Using wax for setting

Is it advisable to use wax to hold a stone for setting? If so,

  1. What kind of wax?

  2. How much and placed where?

  3. How best to remove after setting?

Thanks again, Bob B

Bee’s wax is commonly used- formed into a cone shape roughly
3/4" or so long. It is used to place and remove the stone while
cutting the seat, not really for holding the stone in place while
setting.

Rick Hamilton
Richard D. Hamilton

Fabricated 14k, 18k, and platinum Jewelry
wax carving, modelmaking, jewelry photography

http://www.rick-hamilton.com
@rick_hamilton

  1. What kind of wax?

i use ‘renaissance’ wax some people might call it classic clay.
others use beeswax.

  1. How much and placed where?

you can roll or smoodge the wax onto the end of a 3mm orange
stick for picking up stones. or you can take a little bit and
roll it into a 1.5 mm sausage and use it to hold several pesky
baguettes or rounds that you are channel setting. the sausage is
laid across the stones and smudged onto the metal terminations of
the channel. not much is used

  1. How best to remove after setting?

it is easier to remove than rouge. some jewelers stuff it into
the ajours behind transparent stones so rouge and buffing
compounds don’t get in. the wax can be cleaned off by ultra sonic
and then steam cleaning.if you don’t have these try really hot
water with mr. clean or spic and span. happy setting.

geo fox

Hi Bob, I like to use wax to hold diamonds when I flat set/
bright cut them if I am using a gravermeister or gravermax. I use
plain old bees wax. First I will put a thin layer of wax - melted
on the area I am setting the stones at, then I will lay out the
diamonds on the wax and gently heat until the stones adhere to
the wax. After it cools down, I remove the diamonds and there
will be an impression where they were imbedded in the wax. This
prevents having to lay out the stones with dividers and a
scribe. Then I punch a dent with my center punch right in the
middle of the impression (saves alot of time). After I cut the
seats, and put the diamond in, I melt a little more wax on top
of the stone to prevent it from jumping out of the seat from the
vibrations of the gravermeister. Once the stones are set, beaded
and brightcut, you can either soak the peice in alcohol, or steam
clean the wax out from around the stones. Ken

Bob, i find that wax is usable but has some drawbacks. 1. it
tends to melt as you cut multiple seats or hammer the channel
and lets the stones move 2. it can be difficult to remove as is
tends to spread when steamed as opposed to dissolve. 3. if you
have any solder work to do after setting it tends to contaminate
and stop solder flow. so an alternative, and try not to laugh,
is play-do. thats right if you have kids you have play-do. 1. it
doesn’t melt when it gets warm it hardens 2. its easy to clean,
ultrasonic and steam usually do it 3. it also hardens after a
brief period holding the stones secure for hammer setting. i
usually cut the seats in a channel one at a time unless the
stones are very consistant in size. this way i can center each
stone in the channel so they set girdle to girdle. i place the
stone in the seat and then place a small dab of play-do (day glow
orange is my favorite color) and press it around the stone. i
then make sure the stone is level and centered and proceed to cut
the next seat. i have done whole eternity bands this way before i
ever hammer the channel over. nothing moves as you hammer and you
can move the channel at a very consistent angle and pressure.
this also works great for bezels and gypsy set. i can’t do
without it and it is also biodegradeable and edible. i find it
makes all the difference in the world in quality of finished
product and speed of execution. hope it does what you need. good
luck. frank

Bee’s wax is commonly used- formed into a cone shape roughly
3/4" or so long. It is used to place and remove the stone while
cutting the seat, not really for holding the stone in place while
setting.

Rick,

I have heard of using bee’s wax to hold stones in place while
doing things like gypsy settings to stop the stone from rocking
while you tack it in place. Haven’t tried it myself, though.
Ultrasonic or steam will remove the wax when you’re through.

Sometimes, when I am channel setting with a hammer and punch, I
will use bees wax or a similar synthetic to hold the stones in
place. I use as much as it takes and steam it out when I’m done.
It acts as a glue and absorbs the shock of the hammer blows.
Otherwise, the sones tend to jiggle themselves out of the
mounting and I find myself on the floor for far too many hours of
the day.

Bruce D. Holmgrain
e-mail: @Bruce_Holmgrain
http:\www.knight-hub.com\manmtndense\bhh3.htm
snail mail: pob 7972, McLean, VA 22106-7972
phone:: 703-593-4652

Thanks to Frank,George, Ken and others for advice and hints.
Sure does help to get your suggestions.

Bob B

I have heard of using bee’s wax to hold stones in place while
doing things like gypsy settings to stop the stone from rocking
while you tack it in place. Haven’t tried it myself, though.
Ultrasonic or steam will remove the wax when you’re through.

I do keep learning new tricks on this forum. Had never thought
about sticking the stones in place with bee’s wax while setting
them- Thanks to all who contributed to this thread.

Richard D. Hamilton

Fabricated 14k, 18k, and platinum Jewelry
wax carving, modelmaking, jewelry photography

http://www.rick-hamilton.com
@rick_hamilton