What can gravers do

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 ! ! ! !

  1. 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!

  2. 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”…:>)

  3. 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”.

  4. 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.

  5. 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.

  6. 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!”

1 Like

Of course I keep gravers for decorative hand engraving and stone
setting, but ever since getting a gravermach, I’m using gravers for
all sorts of cutting carving etc. And I’ve given up a hammer and
punch for bezel setting, in favor of the gravermach. This, and even
more important, their sharpening device, change everything about
using gravers.

While I’m on favorite tools, I have to say, Matrix by Gemvision is
amazing. With no training whatsoever on CAD/CAM at all I was creating
rings in the first few hours of unpacking the program, and after a
few months (and still no training) I feel pretty competent, and are
making some cool stuff.

And while I’m raving, I just replaced my Steammaster steamer the
other day. Yes, it broke down. After 22 years of daily use, by up to
5 people.

As usual, no affiliations with the above mentioned products.

Michael Babinski
Foxfire Jewelers