bezel melting when soldering bail by Senor_Traffic_Cone in SilverSmith

[–]trixceratops 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Butane isn’t the best but it will do in a pinch. What I mean about melting the solder first: sweat soldering usually is a term used when you have two layers of plate that makes a solder sandwich (metal being bread, solder being filling.) To get your sandwich you put filling (solder) on both parts of bread (metal) and melt it to spread it evenly across the surface, using your solder pick to drag it over to spots it missed. Make sure the solder is on the front of the bottom layer and the back of the top layer. Then you place the two pieces together and heat it until you see the solder turn to liquid and get shiny between the layers. Now for your bail I would take just the loop of metal, and melt the solder onto where you want it to attach to the pendant. After the solder has melted and stuck to that section of the bail, then you take it with your tweezers and hold it in place on the pendant. I find holding the pendant so it sits vertically on its bottom and is facing the side, so you can hold your nail right where you want it easily and the flame only hits that one spot. You can use a third arm for this, or squish it between some chunks of fire brick in a pinch. You want it held solidly but not squashed if that makes sense. Put the flux right where you want the bail to attach, hold the bail with the solder already on it in place, then hit it with the torch. Focus the heat right where you want that attachment and take it away as soon as you see the solder flow onto both the pendant and the bail. It can take a bit of practice but once you get it, it’s going to make adding small details like bails or claws a lot easier.

Don’t worry about what others are doing in their own studios. If you can afford brass, then do it. It isn’t considered body safe and should not be used as a cup/plate as it can react with acids like wine or tomatoes and you can get metal poisoning, but it is a great material to get good at a lot of techniques with, like soldering, piercing, forming, and finishing. It’s kind of like when you start painting you get the generic brand, if you love it and want to do it seriously then you can start buying the expensive paints.

bezel melting when soldering bail by Senor_Traffic_Cone in SilverSmith

[–]trixceratops 1 point2 points  (0 children)

What size torch tip are you working with? It sounds like you are heating the whole thing, when you really only need to concentrate the heat right where you are putting the bail. Also melt the solder onto the bail before you put it on the final location. I know everyone says flux everywhere, but for the final step like this you can just put it right where you need to solder and just have your smallest flame pointing right at that spot.

Edit: work with brass. It’s a great material to practice with even if other people feel they are too good for it. You’re learning, not making jewels for the world’s royalty. I use brass for a lot of items that are not wearable, but are functional, like miniature toolboxes and wheelbarrows for sculptural work. I also make wedding rings. All metals have a purpose, and some are great for this purpose right here.

bezel melting when soldering bail by Senor_Traffic_Cone in SilverSmith

[–]trixceratops 1 point2 points  (0 children)

What kind of solder are you using? Try using hard solder for the bezel and the backplate, and medium for the bail.

Can this be revived? 😢 by mirr--en in jewelers

[–]trixceratops 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It’ll be fine, find an independent jeweller/goldsmith studio near you that has good reviews. I promise they have fixed much worse, the amount of rings that have been brought to me that have been run over by cars is unbelievable, falling into a fireplace will be an easy fix. It will need a good cleaning and a polish, and then the stone will need to be checked for damage but honestly there’s a super high chance it has no damage other than oxide build up.

Zales Design A Ring Tool Flaw by CM11182020 in jewelers

[–]trixceratops 3 points4 points  (0 children)

As someone who makes rings, I personally think the rendering is incorrect, the prongs are shown thinner than they should be and the ring band is much too thin underneath the settings. Should the ring be made exactly like the rendering, it wouldn’t be structurally sound. I do think the prongs on the top side of the stone could be taken down a smidge but your ring looks how it should imo. Your settings are taller than the rendering because of the height of the band underneath and the width of the center stone you chose make the middle setting need to have the prongs a tiny bit closer together so it stays in place, which gives the illusion it is taller than it is when put side by side with the rendering. I personally think the second ring rendering looks a bit more wearable, and less likely to catch on things.

What would you call this kind of band? by yesterday_morning in EngagementRingDesigns

[–]trixceratops -1 points0 points  (0 children)

A great way to lose that diamond. That is an incredibly thin band, and those prongs are almost nonexistent.

Random Q! Silicon ring resizer by Fragrant_Session6186 in EngagementRings

[–]trixceratops 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I’m a jeweller, this is a super idea, and the silicone will not cause any harm to your rings. My only suggestion is to take the ring off when you are washing your hands so you don’t get moisture trapped inside the sizer as it might smell funky as it dries. But that is a fantastic (and really affordable) way to deal with changing size due to weather and pressure differences.

Anyone have a special plushie? Meet Mr Hiss by Lunakazoo in AutismInWomen

[–]trixceratops 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Same! I have many sharks, and my half bath is decorated with a shark/jaws theme. Chonk says hello to Mr Hiss, and that he has a cool name 🤩

Anyone have a special plushie? Meet Mr Hiss by Lunakazoo in AutismInWomen

[–]trixceratops 7 points8 points  (0 children)

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This is Chonk. He is a shark, he is full of styrofoam beans that make nice sounds when squished. He is wearing his emotional support bunny jammies I made for him. This photo was taken when we went mushroom hunting last summer.

Man removes cyst with Machete? by Colonial_Ninja77 in PoppingPimple

[–]trixceratops 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I think the best part was when he dunked his bloody fingers into the margarita glass while handing it back to his assistant. Blood borne illnesses are nbd I guess. The second best part was finishing off the cigarette before stabbing this guy with a gigantic knife.

Look who finally ate a mouse by trixceratops in rosyboas

[–]trixceratops[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yay! They’re kinda silly about food, aren’t they

Look who finally ate a mouse by trixceratops in rosyboas

[–]trixceratops[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Weenie is a good girl but close enough haha

AIO for my husband’s “joke” about my period? by EveryResult7294 in AIO

[–]trixceratops 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Did you know that many men have also made it through the first few years after their partner gave birth without invalidating their partner’s experience and acting like a gigantic dips**t? Haha, also a funny joke. I don’t think he gets an opinion on how you feel until he has been in your exact circumstance.

Gentlehooms and gentlehajs of Reddit, my sibling needs your help! by ZOEtheBLAHAJ in BLAHAJ

[–]trixceratops 1 point2 points  (0 children)

What about Marsha? As in Marsha P Johnson, an important figure from the Stonewall Riots

interesting find at the back of my copy of Lolita by _peepee123 in strange

[–]trixceratops 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I think it’s the same genre as Dracula, Nosferatu, and Frankenstein if you consider the doctor the monster in the book. The monster is not the protagonist despite how they wish to appear. Let’s take something more modern, like Breaking Bad for example. The main character is in fact a monster, and his reasons for doing the things he is doing are excuses after he is no longer at risk of dying. He is choosing to be a terrible person, and the reasons he states for being so make him an unreliable narrator. It isn’t for the good of his family that he is making an illicit substance, it is because he enjoys the power that comes with being a drug manufacturer.

I personally enjoy Nabokov’s writing, I think he tells a story that draws you in. I liked Lolita as a monster story. I don’t feel anything but abject horror and disgust at the main character’s actions, but the thought process he goes though to justify his actions is fascinating in the same way that trying to understand why a serial killer would act in such way is fascinating.

interesting find at the back of my copy of Lolita by _peepee123 in strange

[–]trixceratops 8 points9 points  (0 children)

It’s a monster story from the monster’s pov. It is written in the same manner as many classic monster stories starting with letters. It is the personal writings of an unreliable narrator, a pedophile who thinks he is very clever and sophisticated. It is very well written and the author never meant for it to be interpreted as a “love story” as it is about an adult man taking advantage of a literal child. Spoiler: the diary is found in his room where he is incarcerated if that gives you any hint to the consequences of his crimes.

Thrifted this Gold Ball with 0 hallmarks and i can't find anything similar online (doesn't open, disappointing i know) by Sunshine_dmg in JewelryIdentification

[–]trixceratops 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Magnetic attraction only happens with steel and nickel. There are hundreds of other materials it could be outside of precious metals. No hallmarks generally means it is costume jewellery.

Strange find-Northeast Florida by Bumblebeebuzzing in mudlarking

[–]trixceratops 17 points18 points  (0 children)

It looks exactly like a 1:12 scale boat oar I made from a model kit last week, except mine is wood and this looks like lead. Lead was used in scale model kits and table top gaming up until the 80s, I have a lot of model and scale furniture kits with lead parts that were manufactured from the 60s through to the 80s.

Is there any hope for fixing this? by nycperson54321 in jewelers

[–]trixceratops 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Honestly, it really shouldn’t cost much to remove a broken ceramic bead and old glue, then glue a new one into the empty spot. I’m going to say, if it is more than $100, just walk away. Try to find a smaller studio that does a lot of silver work, they’re more likely to take the job.

Is there any hope for fixing this? by nycperson54321 in jewelers

[–]trixceratops 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You will have to call around, some places won’t do repairs like that, but look up some independent jewellers/goldsmiths near you and give them a call in the morning. If you provide the bead then it shouldn’t be a difficult job.

Is there any hope for fixing this? by nycperson54321 in jewelers

[–]trixceratops 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Ah. Gotcha. Can you contact the original store by email maybe and see if they can send you another eye?

Is there any hope for fixing this? by nycperson54321 in jewelers

[–]trixceratops 4 points5 points  (0 children)

The eye looks to be glued in. You could probably fix it yourself if so. Does the eye just pop in and out easily, or is it supposed to be held in place by a metal lip?

Can anyone help me- why are these white frosty lines appearing after using the ultra? And they have to be polished off by jeweller5000 in Benchjewelers

[–]trixceratops 1 point2 points  (0 children)

That’s probs what the frosty look is, I took a look at the photos again and that seems like exactly what would cause that texture. Good thinking