still kicking

[Sinterklaas]

Dont try to do different styles of setting.

If you want to get better. Do flat setting first. No rings etc only flat sheet. The rest comes later.

If you are getting mushy beads. --> Prongs to big, make em smaller OR use bigger beaders. OR beaders need sharpening. (You can make a cheap tool for that)

Layout is not easy by hand. I use an expensive CAD software for jewelry design.
But maybe a free Cad package will work as well.
Otherwise you have to measure the free space and calculate how many stones will fit in a row.

Courses are a great way to get better. But yes unfortunately they are not cheap.
In the mean time watch every Youtube video and go on Instagram an follow high end setters and setting schools. You can pick up little things. And learn from seeing how they work.

If you work methodical you can solve problems.
Example: You get mushy beads with flashing over the stones.

Prepare a new plate but dont set the stones. Then do like a row of 5 stones 1 way and 5 stones an other way. Then see what is better. Write that down. Keep doing that until you find what works for you.

 

[Dani Girl]

Dont try to do different styles of setting.

If you want to get better. Do flat setting first. No rings etc only flat sheet. The rest comes later.

If you are getting mushy beads. --> Prongs to big, make em smaller OR use bigger beaders. OR beaders need sharpening. (You can make a cheap tool for that)

Layout is not easy by hand. I use an expensive CAD software for jewelry design.
But maybe a free Cad package will work as well.
Otherwise you have to measure the free space and calculate how many stones will fit in a row.

Courses are a great way to get better. But yes unfortunately they are not cheap.
In the mean time watch every Youtube video and go on Instagram an follow high end setters and setting schools. You can pick up little things. And learn from seeing how they work.

If you work methodical you can solve problems.
Example: You get mushy beads with flashing over the stones.

Prepare a new plate but dont set the stones. Then do like a row of 5 stones 1 way and 5 stones an other way. Then see what is better. Write that down. Keep doing that until you find what works for you.

thankyou for that advice. I haven't logged on for a few days and have done this ring since then. took me 3 whole days. at least 180 stones in it. Today I'm working on this cat for fun. I want to plate it but I'm not sure if the patina that develops so fast in copper will prevent the plating taking hold.

I believe it's usually a case of polish, ultrasonic clean, rinse, degrease with anode in solution, rinse, plate (nickel then precious metals when using coloured cheap base metal like brass, copper, nickel solver etc)

 

[Dani Girl]

 

[Dani Girl]

Dad will be getting that watch, which is the only one I have done to date. on the cross over ring I only put the pink stones in. the top one has white, champagne and pink stones and was thinner than ideal. the cat is in copper. I have decided I prefer staggered and snow pavé to side by side, which is doable but I don't love the look. I also personally think shared beads usually don't look as good but some folk can do them well, it's just most folk don't.

 

[Dani Girl]

 

[Dani Girl]

just made my first truly tiny round graver. it is so enjoyable making propper shiny cuts.

 

[Dani Girl]

I'm getting a little flashing (where the metal mushes out around the beading tool)... should I go up a beading tool size? different angle of attack?

 

[dhall]

Hi Dani,

I applaud your diligence and hard work.
My observation is that the setting is incompletely prepared. Edges on parts of the casting are a bit wavy, and too much metal is left in the area where the beads are to be formed. You're "forced" to use too large of a beading tool, and the shape is less than ideally formed and has the undesirable mushrooming. The vast majority of the time, this setting style would have a semi-cylindrical scallop or scoop going across the main axis of the row of stones, at a depth between 1/2 the pavilion and the culet, and at a width maybe just larger than the table. Next, a similar size scallop between each stone, though not necessarily as deep. These scallops, along both sides of the stones and between the stones can be done with either a round graver or a cylinder bur. Doing these steps will refine the shape of the remaining metal from triangular to an approximately square-ish or rectangular column. It looks as if most of your beads were formed from a more triangular shaped column of metal. Creating a square/rectangular shape will allow you to be able to use a smaller beading tool and there will be much less mushrooming. If the remaining metal is more rectangular, many setters will split the column of metal to make two beads. If the metal shape is more square, it's more likely it will be a shared bead, which is what you're currently creating; one bead that holds/touches two stones. With a split bead there will be 4 bead touching/holding each stone. You can finesse the size/shape of the "column" of remaining metal by the stone spacing and/or the size of the width of the scallops.
It looks like you are doing some of the bur/graver work to make the scallops, but it's not quite coming out as desired. It's asking a lot for a beading tool to make a decidedly rectangular shape into a semi-spherical shape. A slightly smaller beading tool might look better, but you'll need make sure all of the column just fits into the beading tool. If you need to shave the corners a bit, you might get a better fit in the beading tool. The beading tool shouldn't overlap the column by very much. Being scrupulous about the dimension of the remaining metal makes for more uniform beads. If the stone spacing is tighter, the column will be more square and form into a single bead more readily. This is often a deciding factor, tipping the setter to choose split beads over shared beads. If there isn't enough metal for beads, setting the stones slightly deeper will allow the column of metal to be a bit taller, if this is an issue.
On the crossover ring, it looks as if much of the setting should have been bead and bright-cut, but the bottom two bands are missing the bright cut and the beads and outside edge sort of "smear" together. The bright cut "releases" the back/outside of the bead so it can be pushed over to actually hold the stone. Make sure the graver has a mirror finish for the bright cut, and is very consistent. You might need to crispen-up or refine the outer edge vertical walls to make the bright cuts look more consistent, so they don't appear to drift closer to the edge and then further from the edge.
You've done a pretty good job on a large setting project. From what you've learned, I imagine were you to do this again, you'd find it to go more smoothly and be able to work more efficiently. It's the fussy little details that make large setting jobs go from acceptable to spectacular. Every cut matters!
Keep up your efforts!
Best regards,
Doug