Just wondered how many of you found your jewelry training helpful in
repairing odd things or around the house/stduio? I had to repair a
brokenhinge on my toliet float ball hinge. Either go out and buy a
new part, or fix it. Took it out, took my drill bit in flex shaft,
drilled hole in broken hinge, stuck a piece of 14g. copper wire in
hole and put the float ball hinge back in place. Still working well.
Another time, needed to cut PVC board to go around two rocks.
Jewelry sawframe and a #2 blade made quick work of the areas that
needed to be removed.
I may be a trained jeweler/silversmith, but I’m really a wire tinker
at heart. I’ve wired my shelf struts to shelf to keep them together,
fixedthe flapper for water boiler by making a new one out of
aluminum and wiring on a hinge (12g straight wire). Still working.
Another tip for broken glass, courtsey of my grandfather - if you
have holes in your glass panes, just glue on a piece of glass over
the hole. Works great.
As for costume jewelry, I’ve had to get creative in repairs One
time, broken tongue on bracelet. I take thin strip of brass, fold it
over, roll one end into a tube and reattached it to bracelet. No
soldering neededand a 10 min job.
With my flex-shaft I’ve trimmed down an orthodontic retainer and cut
a kittycat “door” into a large plastic storage bin that became a
tall-sided kitty pan. (Excellent for the sprayer or the older
arthritic cat who can no longer squat.)
Yes. There was a tough tap con (screw for concrete) sticking out of
my exterior wall. I could either grind it off with an angle grinder
for 5 minutes, or I could saw it off in 1 minute with the jeweler
saw with no dust. I chose the jeweler saw. Hack saws don’t work well
for me except on pipe. At tap cons used a lot up north? Here in
Florida they are used a lot but impossible to remove.
A few years ago, after I broke a tooth I found I couldn’t get into
the dentist for a couple days. The broken tooth was super sharp so,
using a hand mirror and a diamond drill in my flex shaft, I smoothed
out the sharp edges. It did the trick! Mark
I’ve done the file the broken tooth thing too, but did it with a
hand file And my brother-in-law is my dentist. just looked at me
really funny… but got rid of the cutting edge!
A few years ago, after I broke a tooth I found I couldn't get into
the dentist for a couple days. The broken tooth was super sharp
so, using a hand mirror and a diamond drill in my flex shaft, I
smoothed out the sharp edges. It did the trick! Mark
I do the same, but I use a blue rubber wheel then a pink one.
Diamond burs cut WAY too fast, IMO.
A few years ago, after I broke a tooth I found I couldn’t get into
the dentist for a couple days. The broken tooth was super sharp so,
using a hand mirror and a diamond drill in my flex shaft, I smoothed
out the sharp edges. It did the trick! Mark
This happened to me, I called my dentist who was a good friend, and
he toldme I could file it with a fingernail file. It worked! But I
guess you could use your flex shaft.
And my brother-in-law is my dentist. just looked at me