I want a set drill bits that drill square holes!
Have a look at my web page
http://www.watchman.dsl.pipex.com/two-legged%20parser/parser.html -
that will do the job for you…
Ian
Ian W. Wright
To follow up on the question about solder weights-- I posted a
picture on my blog,
I hope seeing them will make the whole thing pretty clear.
Noel
a fast way to taper the end of a wire before you draw it is to pass one end of it into your square rollers about 1/2". Do this repeatedely until it is quite small and then anneal it. You soon have enough wire to put thru a draw plate and grasp it from the other side. Its quick and no metal waste.
A 3m fine deburring wheel 6x1x1 is the fastest way to taper a pin
stem or taper wire for rolling mill. If you are fairly coordinated,
you can taper the pinstem after it is on the pin. Just use tripoli
to polish. After soldering a bezel to a sheet, instead of cutting
out, if you have good shears, you can cut away most of the excess
cutting straight lines, thin backing sheet you can curve the line,
just be careful not to cut to close to the bezel, you can damage the
seam, then remove the excess with this wheel. If you do any quantity
bezel making, this will save you a lot of time. This wheel will
remove steel for tool polishing and modification. I have used it to
“sharpen” a graver. Sharpening a graver this way is not for fine
engraving, I use it for heavy metal removal.
Richard Hart
Another possible solution for snap in/out holder for #30 handpieces is a spring loaded broom holder. The type that's sort of 'C' shaped with both ends rolled up. It can be attached to the bench top with a screw through the center of the 'C'
I have searched far and wide for these, fruitlessly. For years that
was my torch holder. Out of “I need it now” desperation in the new
shop, I bent some heavy gauge sterling wire to a hook with a
vertical stand, rammed into a smaller hole in benchrail and Bob’s
your uncle. I never liked the way the two gas hoses would snag on
stuff so I encased them in plastic wire wrap obtainable at any auto
parts house. Been thinking about using cosmetic stainless steel
braided hose ( a hotrodder at heart) covering as an upgrade for that
and the flexshaft. That’d look spiffy, concerned about flexibilty
though.
Two ended metal punch: You apply pressure at either end (two different size holes) with a threaded handle and it punches out your little 1/16" hole or whatever size it is.
Karen, I got two of them from Thompson Enamels, must be at least 25
years old and still going strong. I think maybe Metalliferous sells
them, too.
Donna in VA
I use a cable crimper from Boeing Surplus on crimp tubes but this
thing is limited because the hole the cable/crimp tube goes through
is only 3mm, so it’s difficult to get a jump ring or clasp back out
again (when you squeeze, 4 little cone-shaped points come out and
crimp). I’d really like one that opens like pliers, even if there
would only be 2 or three little cones.
Donna in VA
Dave,
Seems to me that your method of holding things in place is bordering
on overkill. I regularly hold things in place using a simple third
arm device. It is very stable and you don’t have to make it
up…you already have it. By the way, the new third arms mounted on
big ball bearings dapped into a magnetic base are killer soldering
aids ! I use them many times each day !
Ron Mills, Mills Gem Co. Los Osos, Ca.
i use a hand arbor press available really cheaply from harbour
freight tools - they have a lot of sizes and types of presses
too…and they also have hand held puches thta do the same thing…more
leverage with the arbor press, less with the punch.Also Rosenthal
jewe;ers supply has them in their catalog. If you want a more
versatile bench mounted press that also cuts/stamps out shapes
harbour freight tools has a 29.00 half ton model for around twenty
dollars, and upwards from there…
Does anyone know where to get one of those little two ended metal thing-a-ma-bobs you use to "punch" holes in a piece of metal instead of drill it?
Karen, these are indeed very handy. I used to get them for my
students for about $10 from Triarco (in Minnesota; they’re more
expensive now). Rio carries what looks like an unnecessarily lovely
one for about $30. The best-priced I’ve been able to find lately is
from Fire Mountain Gems, somewhere in the vicinity of $15 (I can’t
find the right catalog, at the moment).
I love these little punches, and I collect the little “dots” that
fall out and sometimes solder them on jewelry pieces as decoration.
All the best,
Judy Bjorkman
E gad!
Why would a metal craftsperson not make his own “spring loaded broom
clamp” ? I can’t imagine any project simpler than that. I should
think that a narrow strip of 20 guage stainless steel would do the
job nicely…what ever happened to our imaginations and
initiative ?
Ron MIlls @ Mills Gem Co. Los Osos, Ca.
is a spring loaded broom holder. The type that's sort of 'C' shaped
One reply said they haven’t been able to find these - I know just
what they are, and I got some for another purpose at our local
hardware store. They are spring steel, roughly in a “C” shape, real
handy, real cheap, too.
I'd like to have a titanium grate for soldering
Judy, you read my mind! I don’t understand why commercially
available soldering screens come in only 2 extreme guages. One is
almost like window screen, the other is heavy enough to build a bear
cage. Whether it’s made of titanium or not, surely there must be some
middle ground- heavy enough not to be destroyed by significant heat,
and light enough not to act as a giant heat sink. As I often do, I
wonder if there is a product made for some non-jewelry application
that might be adapted.
Allan Mason
Hi Ron,
Seems to me that your method of holding things in place is bordering on overkill
My description must have been confusing. The scheme I described is
quite simple. Reduced to it’s basics, a bent wire with a weight on
one end is used to hold the item in place. What I described was the
method for making the weighted wires. You make 3 or 4 of them once &
you’re set for life. Lots handier than 3rd hands. Doesn’t absorb as
much heat either.
Dave
is a spring loaded broom holder. The type that's sort of 'C' shaped
I saw that message. It reminded of just such a broom holder that my
mom always kept on the back porch back in the days when everybody
(i.e. every 12-year-old) swept the sidewalks ! I’m surprised they
still sell them.
Brian Corll
Brian Corll, Inc.
1002 East Simpson Street
Mechanicsburg, PA 17055
I love these little punches, and I collect the little "dots" that fall out and sometimes solder them on jewelry pieces as decoration.
OK, I give… what are you guys talking about? Is it these:
Dapping Tools & Forming - Forming Tools | Contenti ??? So, do
these work on silver or gold? You hit 'em, like stamps?
Noel
I don't understand why commercially available soldering screens come in only 2 extreme guages. One is almost like window screen, the other is heavy enough to build a bear cage.
What about “nests” made from loosely coiled binding wire?
almost like window screen, the other is heavy enough to build a bear cage. Whether it's made of titanium or not, surely there must be some middle ground- heavy enough not to be destroyed by significant heat,
Just out of curiosity, I went looking. Ebay has 2" thick sheets,
about 4’ x 8’ for $45,000 each - there were also some nice 1/8"
sheets for sale for about $60, for those who are interested. The big
sheets are just filed under, “Well, you don’t see that everyday!!”
Anyway, try http://www.dwt-inc.com/index.htm. They appear to have
every wire mesh on earth, including high-temp. stainless and
titanium. It’s pretty corporate - RFQ and stuff. But they have it
all.
Noel:
We are talking about this little item.
http://www.contenti.com/products/punches-stamps/380-955.html
They are great for punching hole in flat stock like charms and
discs.
John (Jack) Sexton
I use spring loaded broom holders to hold my several handpieces for
the four foredoms I run on the two benches I use. It makes it a lot
easier than searching in a drawer or bench pan for the handpiece. It
also keeps it out of the dust in the pan. A second saved is a second
earned.
Frank Goss
1 Like
Any good hardware store should have other sizes of hardware cloth.
The heavy soldering screen you’re talking about is 4 mesh. You can
get 5, 8 and 16 mesh also, or use other types of screen to suit your
purchases. No need to buy something specifically for soldering. Make
sure it’s steel so you won’t melt it with your soldering
temperatures! Screens made of other metals may end up with holes in
them.
Brian Corll
Brian Corll, Inc.
1002 East Simpson Street
Mechanicsburg, PA 17055