standles
spending too much on rocks
Well all I got was a rock ... Cool!
Member since February 2021
Posts: 325 
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Post by standles on May 9, 2021 13:38:24 GMT -5
So here is my first try at this new craft. Yeah it has some noob mistakes but i learned from them. Hopefully i will avoid them next time. One question for you seasoned smiths is how do you rock a bezel on a shap tipped cabachon like this? As you can see i polished a turd but i could not fir life of me get a clean bezel there. Thanks for any constructive feedback. Steven   |
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Post by rockjunquie on May 9, 2021 16:30:55 GMT -5
You have to cut down the bezel wire. Take your soldered bezel wire and rub it against a flat piece of 600 or so sandpaper. Keep rubbing and testing your fit. You might just have gone with a thinner bezel wire, but I can't tell from pics. Looks pretty damn good, though, for your first. Congrats!
What metal is it?
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Post by jasoninsd on May 9, 2021 16:35:48 GMT -5
Way to go Steven! I think that's a heckuva an effort for your first one! In fact, I really think it looks great!  (No help on your questions though.  ) |
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standles
spending too much on rocks
Well all I got was a rock ... Cool!
Member since February 2021
Posts: 325
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Post by standles on May 9, 2021 18:52:28 GMT -5
You have to cut down the bezel wire. Take your soldered bezel wire and rub it against a flat piece of 600 or so sandpaper. Keep rubbing and testing your fit. You might just have gone with a thinner bezel wire, but I can't tell from pics. Looks pretty damn good, though, for your first. Congrats!
What metal is it?
Thanks rockjunquie I actually did that some but apparently not enough. I had same thought about thickness of bezel strip. It is 24ga sterling cut from same piece of sheet as back. After bending and soldering that in place i got some fine silver strip for next round in 1/8" and 1/4". I also got some gallery strip as well. |
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Post by rockjunquie on May 9, 2021 18:54:24 GMT -5
You have to cut down the bezel wire. Take your soldered bezel wire and rub it against a flat piece of 600 or so sandpaper. Keep rubbing and testing your fit. You might just have gone with a thinner bezel wire, but I can't tell from pics. Looks pretty damn good, though, for your first. Congrats!
What metal is it?
Thanks rockjunquie I actually did that some but apparently not enough. I had same thought about thickness of bezel strip. It is 24ga sterling cut from same piece of sheet as back. After bending and soldering that in place i got some fine silver strip for next round in 1/8" and 1/4". I also got some gallery strip as well. You'll have better luck with silver bezel wire. |
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standles
spending too much on rocks
Well all I got was a rock ... Cool!
Member since February 2021
Posts: 325
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Post by standles on May 9, 2021 18:54:29 GMT -5
Way to go Steven! I think that's a heckuva an effort for your first one! In fact, I really think it looks great! (No help on your questions though. ) Thanks for the support. I actually get hyper critical on stuff i make. If i had more time (this was a motherday present from grandson to daughter) i would most likey have scrapped it and started over. |
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Post by rockjunquie on May 9, 2021 18:57:03 GMT -5
Way to go Steven! I think that's a heckuva an effort for your first one! In fact, I really think it looks great! (No help on your questions though. ) Thanks for the support. I actually get hyper critical on stuff i make. If i had more time (this was a motherday present from grandson to daughter) i would most likey have scrapped it and started over. Oh no! It's your first. She'll love it because you made it, but it is also a nice looking pendant.
We are ALL our own worse critics. You'll have to learn how to accept that. |
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Post by Pat on May 9, 2021 19:09:18 GMT -5
Nice work!! Gently slope the point. Maybe use bezel wire that is more narrow. Nice looking piece!!
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Post by jasoninsd on May 9, 2021 19:15:47 GMT -5
Thanks for the support. I actually get hyper critical on stuff i make. If i had more time (this was a motherday present from grandson to daughter) i would most likey have scrapped it and started over. Oh no! It's your first. She'll love it because you made it, but it is also a nice looking pendant.
We are ALL our own worse critics. You'll have to learn how to accept that.  |
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standles
spending too much on rocks
Well all I got was a rock ... Cool!
Member since February 2021
Posts: 325
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Post by standles on May 9, 2021 19:18:14 GMT -5
Nice work!! Gently slope the point. Maybe use bezel wire that is more narrow. Nice looking piece!! Thanks Ms. Pat. Will definitely try that next time |
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Post by MsAli on May 9, 2021 19:31:40 GMT -5
Great job
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Brian
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since July 2020
Posts: 1,476
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Post by Brian on May 9, 2021 20:10:05 GMT -5
Looks like you did a great job for your first one!
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standles
spending too much on rocks
Well all I got was a rock ... Cool!
Member since February 2021
Posts: 325
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Post by standles on May 9, 2021 20:46:24 GMT -5
Looks like you did a great job for your first one! Thank you both. |
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Post by hummingbirdstones on May 9, 2021 21:30:35 GMT -5
What Tela and Pat said. Also, when you have a point or corners on your cab, make those the first places where you start pushing your bezel. That way you won't end up with gaps or too much metal in those areas. I'm sure you know the procedure but just in case: push opposite sides when bezel setting first, then in between and opposite sides, etc. until everything is against the bezel of the stone and then burnish. Doing that distributes the metal evenly and makes it smooth.
I think you did a great job on your first one and you will just get better and better with practice!
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Post by opalpyrexia on May 9, 2021 22:39:03 GMT -5
Nicely done! If you hadn't said that it was your first attempt I would not have believed it. I think that the way that you handled the bezel issue at the cab's point looks pretty good.
Handling bezels the way I do might not work for you, but I'll pass it on anyway. Before I set a cab, but while the cab is sitting in the setting, I take a fine point Sharpie and scribe a line inside the bezel. I do this while holding the Sharpie tangent to the cab's slope close to or a little above the bezel. Then I file or bur away the bezel almost to the elimination of the line. This creates a bezel height that varies with the geometry of the cab, maximizing its surface area and eliminating excess metal that might cause setting problems.
I should add that I usually set opals and my cutting follows the fire, so often they are freeforms or, if they have a symmetric shape, the dome and girdle slope and/or height may still vary.
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standles
spending too much on rocks
Well all I got was a rock ... Cool!
Member since February 2021
Posts: 325
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Post by standles on May 9, 2021 23:04:31 GMT -5
What Tela and Pat said. Also, when you have a point or corners on your cab, make those the first places where you start pushing your bezel. That way you won't end up with gaps or too much metal in those areas. I'm sure you know the procedure but just in case: push opposite sides when bezel setting first, then in between and opposite sides, etc. until everything is against the bezel of the stone and then burnish. Doing that distributes the metal evenly and makes it smooth.
I think you did a great job on your first one and you will just get better and better with practice!
Thanks.. I actually did the bottom first to "push the point into the corner" then tried to do top. I was surprised how much force it takes to push the bezel and almost lost heart with the wavy bumpy mess that resulted. I burnished like you said bbut again was surprised at the force and got a bloody poke in the thumb from a slip. I am chalking up the force thing to being thick, too tall and sterling instead of fine silver. If I had a mulligan on that point I would push straight into it not each side as I did. |
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standles
spending too much on rocks
Well all I got was a rock ... Cool!
Member since February 2021
Posts: 325
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Post by standles on May 9, 2021 23:10:11 GMT -5
Nicely done! If you hadn't said that it was your first attempt I would not have believed it. I think that the way that you handled the bezel issue at the cab's point looks pretty good. Handling bezels the way I do might not work for you, but I'll pass it on anyway. Before I set a cab, but while the cab is sitting in the setting, I take a fine point Sharpie and scribe a line inside the bezel. I do this while holding the Sharpie tangent to the cab's slope close to or a little above the bezel. Then I file or bur away the bezel almost to the elimination of the line. This creates a bezel height that varies with the geometry of the cab, maximizing its surface area and eliminating excess metal that might cause setting problems. I should add that I usually set opals and my cutting follows the fire, so often they are freeforms or, if they have a symmetric shape, the dome and girdle slope and/or height may still vary. I have 2 more settings already soldered so will try your method on them. Good thing is they are nice ovals without sharpe points. I am learning that silversmithing is ALOT of filing, sanding, and polishing. The making of the settings was a blink of the eye compared to the "finishing". I want to do some freeforms on my next cabbing session. My issue is I am an engineer by training and symmetry and order is deeply embedded in my psyche. Believe it nor not I like freeforms I have seen but it is harder for me to do that than a symmetrical shape. |
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Post by fernwood on May 10, 2021 0:48:22 GMT -5
First time? I would have never guessed that.
Great job.
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brotherbill
spending too much on rocks
Member since October 2018
Posts: 331
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Post by brotherbill on May 10, 2021 6:36:17 GMT -5
Nice work, well done!
I quickly scanned over the thread so I may be suggesting something previously mentioned.
For the bezel wrap I use fine 28 gauge fine silver (99%). It is softer than sterling and very malleable. It takes very little pressure to roll.
When making the bezel make it as tight as possible to prevent it bunching up at the corners. Depending on the circumference of the stone, make the bezel strip between 1/64 - 1/32 of an inch shorter than the circumference. Then after soldering you can
stretch the bezel to get an exact fit. Stretching can be accomplished by rolling a punch along the surface of the bezel wire.
Good luck, you are well on your way!
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standles
spending too much on rocks
Well all I got was a rock ... Cool!
Member since February 2021
Posts: 325
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Post by standles on May 10, 2021 8:10:57 GMT -5
Nice work, well done! I quickly scanned over the thread so I may be suggesting something previously mentioned. For the bezel wrap I use fine 28 gauge fine silver (99%). It is softer than sterling and very malleable. It takes very little pressure to roll. When making the bezel make it as tight as possible to prevent it bunching up at the corners. Depending on the circumference of the stone, make the bezel strip between 1/64 - 1/32 of an inch shorter than the circumference. Then after soldering you can stretch the bezel to get an exact fit. Stretching can be accomplished by rolling a punch along the surface of the bezel wire. Good luck, you are well on your way! Thanks for the tips. Your tip n stretching would have been great on this one. Once I got it soldered it was a little tight but I could still pass the stone through it. After soldering to backplate it was a no go. Still don't know why that happened. Luckily I had the cab machine s just took it to the 220 soft wheel and a couple times around the edge made a good fit. I did get some fine silver strip for my next attempts. Steven |
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