Squaring Off The End Of A Wire Or Bezel Strip, Quickly

[bobby1]

Here is a bench tip on how you can quickly square off the end of a wire or bezel strip.
Take a medium size flat file and file a step in the end of one of your bench pin forks. Make sure it is perpendicular to the side of the bench pin.

Hold the end of the wire against the step with the end hanging slightly past the side of the bench pin.

Hold the file against the side of the bench pin and file the wire end flat.

This photo shows doing the same with your bezel strip.

This is a photo of my primary jeweler's file. It is a 4" #2 cut Swiss Barette file in a file handle. it fits my hand very well and being a Barette style file I can use it for instance cleaning up the top of a bezel after the stone is set. Because this style file has no teeth on the side I can hold the file against the stone as I file around the stone. One precaution is if you buy one of these files place a piece of 400 grit sand paper on your bench anvil and sand the side of the file to make sure none of the file teeth has a bur extending over the side.
A photo of my file.

A back view of the file.
Bob

[Tom]

Good info, going to file a spot on my block ASAP. Thanks

[chassroc]

That's a great idea..i always have trouble with the ends of bezel wires

charlie