[Source] Indexed ring mandrel

Does anyone what company sells a indexed ring mandrel. It has the
degrees marked along the side for stone lay outs. I saw it in a
somewhere and thought at the time. That’s cool, I’d like one of
those. Now I can’t find it. Any Ideas?

Jim Zimmerman
Alpine Custom Jewellers & Repair

Hi Jim;

Does anyone what company sells a indexed ring mandrel? 

I have one, and although I don’t use it as often as I expected to,
it wasn’t expensive so it’s worth having around. If I remember
correctly, I got mine from Gesswein. If anyone remembers getting
theirs somewhere else, consider that they may be right and I’m
miss-remembering.

David L. Huffman

Does anyone what company sells a indexed ring mandrel. It has the
degrees marked along the side for stone lay outs. I saw it in a
somewhere and thought at the time. That's cool, I'd like one of
those. Now I can't find it. Any Ideas? 

Gesswein sells it.

S.C. Brown indexing mandrel.

  Designed by master jeweler Samuel Brown for fellow jewelers,
  this anodized heavyweight aluminum mandrel will prove
  indispensable for working on waxes and finished rings. Marked
  with 36 lines, each 10 degrees apart. Excellent for designing
  eternity and other rings because it allows you to quickly
  divide each ring into symmetrical sections. Includes complete
  instructions. Accommodates sizes 1-13. 

  http://tinyurl.com/5rotwj 

cheers
Peter Rowe

Jim,

I believe that Gesswein carries that mandrel.

Steve Brixner
www.brixnerdesign.net

Jim,

If you can’t find this anywhere, email me offline. I would be
interested in this. You might try Gesswein first, but contact me and
let’s talk.

Karen Christians
http:www.cleverwerx.com

EuroTool makes these, so a company that carries Eurotool should have
them. I got mine from the Kent’s Tools booth in Tucson. They have a
basic website at http://www.kentstools.com, but they don’t have their
catalog online - you would need to get a catalog or just call them up
and ask about it.

I use this tool a lot. The guy who invented it, Sam Brown, is a bit
of a mentor to me. It’s so cool that working jewelers can still
invent neat stuff that makes our work easier and benefit from it
financially. Go Karen Christians! Go KateWolf!

Laurel Cavanaugh

I do not have a good source for the indexed ring mandrel, but I can
offer a substitute which I have been using for many years and it
will cost you nothing.

Take a brass plate and cut out a disk of the diameter a bit larger
than the largest ring size you think you might need. With the
dividers inscribe progressively small circles graduating towards the
center. On mine each circle corresponds to ring size. Divide the
circles as required for application.

To achieve precision in dividing circles, use intersecting arcs
method. Start by drawing diameter ( any line through the center. Next
position one point of dividers on the intersection of diameter and
the circle, open dividers more than 1/2 of the diameter and draw an
arc which would cross the area where the center would be. ( no great
precision required ). Position dividers on another intersection of
the diameter with the circle and draw another arc in the same manner.
The arcs will intersect exactly opposite the center of the circle.
Using intersection of arcs and the center of the circle draw a line
until it intersects the circle on another side. You have divided
circle into 4 equal arcs.

Using the same method you subdivide each arc into required number of
subdivisions. Use sharp scriber and when done, mix some artist oil
paint with turpentine and rub into the marked lines. After it dries,
use emery stick to remove excess of paint and the scribed lines will
stand out sharply against the metal. Now you have a permanent
circular ruler which you can use to divide rings into any number of
divisions.

Leonid Surpin
www.studioarete.com

Gesswein does indeed carry this mandrel, called the S.C.Brown
Indexing Mandrel, Gesswein part # 820-8160. You can see some good
photos of it here:

http://tinyurl.com/3tumjy

Elaine Corwin
VP Tech Services
Gesswein Co. Inc.

Thanks for the impute guys.

I picked one up at CR Hills in Detroit on last Saturday. It was in
the show case across aisle form the check out counter. Probable why
it
stuck in my mind was it always takes 10 minutes to get the bill made
up, so you always look in the show case.

As soon as I got it home, I engraved the degrees on the major hash
marks. I also did the 45 between the marks for 8 stone lay outs. This
aught to make six and eight stone layouts a lot quicker and more
accurate. I still lay out eternity rings the standard way. Nice to
know it has a name. S.C. Brown mandrel.

Talk to ya later,
Jim

Jim Zimmerman
Alpine Custom Jewellers & Repair