Drilling holes and gold loss

Jewelry Discussion
1

I have just started out a workshop where handmade gold jewellery is
made. we use the tradional manual drills to drill holes. I want to
make the pieces faster by using flex-shatfs. But I am told that hand
pieces generate more gold losses than the traditional drills. Is
that True? If yes, then why use the flex shafts for drilling

Regards
Rahul Rampuria
India
@Rahul_Rampuria

2 
    But I am told that hand pieces generate more gold losses than
the traditional drills. Is that True? If yes, then why use the flex
shafts for drilling

Rahol,

While it may be true that stock removal will be much quicker, there
will be no more loss of gold, as you will be saving those shavings
for melt/refining later, I assume.

Bruce D. Holmgrain
http://www.goldwerx.com
@Red_Rodder
JA Certified Master Bench Jeweler / CAD/CAM Solutions

3 
But I am told that hand pieces generate more gold losses than the
traditional drills. Is that True? If yes, then why use the flex
shafts for drilling

In theory the amount of gold should be the same, as the hole is
going to be the same size, However a powered drill might tend to
throw the metal drilled out more than a hand powered drill would. I
use a flex shaft because the time saved is worth more to me than any
gold which is lost.

WMSchenk
In the USA

4

Same size hole will make the same amount of gold loss. The only
difference would be in grinding some gold may be thrown around
rather than when you hand file. Your time and labor are the costs to
consider.

Mark

5

As long as you are properly collecting bench sweeps on a regular
basis you shouldn’t experience any greater loss no matter how you
drill the pieces.

Daniel R. Spirer, G.G.
Daniel R. Spirer Jewelers, LLC
1780 Massachusetts Ave.
Cambridge, MA 02140
617-234-4392

6

Hi Rahul,

But I am told that hand pieces generate more gold losses than the
traditional drills. Is that True? If yes, then why use the flex
shafts for drilling

I’ve never heard this sentiment expressed before, but if I had to
guess why it may have been made it’s this.

When using a hand drill, the drill is rotated at a rather slow speed
(compared to the flexshaft). This results in the gold that’s removed
from the hole staying very close to the drill bit. In this position
it’s easy to recover & save for refining.

On the other hand, the drill bit turned by the flexshaft will
probably be turning at a much higher rate of speed. This higher
speed will probably cause the gold removed from the hole to be
thrown farther from the hole. This could make it harder to recover
for refining.

However, if the area used for drilling is set up correctly, the
gold that’s thrown from the drill will fall in a ‘catch pan’ &
while it’s not around the hole or drill bit, it’s not lost.
Drilling a hole with a manually operated or a powered drill will
always leave a hole the same size if the same drill bit is used.

Dave

7 
   I have just started out a workshop where handmade gold
jewellery is made. we use the tradional manual drills to drill
holes. I want to make the pieces faster by using flex-shatfs. But I
am told that hand pieces generate more gold losses than the
traditional drills. Is that True? If yes, then why use the flex
shafts for drilling

When you drill a hole you remove just the metal which was in the
hole - it doesn’t matter what method you use - a 1mm diameter hole
1mm deep will contain 1.57 cubic millimetres of metal and any method
of drilling will remove just that amount of metal. However, what may
change is the way that metal, in the form of swarf, is collected
and, because of its higher speed, a flex shaft may tend to fling the
swarf about more than traditional slow drilling methods and some of
that swarf may then get lost. In reality the difference is likely to
be insignificantly small but I suspect that your employers may be
more concerned about the costs of installing additional power points
and buying equipment than about gold loss!

Best wishes,
Ian
Ian W. Wright
Sheffield UK