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What You'll Need to Make "The Mystic Bezel"
by Tom & Kay Benham, Contributing Editors
Visit our Tool Guide for more articles on tools and equipment.
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 1. 80/20 Reticulation Silver, 20-Gauge.
In the past, we've formulated, cast, and rolled our own 80/20 reticulation silver. Recently, we discovered that Hoover & Strong produces this material commercially. So far, we've not located another source of reticulation silver.
Available from Hoover & Strong, Inc., 10700 Trade Road, Richmond, VA 23236-3000, (800) 759-9997, www.hooverandstrong.com.
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 2. Sterling Silver Sheet, 20-Gauge; Fine Silver Bezel Wire, 3/16" X .013"; Sterling Silver Square Wire, 14-gauge; Sterling Silver Square Wire, 10-gauge.
These are standard silver stock that may be ordered from any precious metal supplier.
We often order from Thunderbird Supply Company, 1907 West Historic Route 66, Gallup, NM 87301, (800) 545-7968, www.tbscorp.com.
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 3. Prest-o-Lite™ Air Acetylene Torch.
There are many fine torches available, we happen to be long-time Prest-o-Lite users.
Available from Indian Jewelers Supply Company, 601 E. Coal Avenue, Gallup, NM 87301-6005, (800) 545-6540, www.ijsinc.com.
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 4. Firebrick (Magnesia Block).
There are many varieties of soldering blocks around; our preference is this porous, fibrous firebrick.
Available from Paul H. Gesswein & Co., Inc., 255 Hancock Avenue, Bridgeport, CT 06605-0936, (800) 243-4466, www.gesswein.com.
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 5. Pickle Pot.
Every jeweler's studio has at least one pickle pot of some variety, some expensive, some downright cheap crockpots. The inexpensive crockpots have served us well over the years.
They may be found in most grocery or discount stores. If you are really frugal, be on the lookout at yard or garage sales.
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 6. Jeweler's Saw and Blades.
There are many styles of jeweler's saws and blades on the market from which to choose.
We purchased ours from Alpha Supply, Inc., P. O. Box 2133, Bremerton, WA 98310, 800.257.4211, www.alpha-supply.com.
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 7. Half Round and Flat Jeweler's Files.
We are quite particular about our jeweler's files and prefer Grobet Swiss Precision Hand Files.
Available at FDJ On Time, 1180 Solana Avenue, Winter Park, FL 32789-2333, (800) 323-6091, www.fdjtool.com.
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 8. Bench Pin.
Bench pins can range from a simple pine board clamped to your bench to very fancy, multi-purpose devices. We invested in a new Bench Mate System that we love because of its versatility and quick-change features. The bench pin part of the system lifts on and off to allow other accessories to be used.
Available from GRS Tools, 900 Overlander Road, Emporia, KS 66801, (800) 835-3519, www.grstools.com.
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 9. Fine Brass Brush.
Not only is a fine brass brush necessary for preparing silver during the reticulation process, this brush also created the wonderful satin finish on our Turquoise Mystic Pendant.
We purchased our brass brush from Rio Grande, 7500 Bluewater Road, NW, Albuquerque, NM 87121-1962, (800) 545-6566, www.riogrande.com.
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 10. Steel Bench Plate, 100 x 100 x 20mm.
Every jeweler should have a steel bench plate. They are great for flattening silver and gold stock. Our preference is for this larger size, although they do come in various sizes.
We purchased ours from Frei & Borel, 126 Second Street, Oakland, CA 94604, (800) 772-3456, www.ofrei.com.
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 11. Rubber Mallet, 8 oz.
We are partial to this 8 oz. dead blow mallet. Many sources offer a 1 lb. rubber mallet, but this is the only one we've found that offers the 8 oz. mallet.
Available from Woodcraft, (800) 225-1153; to find a store in your area or order a catalog, check www.woodcraft.com.
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 12. Cross Peen Hammer.
For small forging work, we really like the small goldsmith's hammer with the 4 oz. head and cross peen end.
Available from Allcraft, 45 W. 46 Street, New York, NY 10036, (800) 645-7124, www.allcraft.peachhost.com.
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 13. Vise.
We purchased our vise from our local home building supply store.
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 14. Bezel Roller
Bezel rollers are extremely simple tools but very important for setting stones in bezels.
We purchased ours from B Rush Apple Co., 3855 W. Kennedy Blvd., Tampa, FL 33609, (800) 237-2999, www.brushapple.com.
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