Fast Silver Bezel

Jay Whaley, a goldsmith and university instructor from San Diego, demonstrates the process of making a silver bezel from rough-poured ingot through smooth-finished bezel.

As the clock in the upper left corner of the screen reaches 5:00 pm, Jay lights his propane/oxygen torch and begins to heat up 13 grams of pure silver in a ceramic melting dish. When the metal turns liquid, he pours the molten metal into a steel ingot mold, creating an elongated rod of silver. He then releases the silver ingot from the mold, quenches it in water, dries it with a cloth, and quickly files off the sharp fins formed from the pour with a hand file.

The smooth ingot now undergoes reforming in the rolling mill, reshaping the metal into a long square rod, all while reducing its outer dimensions. After repeated rolling, tightening the mill with each successive pass through the rollers, the ingot becomes narrower and longer, hardened by the repeated rolling.

Jay returns to the workbench with the square stock, anneals it with the torch again to a dull red color. This softens the metal for further shaping by the rolling mill. It is then quenched in water and dried again.

The ingot is now ready to be flattened to its final thickness (about 22 gauge) with the rolling mill. By guiding the ingot through the flat rollers, tightening them with each pass through the mill, a perfectly straight, smooth-edge bezel is created.

The clock shows 5:02 pm after the last pass through the mill. Total elapsed time to create this silver bezel: 2 minutes, 35 seconds.

Whaley Studios: www.WhaleyWorkshops.com

Category:

Howto & Style

Tags:

• rolling
• mill
• roller
• jewelry
• making

[AKmikeW]

What is the name of the machine you are using to flatten the wire?

[chas8491]

That is a rolling mill. This one is a Durston D2, 120 mm wide.

[1axvn]

chas8491, the video quality was very good, but how about doing a vid or vids that show a complete (stare to finish) jewelry project, and some commentary on what you are doing and why, that would be even better.

1axvn

[chas8491]

Hi,

Thanks for the critique on my video. I agree with your comments, but this video was meant to demonstrate that silver bezel could, in fact be made in this short of a time frame. Many jewelers have told me it could not be done this fast. Details were not important to show, but seeing the whole process was. I made my point by making this first video clip.

I plan on doing some short "how to" videos soon, so look for them.

---Jay Whaley

[harborgem]

Is that a mold you are pouring the molten silver into? If so, where did you get it? Thanks.

[chas8491]

The ingot mold I'm using is called a "combination ingot mold" available at almost all jewelry tool suppliers, like Rio Grande, Frei and Borel, Gesswein, etc. It allows you to make 4 different sizes of round ingots, and any width of sheet stock. They also come in a taller style, for making really big ingots.

---Jay

[NorthoftheMoon]

who is meant to get anything out of this? No explanation of anything? SUCKS

[jerichojames1]

is that gummie bear ur listening to ... thats cool i have that song too

[equitably]

Haha, I like it, that you're playing German pop music in the background :D

[LTEK4NZ]

genius video..

what type of torch do you use?

[dredrerayray]

tir38:

He's annealing the ingot. Repeated rollings work-harden the metal, so by heating and quenching, the metal is "softened" allowing for further rollings.

[tir38]

What is the purpose of the reheating at 1:30?

Also, I see your lower workbench silver file-catch-area. How much silver do you have to reclaim from the filing process?

[MrWolverine777]

Im about 99.5 percent sure at least it is the meco midget torch.The pros say there are the best

[everschristiand]

what kind of torch do you use?

i have propane will that work?

[JonatasPBarros]

vc pos fogo no cadinho em baixo de uma lampada num estoura alampada nao com essa temperatura?

[bellavistaglass]

Way cool, ease, simplicity, motion, music, functionality ;>)