustration and use 26 g for bezels
wrap the longer than needed bezel strip around oval, round, square
or free form cab (until time to solder onto backing the shape of the
bezel doesn’t matter)
holding coiled strip with one hand grab one pair of hemostats (bent
nose works best) in the other and tightly clip onto the top edge
above the rounded edge of cab - if there isn’t enough to secure
hemostat, continue wrapping strip around cab and tape end to hold in
place
gently pop cab out of coiled strip without loosening strip
now secure strip with hemostat as close to perpendicular and tight
as possible - (people, you do know to remove from cardboard, right?)
saw with #1 or #2 saw blade.
shape bezel after soldering - if it is slightly snug, put it on ring
stick and gently tap while rotating and dry fitting until it fits
perfectly.
this method is actually very simple and quick but if it’s too much,
or you can’t pry fingers from keyboard, do this: pick up classified
section of today’s newspaper and turn to ‘jobs available section’.
good luck - ive always use your brain as if your life depended on it -
it well might.
of course I work predominantly in copper and sterling and I'm of
the mindset that if you actually see the seam then you KNOW it's
handcrafted!
Sorry, just a standard too low for me. Whether silver or gold,
attention to detail of quality construction too important to me, and
my customers deserve better, they can get poor quality craftsmanship
somewhere else. Just my not so humble opinion. Who sets the standard?
Me…
I have to agree. You do not need to leave visible solder seams, etc
to show that your work is hand crafted. Well crafted work explains
itself.
I have to agree. You do not need to leave visible solder seams,
etc to show that your work is hand crafted. Well crafted work
explains itself.
That reminds me of something what happened to me a few years ago. A
client cancel on me with an expensive ring. Materials were covered,
but labor wasn’t. I decided to sell it gallery route. I am not going
to name the gallery to protect owner from embarrassment. It is enough
to say that it was very high caliber gallery with distinguished
clientele. When I showed the ring, gallery manager studied it under
magnification and than handed back to me with indignation.
She said “Sir we only handle handmade jewellery here. Yours is
obviously not ! I do not see any tool marks anywhere.”
She said "Sir we only handle handmade jewellery here. Yours is
obviously not ! I do not see any tool marks anywhere."
Interesting. I’d have expected that, when you show her the ring,
you’d have introduced yourself, and explained that you’d hand made
the ring. If that’s the case, then she called you a lier to your
face? Wow. I wonder what might have happened if you’d invited her to
visit your workshop, and see for herself what you do… Maybe she’d
have learned something new.
She said "Sir we only handle handmade jewellery here. Yours is
obviously not ! I do not see any tool marks anywhere."
I think this is where I would have moved to about 6" off the end of
her nose and said… " Yes mam, that’s what God made buffing wheels,
patience and good jewelers for". I have bumped into a few gallery
owners over the years that thought they knew it all. Peter’s idea of
a shop visit is good. I did that one time to a Santa Fe gallery
owner… My items remained in their gallery until they sold it some
15 years later. Don’t be timid… if you made it and are proud enough
of it to show it… most likely it’s good. Remember… you are doing
the gallery owner a favor… furnishing them inventory that otherwise
the gallery down the street would have. MOST folks look at this the
other way and think the gallery is doing them a favor by “accepting”
their pieces. I never felt that way… I still don’t!
The strangest experience I ever had with a gallery, was when I
brought in some of my large wall enamels. The gallery director (I
don’t believe she was the owner), looked at them, admired them, but
was puzzled as she was not familiar with enamels. I explained that
they were vitreous enamel, high fired on copper. She then said, “Too
bad you didn’t make them in oil or watercolors. No one wants to hang
glass on their walls.”
I then took them to another gallery, where the gallery owner was
delighted to have them, and lamented the fact that artists were doing
large wall enamels. She hung them in prominent places in the gallery,
and to my delight they sold well, and we had a 10 year relationship
until the gallery closed two years ago due to the poor economy.
Alma
Correction:
Oops, I meant to say that the 2nd gallery owner lamented the fact
that FEW artists were doing large wall enamels. Must be the weather.
Had glorious sunshine here in the usually rain drenched Pacific
Northwest.
The thread have started to degenerate and produce a lot of
redundancy in arguments. If I can, I would like to close it with
the following. The main objection can be characterized as " I have
been doing wrap and cut all my life, and I do not need any
mathematics ".
I do have lots of pliers, hammers and mandrels and the tools to make
more. I am not afraid of math, calculators on every floor and never a
computer more than 15 feet away.