[Jewelry making - Article 00837] - [Orchid] Wax models for faceted stones

[Dave Sebaste]

========[ Invite a Friend - http://www.ganoksin.com/invite.htm  ]========


Hi Folks!

    Thanks for all the great advice on this thread! Based on the
    feedback, I decided I needed an electric wax pen/spatula. The idea of
    holding stones in an alcohol flame with tweezers really didn't appeal
    to me! ;)  Soooo... I delved into the Orchid archives and found a
    thread on building one. Half a day's work (including shopping time)
    and thirty bucks later and I'm playing with my new "toy"! 

		Soldering Iron		$7.99
		Iron Holder		 	6.49
		Two Extra Tips	 	1.89
		Lamp Dimmer		14.99
		Cork				Free!
		Velcro				Free!

    You could probably do better on the dimmer, but I liked this one
    because I was able to velcro it nicely to the side of the iron holder.
    I drilled the cork to slide onto the iron so I can hold it closer to
    the tip... still gets warm though! I annealed one of the tips and
    forged it flat, then filed and finished to tripoli level for a
    spatula. Ground down the original tip to a spoon-like shape and cut a
    cup with a small (2mm?) ball burr. 

    I'm going to experiment with some additional tip ideas. I already
    tried (unsuccessfully) to silver solder the tip from another stainless
    steel tool to the third tip. Don't know if you can solder stainless to
    copper? I also want to make a tip with a needle point. I'm going to
    pick up a few more extra tips at Radio Shack today when I run to the
    post office. 

    Anyway, time to get out to the studio and start putting the tool to
    some practical use! Pictures? Of course I have pictures!  :)
    http://www.sebaste.com/studio/spatula.htm 

All the best,

Dave

Dave Sebaste
Sebaste Studio and
Carolina Artisans' Gallery
Charlotte, NC (USA)
dave AT sebaste.com <mailto:dave AT sebaste.com>
http://www.CarolinaArtisans.com 

____________________________________________________________________
T h e   O r c h i d   L i s t
Open Electronic Forum for Jewelry Manufacturing Methods and Procedures
____________________________________________________________________
Orchid FAQ:
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/orchid/faq.htm
Orchid Archives:
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/orchid/archive
Orchid Galleries:
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/orchid/gallery.htm
Invite a Friend:
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/invite.htm
____________________________________________________________________
Tips From The Jeweler's Bench - Article Archive
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/borisat/tip_sear.htm
The Jeweler's Selected Bibliography List
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/jewelry-books
Buy Orchid Jewelry:
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/shop
____________________________________________________________________
-Unsubscribe:
-Email: orchid-request AT ganoksin.com Body=unsubscribe subject=blank
____________________________________________________________________