The power of the putty

I’ve been using this for a couple years now and I have to tell you it is a super time and frustration saver. This is a kneaded eraser and you just mush it up and pack it around and mostly under what you’re working on, because of gravity and all that. It sticks and it catches and it stays and it’s maybe $2. You can set your diamond you’re setting right on it and press them in a bit and they stay right there. A tiny piece in the tip of a tweezers will also grab gems out of things or filings.
Enjoy. SD

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Thank you for the tip! I have been looking for an easy way to hold work in place.
Is this it?

Best,
Lois

Yes but it’s more for keeping gems from falling and getting lost. You still have to clamp things down. I do have a few tricks for that too if you’re interested

Yes! I would love to hear your tips. Right now I use Rio Grande’s Jett Set Basic to hold pieces in a vice while setting the stone. Thank you.
Best,
Lois

I use the stuff they sell for putting stuff on school bulletin boards the same way. It’s very like kneaded erasers, and useful for holding pieces on a surface when the back is no longer flat (such as when your piece has a pinback or bail, but you need to hold it while you work on the front). It also can hold a tiny stone while you place it, etc.

Noralie Katsu

Yup. That’s very similar. That stuff is a little stickier. The eraser is a little different. I’ve tried both and they each have purposes. The eraser is easier to get off of things especially from behind or around settings.

the timing of my reading this was exquisite…i volunteer in a university advanced jewelry program and the professor was getting ready to leave for a show and had a smudge on a fabric to be used in her display…she was wondering how to get it off and i suggested the eraser…since it was an art department there was one of those around!!!..worked perfectly…my background before starting to make jewelry many years ago was not in art so i never knew these goodies existed…mine just arrived from Amazon and i am excited about sharing this info with the students…what fun i am having in retirement!!!..thanks so much for taking the time to post and share this info…

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So

here are a few things. These I made recently and they really help with things getting hot and hand fatigue. The plastic one is just for doing the insides of rings. The others I use for holding for filing, sawingand polishing. I absolutely love them.
Other pic is a big that’s easy to make for holding hot rings like for tipping and soldering crowns.

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Greetings Scavengerqr,
It’s been two years but I was just now reviewing all the photos you shared. Thank you. Very helpful.
Is the material you are using on the clamps, to protect your pieces from the metal, the kneaded eraser we are talking about?
Does it hold up to the heat of the torch?
Best,
Lois