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This process is being shown from start to finish in consecutive issues. Among the skills covered in the complete series are:
- New granulation manufacturing methods using fusion welding equipment.
- Bezel-setting round faceted gems.
- Tack, pulse arc and fusion welding.
- Platinum fabrication and assembly tricks.
- Finishing and polishing techniques for platinum and karat gold.
This is Part 2 in the series; the first part begins on page 94 of the August 2002 issue.
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Hermanson uses rated welding glasses to protect his eyes while torch-soldering the components. |
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He also uses a special soldering block because of the high temperature required to solder platinum. |
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The design calls for the wire spacers to be open for a light and decorative appearance. He uses an automatic center punch to create a small depression that serves as a starter position to drill a hole through the spacers. |
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Next he drills the hole, lubricating the drill bit with Rio Grande’s Bur-Life.® |
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Then he tapers the hole with a small ball bur. |
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The piece is assembled and ready for more prefinishing. He uses 3M’s sponge sanding pads, which come in five grades identified by the markings on their backside (shown). |
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Hermanson will cut the pads in half for ease in use with smaller parts. |
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He starts with medium grit and progresses to the finest grit. |
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For prepolishing, he prefers Gesswein’s platinum polishing compounds. They are available in five grades from 800 (coarse) to 8000. |
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Here Hermanson uses 3M’s Tri-M-Ite polishing paper, which comes in six color-coded grades. For ease in keeping them in the proper grit order, he stacks and staples them together. |
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The piece is nearly finished by simply using the various grades of paper. |
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This design calls for a 22k yellow gold bezel. Here he measures the tourmaline that will be featured in the pendant to determine the necessary length of wire. |
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He multiplies the diameter of the tourmaline by 3.14 (pi) and then adds the overall thickness of the wire. This formula gives him the approximate bezel length. |
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After cutting the wire and forming the bezel, he arc-welds the wire together. Tack-welding wouldn’t hold together through final forming. |
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Supporting the small bezel mandrel on his bench, he taps the bezel round. |
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After checking the fit between the bezel and the tourmaline, he determines it requires further rounding and slight enlarging. So he uses a block with holes and a bezel mandrel to lightly hammer it. The arc weld doesn’t break open like a tack weld would have during this stage. |
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He checks the final fit and finds it’s ready to solder. He prefers soldering the joint for the smoothest and cleanest appearance. |
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Using the Tack II and its vacuum attachment, he tack-welds 18k hard yellow solder into position. |
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After fire coating the bezel and fluxing the joint, he torch-solders the piece. |
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Next he prefinishes the bezel. |
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All components of the pendant have been fabricated, pre-finished and polished and are ready for final assembly. |
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