Here’s the link to the earlier discussion that dealt with this same
problem:
I think it may have gotten split across two months, so check out the
January 2005 archive as well. How quickly time flies!
Cheers,
Jessee Smith
www.silverspotstudio.com
Cincinnati, Ohio
I’m starting to work with some sterling sheet I reticulated a while
back. I want to set some cabochons in bezels on the sheet surface.
The solution I chose was to pierce the sheet, and file to fit a bezel
cup I made and solder it in. Pretty tedious, and high potential for
error.
I'm starting to work with some sterling sheet I reticulated a while back. I want to set some cabochons in bezels on the sheet surface. The solution I chose was to pierce the sheet, and file to fit a bezel cup I made and solder it in. Pretty tedious, and high potential for error.
I worked with reticulated metal (still do, when I can get in the
shop) for many years. With sterling or 80/20 sheet, if it is heavy
enough to have the necessary strength after this process, it’s a
little simpler that what you are doing. Just place you bezel cup on
the sheet appropriately, draw around the cup then use your foredom
and the appropriate burs to remove the bumps and wrinkles, and sweat
solder the cup to the sheet. I use the Lewton Brain bur (bic lighter
wheel on a mandrel) if there is enough room for the rough removal,
clean up the edges with smaller burs, and finally use abrasive
rubber/silicone wheels to get the area nice and flat, or what ever
shape is necessary for a good fit. I almost always use all hard
solder for my bezel making, allowing for use of medium for attaching
the cup. You can’t use hard solder on 80/20, because the melting temp
is so low. If I am using gold, I use hard solder from beginning to
end with very few exceptions. Thomas III
you can pierce it (the reticulated sheet) becuase it lets more light
into the stone than a backing plate- but you may want to simply use
a shaping bur, like a flame shape or diamond coated ball bur, take
down the area you want to attach the bezel to to as flat as you can
get the surface. You will need to build up some layers of Cupronil,
or borax. boric acid in an alcohol solution (A Pripps type flux /
firescale preventative- mix it two parts borax, to one part boric
acid to as much alcohol -denatured- as it will take to completely
saturate the solution. You will know when that point is as no more
powdered ingredients will dissolve into it) to protect the surface
you have reticulated as the point the bezel strip may melt if using
sterling is above that of the 80/20 silver alloy in reticulation
silver. Another method if you have a rolling mill is to cut a wire
the same size as the bezel and form it exactly as the cab is shaped,
placing it on the sheet and then covering the sheet and wire with a
sheet of polished brass (to protect the rollers) then run it through
until it makes an impression - kind of like roll printing -You can
use a wire only as thick as the bezel material. This will give you a
seat for the bezel material and a track for the solder to flow. the
main things to keep in mind are the bezel material should be closed
with hard solder first. Then the bezel will have to be sanded,
particularly at the join, to “fit” in the impression made with the
rolling mill. You will have to use a med. or easy solder - if you
are going to attach more than one bezel to the piece use med or a
flow point that is between med and easy (Beth Katz makes various
medium solders with different flow points- he co,.is called My Unique
Solutions, I have no connection with her except as a former
customer),using the harder solder and moving down to easy with each
additional bezel you set. Alternatively, you can rethink the bezel
settings and use gravers to raise fingers of metal as you would for
a heavy bead setting and then use them as you would prongs, using at
least 6 for each cab (in sets of 2 fairly close together) depending
on the size and then finishing them off with a cup bur or similar to
diminish any burrs, or snags they may cause on clothing, etc. or
form some wire or any shaped stock you wish, and solder them all at
once in pre-marked places on the sheet/ workpiece winding up with
some unique claws, If it’s a small piece you can use a washer on top
to position them then use a tripod to heat the solder from underneath
the work. Then you just rub the prongs over the cabs- at least 4
unless they are trillions, triangles, or trilliants- You could even
use tubes if they are round, : and again, can use wire to impress
their positioning into the sheet as explained above with a rolling
mill- it is then fairly easy to drop them all into place, once
sanded to match the sheet’s contours or a sanded flattened sheet,
positioning small chips of solder on each and heat once. Fine silver
would be my choice for any silver bezel, or claw or prong and 18 kt
if not 22kt. gold if using gold. the gold won’t affect the
reticulated material if you use easy gold coloured silver solder. .
if you have questions feel free to ask. rer