Hello fellow Orchidians!
“what can a graver really do to help me in my bench work?” A very
simple question, but the answers are many, and here are some for you
to read…so sit back, relax ! ! ! !
-
You are setting a Cabochon stone in a silver or a gold bezel…you
see that the inner edge of the frame is looking a bit ‘rough’. you
take out a file…woops wrong tool. You try to use a pumice
wheel…still woops!..you take out a finely tuned Onglette #2 graver
that is polished on only one side and very delicatly cut the inner
edge of the bezel wall…WOW, its now clean! -
You are setting an Engagement ring and you see little burs that
are from rotating bur that makes a seat for the stone…again files
leave little scerated edges on the one side of the claw…pumice wheel
removes too much metal and you have to polish the head again…still
you are in a quandry…oh, the Onglette #2 graver that is polished on
one side, you try and scrape off the metal in one scoop…it works
again…fantastic tool…“my life is getting easier by the setting
job”…:>) -
you are trying to secure a “Gypsy/Flush” set stone and one stone
is not getting tight in the inner setting…you hammer again, still
loose, you burnish over the metal more…still giving you a bad
time…you now pick up the Onglette# 1 graver that is modified to only
raise a little “wire-bead”, or a some folks are now calling it
"stitching in the stone". You lay the graver on its side and rais e
alittle wire hoook and very carefully rasie a little iwre to sit
above the girdle of that problem stone…You attempt to do this 3-4
times all around the stone…voila! its now secure…“life is now
getting more interesting”. -
you only now figuring out how to use a bead-raiser without
running to your tool supply house for a # 50 or a #51 Round shaped
graver…Why not use the Onglette #2 but using Emery paper to actually
round off the exact bottom edge nearest to the graver point, it now
is becoming rounded…See, a new bead-raiser, no extra tool to buy,
ready to use in a moments notice. -
you want to remove some solder-runs that you acquired when two
rings are joined together…you could use a fine # 4/0 saw-blade but
you now decide upon your newest tool, the Onglette #1. With the
graver made thinner and with the use of your oil stone. You remove
some of the width of your tool, you can now scribe to a depth of your
liking, this will now give to you back the desired effect you
need…‘two seperated two rings’ as before the soldering process. As
this is used it has a shiny cut, & not looking rough. -
The last use so far for the now-famous Onglette #1 and the
’noble’ Onglette #2. I use these two blades extensively in
rough-cutting and then “Bright-Cutting”…I am now even shying away
from using the Flat #39 or the Flat #40…why? Glad you asked, the
Flat leaves a little shattering or ripple edges as its cutting into
the metal. With my greatly modified Onglette ‘right-sided’ cutting
tool, no more interruptions in the cutting, now only ONE…SMOOTH…
BRIGHT…SURFACE…what else can you ask for?
I hope you all enjoyed this little exposure to the
"Onglette" graver!..“Gerry, the Cyber-Setter!”