In using soldered links, wanting an elongated shape, I buy “O” Ring
pliers at Harbor Freight. These, when squeezing the hand grips, open
outward. I slip the round link over the closed plier tips and
squeeze away.
To ensure evenly sized links, I buy a long screw and two fitting
nuts. I solder each nut to opposing sides of the plier grips and
thread the screw threw. In this way I can control the shape of the
links as well as their uniformity.
Teresa on the road with Rocio Heredia, in Woodstock, Conn. Saturday we
will join Karen Christians for her Barbecue in Woburn, Mass., and
hang out with her and Christine Quiriy for awhile. Next, New York
and New Jersey. We hope to meet some of you on this Coast.
I found an allen wrench that fits into my quick release hand piece
cut it into a short L with a cut off wheel.Ground the short leg of
the L and buffed it to make the best burnisher I have ever used.I
have bought them all but this one works the best.J Morley Coyote
Ridge Studio
I buy cheap toe nail clippers that are flush as opposed th the
curved versions and grind one side of the cutting edge so it is a
ledge rather than sharp.I use the ledge against the base of a prong
and the sharp end to pull the prong back.works great for pulling most
prongs back.I also keep a sharp pair for trimming prongs after
setting stones.They are cheap walgreens has a multitude to choose
from starting at a buck you have to inspect the edges for flushness
and sharpness.Even the lowest in price cut most prongs perfectly for
many stone settings and the flush version allows you to rest the
blade on the table of most hard stones and clip the prong to a
perfect level for dressing it and ball burring.J Morley Coyote Ridge
Studio.Where we have finally been blessed with some moisture to fend
off the fires.Now if we can just fend off the freaks that start them!
I store my wire in clear CD cases, meant for about 10 CD’s each that
I buy in dollar stores for 1.25. Label the edge and they line up like
books on the shelf, easy to access, and keeps the wire neat and out
of the clutter.
Just a general note: I always check the hardware store first when
looking for tools: my mini bench vise was 12.00 at the jewelers
supply, 3.99 for the exact same tool at the harware.
When handing out jewelry sawblades to my students, I use these
flexible plastic straws, available in grocery stores and elsewhere.
One end bends up and can be taped to the main body of the straw. A
piece of tape or something similar will close the other end (now the
"top"). The neon-colored ones are pretty perky! --Judy Bjorkman
I posted these tips quite a while ago but they are a couple of my
favorites so here they are again.
plastic blister packs can be reused by glueing sand paper to them
with contact cement.They come in different thickness and shapes so
you can get a real interesting variety. I usually glue up 5or 6
sheets of different grit at a time with a variety of thickness. They
can than be cut into strips from 2mm wide on up and are vary durable
and flexable or stiff depending on the thinckness of the plastic the
blister pack is made of.
2.use Play-doh to hold stones in a channel or even a bezel while you
hammer. Set the stone in place and then smear a little play-doh ( i
really like the day glow green) over the stone and position it where
you want it. Now just let the play-doh harden for about 15 minutes
and you can hammer the stone in place. The play-doh will then come
out in the ultrasonic or steamer or throw it in the lye…then come
back and make sure the stone is good and tight Play-doh is non toxic
and available almost evereywhere they have childrens toys.
This is new… if you use a quick change hand piece take a quart
soda bottle and cut all but about 1/3 of the bottle.Leave the neck
and about 1/3 of the diameter and about 1/3 the length of the bottle.
now just slide the neck of the bottle over your quick change
handpiece and tape or use a plastic set screw to hold it in place. It
make a great shield to catch all that dust from grinding and still
leave the work visible.Cheap enough. My contribution to the bench
trick thread. Frank Goss
First, I use Nalgene bottles to hold alcohol, boric acid/alcohol
flux, and other liquids in my studio. They seal tightly, resist most
chemicals, and are touted as “un-breakable”. You can find them in
camping stores. I found this suggestion in a recent edition of
Lapidary Journal.
Second, I have large hands and find that many jeweler’s tools have
handles which are uncomfortably small to grip. I made my favorite
bezel pushers from a pair of wooden curtain rod finials which are
ball shaped. They are available in various sizes so you can pick the
ones that fit you best. Some are even leather-covered, but they cost
more than the $3.60 I spent on a pair of wooden ones. They come with
wood screws already protruding from one end. I drill and mount
hardwood dowels on the screws, then sand the ends of the dowels to
create the shapes I want. Do this on a belt sander if you can because
getting the wood hot will increase it’s hardness. I also sand the side
of the balls to flatten them a bit. This increases my leverage and
prevents the tool from rolling on the bench when I set it down. The
finished tool is pretty effective, except in tight areas since you
need a bit of thickness in the wooden dowel for strength. But if you
slip the wood will not mar your metal nor most stones.
Third, you can get wonderfully inexpensive stainless steel binding
wire from your friendly local orthodontist. He/she uses it in metal
braces, and the proper term for it is ligature wire. It has just the
right hardness for binding parts together for soldering and can go
into the pickle pot. And while you’re at it ask him/her about the
tool they use to twist this wire closed, it’s a very handy little
tool to have.
Fourth, as an alternative to traditional dop wax and dop sticks try
galvanized roofing nails and either 5-minute epoxy or gel super-glue.
The wide head of the nail provides great support for larger cabs and
is easy to file to shape in order to fit smaller cabs. The adhesives
are easy-on and, with the help of Attack or acetone respectively,
easy-off too.
Mini M&M canisters for holding 1" buffs, discs–keeps them clean and
unbroken. Long ones can hold needle files and sawblades.
Toothpicks for small polishing points.
Toothpicks, shish kabab skewers and dowels for mandrels for
jumprings.
Gum erasers for holding small parts when sanding or filing. Embed
the part in the eraser to give you a larger handhold.
A thigh for forming the collar bone curve on neckwires.
Masking tape for holding flat sheets for sanding or filing. Use a
long enough piece to go across the diameter of the piece with a loop
in the middle. Hold onto the loop.
Saran Wrap (plastic film wrap) across the goggles when doing
something messy. Works great when you’re weed whacking too. Peel it
off and throw it away after you’re done. Goggles clean and no
scratches.
Stacking beading containers for sorting granules. Drill the bottom
of each container except the last with different sized wire drills,
graduating to progressively smaller holes. Put the granules in the
top container, screw on the lid and shake with a back-and-forth
motion. Granules will grade themselves.
One can also use a small plastic container (the kind yogurt comes
in works well!) to do the same thing . . .shake and out it comes!
I've had 100% success (as long as the bezel hasn't been pushed in
by using a bezel roller.)
Well, this may qualify, in a very simple way. There may be some of
you who have not come across this… If a stone (cabochon) gets put
into a bezel prematurely and doesn’t want to fall out, put the piece
into a small-to-medium closed cardboard box, and shake it like a
maniac. At least 9 times out of ten, it will come loose.
I love this thread! One of my better ideas was to make a file stand
from an office desk trophy base. It was (is) about 6 in wide, 5 in
deep, and slanted upward from one inch in the front to three in the
back. I drilled holes in it at a slightly foreward slant. I cut holes
for various sized shanks and files, making some wider, some deeper.
The leading edge was saved for inserting my scribes, poked in there
as one would a mandrel in the face of a bench. They were placed with
longest in the back, and small specialty ones in front.
One could easily use a block of wood…and cut to shape… but this one
was a found object put to grand use!
It protects the files from being knocked about, keeps my bench in
less chaos,and takes only a couple seconds to grab the right one.
Hi, I also like to use the wooden clothes pins. I glue them to the
bottom of my shelf and I keep my sanding belts seperated by grit. I
have mine glued with the holding end facing me and I mark the grit
number on the edge of my shelf. Works great!
You can also get stainless steel binding wire from your airplane
mechanic. They use it as safety wire to hold nuts and bolts secure.
It comes in a plastic dispenser. It is available in .020, .021,
.025, .032, .041, and .051 diameter. Malin CO., Brookpark, Ohio
44142,216-267-9080. There is also a thin copper wire they use in
areas that you have to be able to brake the piece free by hand. I do
not know the cost I got mine for free. John Daly Grand Junction, CO.
Baby food jars. I can’t take credit for this one… learned it from
my Dad, who is about the farthest thing from a “handyman” I’ve ever
met!
The best way I’ve found to store and organize findings, beads, small
accessories, etc. Take about a four foot (1 meter plus) section of
1x4 lumber and place the caps, opening up, along the length. Space at
about two inches between. Centerpunch two marks on each cap,
opposite each other, and mount the caps to the board with two short
screws. If you use only one screw the cap will rotate on you.
Mount the board with the caps hanging down on the underside of a
shelf, or from any sort of overhang. Fill the jars and screw them
into position. Write the contents on the bottom of the jar with a
Sharpie marker for easy identification, but you can easily examine
the contents without removing the jars. I have about five rows of
these mounted over my bench on the ceiling studs of my studio (gabled
roof). I have to stand to reach them, but they’re both out of the way
and easily accessible. I have about five more rows with general
hardware (screws, nails, etc.) across the studio where I store some
of my infrequently used tools. Larger jars, like pickle or olive
jars can be handy for oddly shaped items.
Don’t despair if you have no young children! A visit to any daycare
center can get the ball rolling for you real quickly. They toss out
hundreds of baby food jars each week. Ask them to save them for you,
and in no time you’ll have more then you’ll ever use.
All the best,
Dave
Dave Sebaste
Sebaste Studio and
Carolina Artisans’ Gallery
Charlotte, NC (USA) dave@sebaste.com
Epoxy Cure with Pickle Pot Assistance: Wow! I never thought this
simple thread would blossom like it has. Wonderful. I really like the
dental floss/cabachon stuck in bezel solution. I will try that one.
As for saliva, I agree with all. All pave I do is laid out that way
and forms a perfect spacing of gems, eyed for more accuracy on my
part than if “measured and marked”.
For holding platinum solders, especially the plumb pt solders by
Precious Metals West which absolutely mandate NO flux, the saliva
does work great. Once a bit of heat rises in the pt the solders tend
to stick well and the saliva is a good transition method.
Epoxy Curing with Pickle Pot: The pickle pot in this shop is a small
crock pot. The glass lid has handle removed and installed on the
other side. This way, the curved lid fits “curve down” toward the
pot. Better for internal drips back into solution but GREAT for
curing epoxy. Just place the cemented item on the lid, since it will
not roll off the inverted lid. The heat cures it quickly. I place
earrings w/ pearls etc., in drilled holes in a small jar lid with
post held by the earring clutch. This goes well on the crock pot
lid, also. Quick and easy!
Thanks everyone for responding so well to this thread.
Peace and blessings, Thomas. Professional jeweler who is always
learning. LOL @Sp.T
Good topic. My all time favorite is spit. Yes, spit. Spittle,
saliva use whatever term you want. I have a tool, well, basically
an exacto knife that I have ground down the blade on so that it
won’t cut, that, when lightly touched to the tongue and then touched
to a stone will pick up any small diamond or small colored stone.
The hold on the stone is such that once it is placed it will easily
come off of the tool but won’t fall off.
Spit, besides being readily available, has the added benefit of
being a great temporary adhesive when pave or bead setting. If you
want to place stones next to each other to see how many you will
need just pick up the stones with the tool by the table of the stone
and place them face down on the surface of the item. The small
amount that adheres to the stone is all that you need and as the
saliva dries it holds the stone in place. The stone won’t come off
unless it is prodded so you have to be somewhat careful. Still a
good, available resource. A caveat: Make sure the tool is kept
clean and in a special place where it won’t get contaminated by
chemicals. Keep it clean. I have made a special holder for my
bench that keeps it handy but out of the way and protected.
Wooden paint stirrers. Stick abrasive paper to them for
finishing!
Use 1 inch wide double sided foam tape to adhere the abrasive paper
to the paint stick- the 3M micro graded papers with the plastic
backing work well. The foam tape helps the paper conform o curved
surfaces.
I suffer from the tool making addiction and I know I am not the only
one in here
I took a woodworkers vice attached a couple of 1" by 5" strips of
hard wood. cut a hole to hold my dremel and bingo a drill press was
born. Used leather boot strings and dental floss and made a drive
belt for my rotary tumbler.
I found some inexpensive wooden crab cracking mallets, I think were
only $.65, and shaped them with files. The don’t mar but are great for
shaping. Cut of the handles on a couple and use the heads for mini
anvils. The handles I tacked in a small brad and filed the other end
to a sharp point to make a scribe.
MDF board is a great replacement for a steel bench block.
When using pliers with no cushion grip I get some hospital gas hose.
It’s kind of amber colored and very soft to the touch. Not very
expensive also. Slick up your pliers handle with some water and soap.
They slide right on, are very comfortable to use and give a slight
spring if you snug them up right. Cut to what ever length you need.
The soap will dry so they won’t come off. They last quite a few years
and if you want to color code your pliers you can either tape your
handles with colored electrical tape before the hose or paint them
different colors. I only paint my school pliers with the hope no one
will swipe them. I like the hose spring action better than the little
springs provided when new. They hang better on my bench without the
factory spring also.
Greetings all, what a great thread this is! Here are a few more.
Hex head bolt- put the threaded end of a hex head bolt into the jaws
of a flex shaft- (make sure the hex head is close to the jaws- if you
use a bolt that is too long the bolt can bend and rip up your
fingers!). While this is spinning run it across sand paper- such as
80, 220 and 400 grit. Polish. Run in the flex shaft- now you have a
rotary hammer- compacts porosity on castings (within reason! hah!)
and leaves a nice surface.
Double stick tape- Wrap it around a spare bench pin. Now wrap dense
small cell foam bubble wrap (used as a packaging material) around the
bench pin. I use this padded bench pin to carve wax on, and for the
final stages of meta l work when I don t want to scratch a piece
or stones. When the bubble wra p gets worn or dirty- rip it off and
put on a new piece. Also, when I need to join to pieces of wax
together and am having a hard time holding them still - I position
both pieces on the double stick tape (I prefer carpet tape for this-
it s stickier) then fill in the gap with wax- carefully peel off and
fill in the back.
Vet Wrap by 3-M- (Anne Hollerbach turned me on to this awesome
product) Available in large rolls from a veterinary supply or smaller
rolls from Gesswein. This is awesome, inexpensive stuff- I m just
beginning to explore the uses for it. It is like Alligator Skin but
much better- it doesn t fray , it s stretchy, sticks to it self. Wrap
it around the jaws of pliers to keep from marring metal. Wrap it
around finger tips when polishing. Wrap it around any handle that you
need to make more comfortable.
Piano or trunk hinge: used to make a shelf under my bench top for my
digita l wax pen- The front of the shelf has the trunk hinge
attached the shelf pivots down to use and up to tuck the unit out of
the way.
Wonder Bread (or any gummy white bread) or Play-Doh roll into a
sphere. Dip a number of times into molten carving wax. Carve. Put in
water to dissolve bread or Play Doh. Warning- be careful heating wax-
never leave unattended- it can catch fire easily!
Super Glue- soldering fixture. For wax work- glue prongs on, glue
pieces of wax together- then fill up any gaps with inlay wax.
Pencil for soldering layout- To line up the pin joint and clasp when
soldering. I use a soft (b or 2b) lead pencil and a ruler to make a
graphite line across the piece to show where I want the pin joint
and clasp to line up. Hint- run the line to- but not under the clasp
and joint. Flux and solder- the graphite remains visible.
Tins with lids (like Altoid tins)- put double stick tape in the
bottom of the tin (or melt wax such as impression wax or paraffin
with a bit of bees wax in the bottom of a tin). Arrange stones on the
tape or wax as they will be on your piece. At the end of the day you
can close the lid and put away.
Duct Tape: general all around shop maintenance (quick fix until I
can fix something the right way.) I don t go anywhere without some
duct tape. Wrap some around a pencil and keep it in the glove box of
the car or your back pack. I ve got some wrapped around my cross
country ski poles and snow shoe pole.
Kate Wolf in Portland Maine offering great workshops!
