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?
Mounting Vibrating Laps and Centrifugal Casting Machines
Q: I need to install a vibrating lap in a fixed location, so it won’t walk all over the place. Short of bolting it to the concrete floor, any ideas on how to stabilize the base?
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?
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?
Do I really Need the GRS Benchmate System?
Q: I’d like to get a GRS Benchmate system for supporting my work, but the budget’s not there. Are there any alternative setups that are nearly as useful as the Benchmate systems?
Is My Ultrasonic Really Working?
Q: How can I tell if my ultrasonic cleaner is working? Are there any immediate effects visible in the fluid?
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?
Gas, Electric, or Wood Kilns
Q: My new place in Washington State has a brick barbecue, which I plan to use for a wood-fired kiln. But the place also has heavy electricity and natural gas. Which is better for ceramics, a wood kiln, a gas kiln, or an electric kiln?
Making Paint
Q: I want to make my own paints from dirt, rocks, vegetables, spices, etc. I have seen paint make from colored dirt by adding a little white glue and some water. Is this going to work with everything?
Carving Amber
Q: I’ve picked up some nice pieces of amber and I was wondering how to carve it.
Stone Carving
Q: I am interested in carving a piece of stone and was wondering if it can be done without a lot of fancy equipment.
Stone Cutting
Q: I have a large piece of black slate, ½ inch thick, that I’d like to use for a table top. What is the best way to cut, polish, and seal it.?
Adhesives for Sea Shells
Q: I make jewelry from sea shells. I have been using hot glue to stick them onto metal findings, but it’s messy-looking and it tends to peel off. Are there any adhesives that would work better than this?
Lapidary Polishing Pads and Points
To start, it may help to describe what is probably the most common polishing process.
After the stone has been properly prepared for polishing by a series of sanding steps, the polishing compound, generally a metallic oxide in powder form, is mixed in a liquid, usually water, and applied to the polishing pad.
Lapidary Polishing Pads and the Proper Speeds to Spin Them
Unfortunately there just isn’t one speed that works best. The glass industry has published a lot of research work on polishing glass and they found if you can keep everything else equal, the faster the surface contacting the glass runs, the faster the polish happens.
Lapidary Polishing Compounds
Everyone wants to know what the “best” polishing compound is and how it is used. Unfortunately I don’t think there is a single “best”—just a better one for the stone in question, depending on your technique. But here are some of my thoughts on the subject.