Hi Dave, have you tried applying the stick Bur Life to the coil
itself? This is what I do, just kind of rub it on liberally down the
whole length of the coil. I do the cut on a sheet of paper with a
crease down the middle to catch all the filings, and periodically
just dump the filings into a container.
The rings of course have the waxy stuff on them. I put them in a
little container of denatured alcohol for a few minutes. Then I
decant the alcohol off into second little container, and upend the
rings plus the residual filings (in the first container) onto a
napkin. The rings are easily separated from the filings on the
napkin. The alcohol is ready to go for the next coil.
This leaves the rings clean enough to be tumble polished, and most
of the filings are easily reclaimable.
Okay… at the risk of extending this thread beyond its useful
life… ad infinitum, ad nauseum… another question has been itching
at my scalp as a result of this feedback.
Several of our friends have suggested that they might rub the solid
Burr Life down the coil before inserting into the cutting jig. Sorry
for those of you not familiar with the product… its Rio Grande’s
version of beeswax (plus) or cutting oil, depending on whether its
the solid or liquid. Good stuff, but there are conventional
alternatives.
Anyway, back to the point… one of the minor quirks I’ve been
dealing with is getting the coil to lay with the orientation I want.
I always roll it in from the side, with the top plate just loosened.
In order to really control the placement, I’d have to completely
remove the top plate. Seems like a lot of wasted effort screwing and
unscrewing. I noted that my screws have a hex head, and I thought I
could gain efficiency by using my cordless drill with a hex bit to do
it quickly, but didn’t think the addition of another tool would gain
me that much time. Is that what you folks are doing… completely
removing the top plate? If not, how do you position the coil with
the lubricated area in the slot?
P.S. In my conversation with Ray Grossman, he pointed out that they
are coming out with a ring sized Jump Ringer for doing the same thing
with patterned wire for making simple finger and toe rings. I can
also see other uses for these ring sized mandrels! It uses the great
suggestion someone made the other day about cutting with a wooden
dowel inside the coil to provide support. I may try that with the
jump rings anyway. This new setup can be seen in Rio’s latest
catalog…along with a new winder with different shaped mandrels.
Thanks!
Dave
Dave Sebaste
Sebaste Studio and
Carolina Artisans’ Gallery
Charlotte, NC (USA) dave@sebaste.com
Dave and all, First thanks for the advice on how to get rid of the
burrs! Slows me down way too much to hand file.
For Dave’s inquiry about loosening the screws, I take one out all
together and just loosen the second one so I can swivel it over and
get the next coil in. I also have been using solid burr life down the
coil and placing that side up in the coil holder.
Dave, would it be better for you to get the longer coil holder so
you could cut longer coils at one swoop?? I have seen the ones you
are talking about for the larger rings and toe rings and I am sure
they are good too, however, I found them to be prohibitively
expensive and as many rings as I produce and sell, just can’t
justify the cost.
It uses the great suggestion someone made the other day about
cutting with a wooden dowel inside the coil to provide support. I
may try that with the jump rings anyway.
Another way to support coils, especially those made of light guage
wire, is to wrap them with masking tape before removing the coil
from the mandrel.
Here’s what works for me.
Tear off 2 or 3 strips of masking tape about the length of the
coil. Stick them in a convenient spot.
After winding the coil, but before wrapping with tape, unwind the
coil 1 or 2 turns. If you don’t it’ll be wound on the mandrel too
tight to remove. Don’t cut the coil from the wire supply yet.
Apply a strip of tape (the long way)to the coil. Form it around
the coil. If necessary, add a second & 3rd strip to completely cover
the coil.
Cut the coil from the wire supply & remove it from the mandrel.
Place the coil in the coil holder & cut. The adhesive on the tape
works as a lubricant.
Remove the j rings from the tape, all at once or as needed.
I’ve used this method to cut 30 ga coils over 10 mm in diameter with
no problem.
Anyway, back to the point... one of the minor quirks I've been
dealing with is getting the coil to lay with the orientation I
want. I always roll it in from the side, with the top plate just
loosened. In order to really control the placement, I'd have to
completely remove the top plate. Seems like a lot of wasted effort
screwing and unscrewing. I noted that my screws have a hex head,
and I thought I could gain efficiency by using my cordless drill
with a hex bit to do it quickly, but didn't think the addition of
another tool would gain me that much time. Is that what you folks
are doing... completely removing the top plate? If not, how do you
position the coil with the lubricated area in the slot?
Dave Sebaste: It’s not necessary to remove both screws from the coil
holder. Unscrew the second one enough (about 1 extra turn) so that
you can lift the top plate clear of the coil. Rub your Bur Life along
the full length of the coil and then again lift the top plate and
swing it into place. Incidentally, a few people have told me that
they rub Bur Life onto the top of the top plate. Makes the cutting a
little smoother. Ray Grossman Ray Grossman Inc. Manufacturers of Jump Ringer
That sounds great. My only complaint, is with the jumpringer that
is extra long. I don’t know why the furrow (where the coil would
rest) is so small and shallow. If one tries to make larger, thicker
jumprings, the bar that holds things in place doesn’t work because
it is not holding the coil very securely. Maybe I’m doing something
wrong? No problem with wire smaller than 18 gauge, but bigger . . .
doesn’t work.
All Jump Ringer Coil Holders (Standard Round, Long Round and Multi
Shape) are now supplied with four different sized “V” grooves. They
will securely hold coils with an inside diameter from 1.5mm to well
in excess of 1 inch. Wire diameters in all coil sizes may be from 30
to 12 gauge. Any of the new coil holders may be ordered separately
from your tool distributor.
Ray Grossman
Ray Grossman Inc.
Manufacturers of Jump Ringer
I bought the longer coil holder and hate it! The grove in it is
only deep enough to accept small jump ring diameters! I expected
to get a LARGE groove on one side, and a shallow one on the other!
So disappointed with this tool. I would not recommend the longer
coil holder at all!
As I stated in a previous message, all Jump Ringer coil holders are
now made with four sides. They will cut coils well in excess of 1
inch in diameter. If you purchased it recently, you probably
received old inventory from your dealer. I’d suggest you speak with
the dealer. Although more expensive, the new coil holder is a vast
improvement over the older one. Ray Grossman Ray Grossman Inc.
Manufacturers of Jump Ringer
If it’s the one I’m thinking of you don’t have to worry. All the
coil needs to do is to be fixed in place. The shallow plate and
groove will do that well enought to cut the cut the coil.