|
|
Post by connrock on Jan 28, 2014 10:09:00 GMT -5
Through the years I've made a few crosses out of different types of rocks and can never figure out a good,strong silver setting for one. About5-6 years ago(maybe more) I made one for my son who wore it daily in his HVAC work.He wanted something blue and the only thing I had was some blue quartz that wasn't very "dense"/strong? A few weeks ago it finally broke so I made another cross out of some Aussie pet wood I have.This "wood" is VERY dense/strong and although I don't think it will break like the blue quarts,I wanted to make a much stronger setting for it. This is the old cross,,,,,  The design I cam up with for the new cross is OK but I'm still not happy with it. It's being help with 2 clamps right now as I just epoxied it yesterday so I can't take photos of it. I made a "back plate' out of silver that has 4 small "prongs" that go up the outside ends of each cross of the cross members but not over the top of the cross,,,like a faceted stone would have. I flat lapped the back of the cross so it would lay flat onto the back plate and would also be a but roughed up for a better epoxy bond. So,,,it's epoxied to the back plate and (somewhat) held in place with the 4 prongs. Hang on,,,i'll get it and take a few photos,,,,,, It's not polished yet but you'll get a better idea of what I'm talking about,,,,    The setting just doesn't seem strong enough to me and I'm afraid the cross will fall out in time??? Any ideas for a strong setting for crosses? connrock |
|
|
|
Post by kk on Jan 28, 2014 10:23:15 GMT -5
How about a pin soldered onto the base and drilled into the cross? That should hold it together without question, even if one of the prongs gives a little, out of whatever reason. And delays any fallout from deterioration of epoxy until it gets into the pin itself.
|
|
|
|
Post by rockjunquie on Jan 28, 2014 10:49:57 GMT -5
I like the new design, but I see why you are worried. I think I would want to put similar prongs in the corners of each arm, too. That should hold it forever.
|
|
|
|
Post by pghram on Jan 28, 2014 15:25:31 GMT -5
What if you put two pins (nails) through the "hands"?
Rich
|
|
|
|
Post by connrock on Jan 28, 2014 16:32:12 GMT -5
Thanks for the suggestions folks!
I thought about pis in various different ways but I don't want to drill into the cross and weaken it.
I'll fess up and say that I even tried soldering bezel wire around the entire cross with mitered corners but failed at it TERRIBLY!I thought I could "form" the bezel wire just a tad onto the top surface of the cross but I can see that isn't going to happen in this lifetime!
I also thought of 4 prongs at the inner corners but Tom and prongs don't get along very well!
I think I better stick with making tin men,dogs,etc out of tin cans cuz I sure aint no jeweler! LOL
connrock
|
|
steelandstone
has rocks in the head
Member since September 2008
Posts: 500
|
Post by steelandstone on Jan 28, 2014 19:36:57 GMT -5
Thanks for the suggestions folks! I thought about pis in various different ways but I don't want to drill into the cross and weaken it. I'll fess up and say that I even tried soldering bezel wire around the entire cross with mitered corners but failed at it TERRIBLY!I thought I could "form" the bezel wire just a tad onto the top surface of the cross but I can see that isn't going to happen in this lifetime! I also thought of 4 prongs at the inner corners but Tom and prongs don't get along very well! I think I better stick with making tin men,dogs,etc out of tin cans cuz I sure aint no jeweler! LOL connrock Crosses can be bezel set but they are a bit of a well.. lets just say Female Dog. The bezel it self should be able to be formed with one continuous piece having only one solder joint. The trick is getting it tight all the way around the stone. And don't be so hard on yourself, that is a tricky bezel to do. I also really liked your first setting. |
|
|
|
Post by radio on Jan 28, 2014 20:57:58 GMT -5
Bezel set would be my choice with at least 22ga as the backing. SAS is correct in that they are a PITA to bezel set though
|
|
|
|
Post by connrock on Jan 29, 2014 8:34:22 GMT -5
steelandstone/radio,,,
Although it did take me some time I did get the bezel around the cross very tight and in 1 single piece with a seam silver soldered.Soldering the bezel to the back plate went well too.It was when I tried to "miter" the inside and outside corners that the setting looked like a pre-school kid was trying to do a college level assignment!
The setting on the 1st cross was OK but I had to solder the "X" on the front of the cross with Stay-Brite solder and being that my son wears the cross every day in his job,the solder joint didn't hold up very well.
|
|
|
|
Post by connrock on Jan 29, 2014 8:50:47 GMT -5
steelandstone/radio,,,
Although it did take me some time I did get the bezel around the cross very tight and in 1 single piece with a seam silver soldered.Soldering the bezel to the back plate went well too.It was when I tried to "miter" the inside and outside corners that the setting looked like a pre-school kid was trying to do a college level assignment!
The setting on the 1st cross was OK but I had to solder the "X" on the front of the cross with Stay-Brite solder and being that my son wears the cross every day in his job,the solder joint didn't hold up very well.
The wire used to form the "X" is very thin so only a very small amount of solder could be used or the joint would look terrible.
Thin wire + small amount of solder = wear/breakage!Catch 22? LOL
I used Epoxy 330 to hold the "new" cross onto the sterling silver.I roughed up both the back of the cross (on a 100 grit flat lap) and "scored" the silver with a very sharp steel scribe.I only used a very small amount of epoxy so it wouldn't "ooze" out.I'm not a big fan of using glues or epoxies to solely hold stones to silver.Considering that my son will wear the cross every day in work,,do you think the cross will fall off of the silver back plate?
My son is VERY dear to me and this cross may very well be the last piece of silver jewelery I ever make so it's VERY important to me that the cross doesn't fall apart.
connrock
|
|
jamesp
Cave Dweller 
Member since October 2012
Posts: 35,999
|
Post by jamesp on Jan 29, 2014 19:31:49 GMT -5
I like the cross wrap on the blue one. That is a finesse piece of work. And strong.
Can't throw the rag. You mastered soldering. Do you realize how far ahead that makes you?
|
|
steelandstone
has rocks in the head
Member since September 2008
Posts: 500
|
Post by steelandstone on Jan 29, 2014 20:11:36 GMT -5
steelandstone/radio,,, Although it did take me some time I did get the bezel around the cross very tight and in 1 single piece with a seam silver soldered.Soldering the bezel to the back plate went well too.It was when I tried to "miter" the inside and outside corners that the setting looked like a pre-school kid was trying to do a college level assignment! The setting on the 1st cross was OK but I had to solder the "X" on the front of the cross with Stay-Brite solder and being that my son wears the cross every day in his job,the solder joint didn't hold up very well. The wire used to form the "X" is very thin so only a very small amount of solder could be used or the joint would look terrible. Thin wire + small amount of solder = wear/breakage!Catch 22? LOL I used Epoxy 330 to hold the "new" cross onto the sterling silver.I roughed up both the back of the cross (on a 100 grit flat lap) and "scored" the silver with a very sharp steel scribe.I only used a very small amount of epoxy so it wouldn't "ooze" out.I'm not a big fan of using glues or epoxies to solely hold stones to silver.Considering that my son will wear the cross every day in work,,do you think the cross will fall off of the silver back plate? My son is VERY dear to me and this cross may very well be the last piece of silver jewelery I ever make so it's VERY important to me that the cross doesn't fall apart. connrock That 330 is some tough stuff. Sharp corners can be tough. One trick I use on sharp corners sometimes is to start in the middle of each section and work toward the corners and keep pushing the bezel over the stone right up to the corner, so now you end up with a little "point" if you will in the corner, next I will use a medium pumice wheel to grind down that point evenly. You will end up with a slight gap in the corner but you can control the process much better. I personally do not do well with cutting and mitering bezel corners, so I figured out this process. Here is an example, if you look at the top of the diamond you can see where I cut/ground down the point of the bezel.  |
|
|
|
Post by connrock on Jan 30, 2014 10:37:52 GMT -5
James,,
The soldering on the blue cross is no more difficult to do then the soldering you do!
A soldering iron and some Stay-Brite solder is all I used!
The problem is that the soldered joint didn't hold up as well as if it were silver soldered!
connrock
|
|
|
|
Post by connrock on Jan 30, 2014 10:49:53 GMT -5
steelandstones,,
That's a beautiful piece!!!
Thanks for your help with this.
I only tried to do sharp angles with bezel settings a few times some years ago.They didn't come out very well than and as I get older I'm finding that I have much less patience then I did only a short time ago,,,when I was younger!
I've backed myself into a corner with this cross and it's not something I'm used to doing!
connrock
|
|
|
|
Post by pghram on Jan 30, 2014 22:42:51 GMT -5
steelandstone, beautiful pendant.
Rich
|
|
X - Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's rocks
- O Henry
