the 1st thing you dont do is attach a gem with a torch, gems are mounted
in settings specifically made for each gem. what type of setting you use
depends on many factors. To find out what these factors are....is the
1st thing you have to do.
The 2nd thing you really need to do is go to your local library and get
out all the books you can on smithing holloware, NOT jewellery making.
Holloware is a different branch of the silver trade and, altho it uses
the same sort of skills there used differently.
you need to read everything in these books as you will find most of the
answers you seek there. and get some idea of the skills you need to perfect.
From what you have told us so far, it appears your completely out of
your depth on a project of this scale.
Sorry to be so blunt but you would need a step by step email course
over at least a year from an experienced hollow silver ware maker to get
anywhere. None of us have the time or patience to devote to such a long
enterprise We all have our own living to make . In this trade it is
normal to take a 7 year apprenticship assuming you have a flair for this
kind of work. As Ive said before, there are 101 things you need to know
and be able to do before youll get the sort of results you want.
If time is no object ,the other thing you should do is go on a course of
hollow ware making , your instructor there will guide you through the
processes you need to learn in order to achieve your desired result.
Is there anything Peter? or Abrasha? ive left out? to show this guy the
size of the mountain he plans to climb??
Terd Frater Dorset UK.


Jack Schmidling wrote:
I have been soldering since about 10 years old but pretty much confined to a
soldering iron.

The problems of attaching gem heads with a torch seem a bit daunting.

My current project is to be-jewel a silver chalice with my faceted and
cabbed stones. On my practice goblet, I have been using Crazy Glue with no
problems other than the fact that they would probably all fall off if I
dropped it.

Could someone point me to some basics on soldering with a torch?

I have silver bearing solder that can be melted with a hot iron but getting
the base hot enough to wet is a bit of a problem.

js