Back to Ganoksin | FAQ | Contact

Handpieces and anvils Oh my!

Jewelry Discussion
#1

I recently upgraded my dremel to a real Foredom unit with a #30
handpiece, and I couldn’t be happier with it, however I also got a
#15D handpiece, and was trying to use it for setting in a bezel and I
can’t seem to get a good finish with the supplied anvil point. Is
there something I’m not doing right, or is the supplied point, which
is sort of a tapered truncated cone with sharp edges not really what
i need with this? What about the carbide tips? I also noticed that
there was some paint or someting on the end that really messed up the
first bezel I worked on, then it seemed to chip off and was a bit
better. it still leaves pretty gruesome marks, perhaps I’m just in
too much of a hurry?

Thanks in advance.
Frank A. Finley

#2

Hi Frank,

You can shape and change tips for various jobs you are doing. It’s a
great tool…

For bezels I have a flat polished tip with soft rounded edges. I
find that burnishing the edges after hammer setting will take off
much of the bruise marks and then a rubber wheel or emery cleans up
the rest nicely.

Just be careful not to hit the stone(s) either with too wide a tip
or by slipping off the channel or bezel.

Hope that helps,

Mark

#3

Frank,

You can re-shape the anvil point and then polish it so that you get
a smoother finish. I would round off the sharp edge. I have five of
these anvil points and have ground them into different shapes for
different uses. There is also one available with an inverted diamond
set into the end. This is excellent for creating a variety of
stippled finishes.

Joel
Joel Schwalb Studio
@Joel_Schwalb
www.schwalbstudio.com

#4

Why not try making the tool do what you want it to do instead of
letting the tool control you. Polish the tip to a mirror like finish.
See what that does.

#5

Hi Frank,

I also got a #15D handpiece, and was trying to use it for setting
in a bezel and I can't seem to get a good finish with the supplied
anvil point.

It’s possible the point needs to be polished.

The points used on hammer handpieces should generally have a very
high polish. Whatever the the condition of the point is will be
transferred to the metal it comes in contact with. If the surface
of the point is dull, the surface of the bezel will take on this
appearance. If you want a nice shiney bezel, clean all the gunk off
the hammer tip & polish it to a high shine.

If the surface of the tip has scratches & dings in it, they may have
to be sanded out with 400 or finer sandpaper. This needs to be
followed up with finer grits & finally polished with white diamond
or some other polishing compound you may have.

Dave

#6

Hi Frank,

I ground and shaped the tip of my anvil first thing when I got mine.
Softened the edges, made the tip ever so slightly domed. I used a
little mounted grinding tool in my flexshaft (got mine at Home Depot
in the dremel section). Then I worked the tip back and forth on my
India sharpening stone, making it smooth and bringing up some polish.
It is a quick modification and the tip leaves a good finish on the
bezels. Just a little touch up on a bezel after hammering with a
silicone polishing wheel (also in the flexshaft) to give a good
smooth polish.

Are you using your hammer handpiece with the lower speed/higher
torgue motor they recommend? If you are using a regular flexshaft
motor with it, you can do it but you just have to go easy on the foot
petal. No lead foot. The regular motor is a little high speed for
the handpiece. You might make more dents in your bezels if you are
having trouble controlling the speed. The lower speed motor is great.

I love my hammer handpiece. Wish I had purchased it years ago. Shape
and polish your anvil tip and you’ll be dent free!

Enjoy- Carrie Nunes
www.metalpetalsworkshop.com

#7 
        I also got a #15D handpiece, and was trying to use it for
setting in a bezel and I can't seem to get a good finish with the
supplied anvil point.

The anvil points on #15’s are meant more or less as blanks. At the
very least, the sharp edges should be broken or radiused on a
separating disc or grinding wheel and then cleaned up w’ a Cratex or
rubberized wheel. A low doming will also help, but remember that too
high a dome or severe a rounded face is put on the point will lead to
a very deep set of hammer marks on your metal. The lower the dome,
the more the force is dispersed.

Even piers-- stone setters, ring benders, etc–need to be dressed
when purchased.

Take care, Andy Cooperman