Can someone tell me what this tool is for?

So back when I was just learning to make jewelry I was getting
lessons in a shop and the owner had one of these sitting on a bench.
It was a block of metal with a section cut out so you can see the
long bolt that screws almost the entire length with a very long
handle. The bolt has a curving section cut out of it.

Years later I visited the shop of another jeweler for a job
interview and he had one of these sitting in his shop also.

And to top it all off, a few years ago I buy the shop of an amateur
jeweler and stone cutter who was retiring and moving to AZ. In the
bottom of a box of random items I found this! It is driving me crazy!
what is it and what is it used for? I have never seen one in a
catalog ever. Any help would be appreciated.


Thanks!

Gerald Livings
Livingston Jewelers

bending a flat piece of metal into a curved shank ? tom

Our head jeweler thinks its a stock bender. He’s been working on
jewelry since he was eight and is now in his late 50’s. Hope that
helps.

a block of metal with a section cut out so you can see the long
bolt that screws almost the entire length with a very long handle.
The bolt has a curving section cut out of it. - 

I have a tool similar to this. Mine has the original threading tap
in the hole rather than a grooved bolt. Threading taps have 3
undercut grooves already in them, they are made of hardened steel
and are very sharp.

Mine also has a shallow recessed groove milled on the flat surfaces
of the cut away section. The recesses are different widths on each
side and run the full length of the block parallel to the tap.

Anyway this is an old Native American Silversmithing tool used to
make your own serrated bezel from either plain bezel strip or
heavier gauge fine silver strip that you have cut yourself. (I like
24 ga)

Place the block in a vise. Place a strip of .999 silver that has
been cut to the proper width on the flat surface parallel to the bolt
or in my case the thread tap. Align the bolt so the strip extends
inside the groove when it is on the flat surface. Hold the strip
firmly down with your fingers or a piece of wood or plastic and crank
the bold down with the handle so it shears off the edge of bezel
leaving it serrated. Move the strip further along the block - make
sure the previous serrations are aligned with the bolt and shear
again. You can repeat this process until you have the needed length
of serrated bezel.

Its a very ingenious and handy tool. It just takes a little practice
to keep the serrations from getting overlapped. Thats why mine has
the recess, it allows me to align the strip easier and keeps it
parallel in the tool. The different withs accommodate different
widths of strip.

Looks like it cuts the inner threads for a bolt hole.

Hi Gerald,

I inherited a tool like that, which had been hand built out of a
coarse thread tap.

Never could figure out what it was ‘supposed’ to do, but near as I
could figure, it was for making serrated bezel.

Mine had a little step that was parallel to the tap axis, out on the
flat part of the block. Would have been about right for lining up
bezel strip, to make sure it got cut parallel, and at the same
depth.

Now you know exactly as much as I do.

FWIW,
Brian

Thank you so much for the help!

I looked at mine after reading your post and mine has a recessed
groove also so I am sure it is the same thing. I am going down
tonight to give it a bit of a polish and I will try it out tonight!
Not sure what I need to make with serrated bezel but I will figure
something will need made…

I have spent years looking at this thing not knowing what it was for
and now I have a new toy to play with.

Thanks again!
Gerald Livings
Livingston Jewelers