Quick-change Flex-shaft Handpieces Compared
Q: I've got a Foredom #10 handpiece, but the lever action is stiff. Which quick-release flex-shaft lever is the easiest to operate?
Can I Use a Railroad-Track Anvil for Jewelry?
Q: Anvils I've made from sections of railroad tracks work great for making knives. Why are people telling me they aren't good enough for making jewelry on?
Repolishing a Carbide Burnisher
Q: I seem to have scratched up the point of my tungsten carbide burnisher, probably by rubbing it on a diamond or something. How can I repolish it?
Graphite Soldering Mandrel
Q: I've got a soldering fixture made from graphite, in the shape of a ring mandrel. The problem is, it takes forever to get a silver ring hot enough for the solder to flow. Am I using it wrong?
Sprue Cutters versus Bolt Cutters
Q: I'm casting bronze jewelry, but my jewelers' sprue cutters don't seem to work on my sprues. They hurt my hands, even when I push them against my workbench. Is there a better way to cut this metal? Do I need a powered cutter?
Needle tips for Torches
Q: I've got a Hoke torch, but the finest tip it came with isn't really small enough for what I want to do. Do they make any smaller tips for it?
Tool Modification for the Jeweler
Q: Where can I find a setting tool we call a "side pusher" in the UK? It is used for flush-setting stones without marring the metal. It looks very much like a bezel pusher, however one side of the tip is slightly curved rather than having a straight edge, so as not to leave an imprint in the metal when you push the bezel over from the side.
Using Bezel Blocks and Punches
Q:I've got a set of bezel blocks and punches, which are a series of graduated conical holes in a steel plate and the punches that fit them. But when I've tried putting a disk of metal in there and pounding, it makes a crumpled, torn mess. What am I doing wrong?
Using a Boil-out Pot
Q: In older jewelry instruction books, I keep reading references to "boiling out" jewelry in a "boil-out pot". Is that just a warm pickle pot, or something else?
On Gravers
Q: I just bought some gravers. The fellow who sold them to me said I had to put into a vise, break them in half, completely re-shape them, heat treat and then sharpen them. What are they doing for me? Why not just make the things from scratch?
Magnetic Tumblers and Magnetic Stirrers
Q: What’s the difference between a magnetic tumbler and a magnetic stirrer?
Inexpensive Torches
Q: I’m looking for a small torch for silver soldering. Will one of those inexpensive butane torches work okay? Or what about one of those propane torches that screw onto the top of a gas cylinder?
Lighting a Small Oxy-Acetylene Torch
Q: Is there a trick to lighting an oxygen-acetylene torch without getting that black soot all over the place? I’ve got a Little Torch and it either makes a big mess or won’t light at all, especially the smaller tips. And the valves seem really stiff and hard to turn—is my torch defective?
Files—How to Extend Their Lifespan
Q: What’s the life expectancy for files? My favorite ones seem to be getting duller. I thought that more expensive files would last longer, isn’t that true? Is there a better way to clean them than by using nitric acid?
Labeling Rubber Molds
Q: I make a lot of rubber molds, and I’d like to mark them for identification, but there doesn’t seem to be anything I can write on the outside of them with that is permanent. Any ideas?
Sharpening Small Drill Bits
Q: Is it worthwhile to try to sharpen jewelry-sized drill bits? If so, how should I go about that? If there’s rust on them, or on my burs, does that mean they need to be replaced?
Adjusting the Hoke Torch
Q: I have a new Hoke torch set up for oxy-propane. But the little knobs for adjusting the flame won’t stay at the setting I have chosen, but keep sliding back at least half a turn. Is there something I can do about this?
Breaking In a Rawhide Mallet
Q: I just got a new rawhide leather mallet, but it’s hard and shiny on the face. How do I break it in so it works like the ones I’ve used before?
Drilling Wet with a Flexible Shaft Tool
Q: I’ve purchased a Foredom flexshaft, and I want to drill some holes in glass, which I’ve seen done using a shallow pan of water to contain the glass and cool it. Is this dangerous for the tool, and would I run the risk of electrocuting myself?
Inhaling Polishing Compounds
Q: I’ve been polishing with tripoli and rouge, using a paper dust mask, but I’ve noticed that some of the compounds are still ending up in my nose. Is this a problem and if so, what should I do about it?
Fuel Gases and their Environmental Effects
Q: I just found a butane torch that advertised itself as being “ozone friendly”. Does that mean it’s better for the environment than other butane torches, or better than any other fuel gasses, like propane?
Diamond Toughness
Q: Somebody told me that diamonds are hard, but not tough. Is this really true? Do I have to be especially careful when setting them?
Diamonds vs. Cubic Zirconia
Q: How does one test a stone to see if it’s cubic zirconia (CZ) or a diamond?
Drilling Diamonds
Q: How on earth can you drill a hole in diamond? Isn’t it the hardest thing on earth? If it has something to do with diamonds being softer in some directions, how can you drill a hole, which goes all the way around?
The Higher Education of a Jeweler
Q: Is it worthwhile getting a college education if I want to be a jeweler? Which is better, Tyler or the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD)? What about Yale?
Vitreous Enameling
Q: What do jewelers mean by “enameling”? Is it the same as regular paint, or does it have to be heated in an oven? Is it the same as embossing?
Diamonds and What They are Worth
Q: How does one judge the quality of a diamond? What are the five C’s? Do I really need to spend two months salary on an engagement ring?
Pearls, and How They Grow
Q: When I looked closely at the hole drilled into a pearl I’d bought, it looked like a thin shell of pearl over a bead. Is this normal, or was I ripped off?
Pickle Solution for Cleaning Jewelry
Q: Is there anything that will help a pickle solution remove those nasty pink oxide residues from the surface of jewelry?