My first bezel settings

Hi Gabriel:

A trivet might be of some help if you are soldering the backing on
to your bezel wire. 

I am quite new to the world of metal. Can you please explain the use
of a trivet? I am thinking it is something you put on top of the
backing to weight it and keep it from moving around during soldering?

Thanks
Kim Starbard
Cove Beads

Hello Orchidland,

It was a wonderful Tucson time. Mind-boggling as usual. As to
cutting strips for bezels, I use a sturdy paper cutter - like you
used in school. Sturdy is the important operative here. My paper
cutter is probably older than I am and cuts through sterling up to 26
ga easily. Fine silver is easier to cut. If you can lay hands on a
paper cutter, be sure to hold your sheet very firmly and expect the
piece you cut off to curl. Also the metal edges are sharp, so be
careful.

Judy in Kansas

Kim or Gabriel,

I think what is being suggested for soldering your bezel onto your
back-plate is just a heavy duty steel screen, that won’t be
destroyed or warped too badly by repeated heatings by the torch. The
idea is to suspend the heavy steel screen so it is horozontal, and
your bezel is placed onto your back-plate, which sits flat on the
screen. Make sure everything fits perfectly, with no gaps between the
bezel and back-plate, and heat from beneath the screen with the
torch. Use flux on all surfaces.

Unless you are using a very broad torch flame, and heating very
evenly, larger bezel-to-plate soldering will tend to warp.

Sometimes, I will place a couple of short lengths of 1/4 in. square
steel rods across the bezel, to weight it down, and help keep it
flat for soldering. I’d suggest hard solder for the bezel, and medium
to solder down the bezel, whether gold or silver.

The larger the bezel, the thicker you will need to make the the
back-plate, to avoid excessive warping by heating.

Good luck!
Jay Whaley.

Can you please explain the use of a trivet?

I think he means a tripod – a metal tripod with mesh screen on it,
allowing you to heat an item from above and below. Particularly
useful with something that has a heavy bottom/backing and tiny bits
on top.

Elaine

Elaine Luther
Metalsmith, Certified PMC Instructor
http://www.CreativeTextureTools.com
Hard to Find Tools for Metal Clay

Hi Kim,

A trivet is a 4 legged metal stand with a wire mesh top, you can now
apply heat evenly to the bottom of the piece and you don’t lose heat
by having it sit on a solder pad. The flux itself should keep your
bezel wire from moving once it crystallizes.

feel free to email me with any questions.

have a nice day!
@Gabriel