Jewelry Making with Brad Simon

Mini Wood Polishing Points

Placing a section of a bamboo skewers (like you buy in the grocery store) in your flex-shaft can make an excellent wood lap polishing point.  File the protruding end to a point, and use your favorite rouge or tripoli.  The bamboo skewers are approximately 3/32 inches in diameter, which makes them easy to use in a quick-change handpiece.

For all your Jewelry Findings go to: Southeastern Findings

Bench Jewelers Burnishers

Small burnishers can be made by grinding off the teeth of old needle files and polishing them.  Be careful to not over heat the file when grinding as you do not want to remove the temper.  These provide nice shape as sizes to get into areas that you cannot reach with polishing wheels.  A few strokes of a burnisher will brighten up a small crevice.

Bench Television
How to training videos for Bench Jewelers
See some of the most respected Master Jewelers explain their techniques and tips
on stonesetting, making and repairing jewelry.

Soldering Jewelry

Do not try to move metal when heated to temperatures that solder will flow.  This may cause the metal to crack.  Instead, allow the metal to cool, re-align.  Then, complete the soldering.

For all your Jewelry Findings go to: Southeastern Findings

Bench Jewelers Saw Frames

Keep two or three saw frames at your bench with different size sawblades in each one.  Color-code the handle with spray paint so that you can easily keep them separate.  Then. regardless of the work, you will always have a saw with the proper size blade ready to use.

For articles on Jewelry Making go to: http://GuideToJewelryMaking.com
Bench Tips and Tricks for Bench Jewelers, and Goldsmiths

Polishing Jewelry

Always work just below the center of the buff wheel while polishing.  Never raise the jewelry above a horizontal line even with the motor spindle, or lower it too far below.  Both of these situations will cause the wheel to grab the item from your hand.

Bench Television
How to training videos for Bench Jewelers
See some of the most respected Master Jewelers explain their techniques and tips
on stonesetting, making and repairing jewelry.

Firecoat - Soldering Jewelry

Always coat the jewelry with boric acid by dipping it in a solution of boric acid and alcohol.  Then, burn off the alcohol leaving an even coating of powered boric acid over the jewelry.  When heated the boric acid will turn glassy, forming a barrier from oxygen in the air, keeping the jewelry from oxidation.  Boric acid also acts as a flux.  Often this is all the flux you will need to solder; however, sometimes additional flux will need to be added.

If enough flux is not used the metal will oxidize, and the solder will not be able to flow properly; however, you can use too much flux.  If too much flux is used the glassy coating of the flux will hold the solder away from the metal not allowing it to flow into the seam.  If this is a problem, use your solder pick to scrape away excess flux.  Then, continue your soldering. 

For articles on Jewelry Making go to: http://GuideToJewelryMaking.com
Bench Tips and Tricks for Bench Jewelers, and Goldsmiths

Using a Jewelers Saw

Saw with a slow steady up and down rhythm using the entire length of the blade.  This will allow you to saw faster and more accurately.  Short choppy strokes result in uneven sawing and will prematurely wear out that section of the blade, causing it to break.  On the downward stroke, a natural forward movement provides sufficient pressure on the blade.  Too little pressure allows the teeth to simply scrape the metal, which is ineffective.  An excess of forward or downward pressure will cause the blade to break.

Release the forward pressure on the upward return stroke.  It only repositions the blade for the next downward cutting stroke.  Dragging the teeth on the up stroke can cause the blade to misshape, and the teeth to wear unevenly.

For all your Jewelry Findings go to: Southeastern Findings

Bench Jewelers Buffing Machine

When using a buffing machine always hold the jewelry in a breakaway grip.  Never interlock your fingers into the piece.  NEVER PUT A RING ON YOUR FINGER TO POLISH.

Always roll up or button your sleeves, and wear an apron or smock to keep loose clothing away from the wheels.  In addition, tie long hair back so that it can not tangle up in the wheel.

Use a face shield on your dust collector or wear safety glasses.  The buffing room is no place for vanity, your eyesight is far more important.

Protect your lungs.  Always wear a respirator.  (The same applies to lungs as eyesight.)

Bench Television
How to training videos for Bench Jewelers
See some of the most respected Master Jewelers explain their techniques and tips
on stonesetting, making and repairing jewelry.

Jewelers Sawblades

To store sawblades unwrap the wire binding and place in the tube they were supplied in.  Holders can be made by cutting the tube 4 ½ inches long (blades are 5 ¼).  Attach the tubes to the inside of your bench above the lap tray or other convenient place.  With ¾ inch of the blade protruding from the tube, you can then easily retrieve them when needed.

Instead of the tubes, you can drill 3/8-inch holes in the front edge of your bench top.  Drill the holes off to the side out of the way of your workspace.  Several holes are needed one for each size of blade you use.  Drill holes on a slight downward angle, 4 ½ inches deep.

Place all blades in the holder with the teeth pointing out towards you.  Then, when you pull a blade out, it will be facing the correct direction to place in the saw frame.  Be certain to label the hole or tube with the blade size.

For all your Jewelry Findings go to: Southeastern Findings

Soldering Jewelry

Soldering is one of the most basic operations preformed by a bench jeweler.  Developing other skills is of little value without the ability to solder with confidence.  The only way to attain a level of proficiency is by gaining correct instruction, and continually practicing proper techniques.  With this in mind, the following tips are given for the apprentice to learn correctly, and the advanced or master jeweler to review and brush-up on existing skills.

For articles on Jewelry Making go to: http://GuideToJewelryMaking.com
Bench Tips and Tricks for Bench Jewelers, and Goldsmiths