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[mirkaba]

I have had a hammer handpiece for quite a while and am finally going to set some stones in bezel with it. Maybe........ I rounded off one of the anvil points that came with the tool and it dents the heck out of the silver. Does anyone know which point or points work the best for shaping the sterling bezels to the stone?  Thanks    Bob

[bobby1]

Years ago I bought one of these and I hated it! It hammered so hard that the stone was bouncing all over the place. It did the same thing that you describe. I tossed it aside and went back to using a bezel rocker to set my stones. If the piece had a thick bezel I just used a hand held punch and a hammer.
About 6 months ago I loaned the hammer handpiece to a friend that wanted to use it for chipping away the matrix on a fossil. It works great for this use.
Bob

[mirkaba]

I agree with you so far Bob. But I am thinking one of the larger shaped points might work. I don't want to buy the whole set that Rio sells. I am thinking that since I have the money invested....maybe just maybe one of the setting points might work. If not I have the hammer and punch handy too.  :)

[mirkaba]

I have decided to try the bezel rocker shaped anvil. If I can find a place that sells it. I am making an order from Rio and will ask them if they will sell me one separately from the set first. Just to see what happens...............................

[goldsmithy]

A hammer handpiece is whand platimumat I use to bezel set very heavy bezels, kt. gold bezels, the like. On 24/26 gauge bezels of fine silver, I use a bezel roller, a hammer handpiece is overkill. I buy the blank points and shape them as I need for the job at hand.

[mirkaba]

Thanks GoldSmithy. I use a bezel roller and a burnisher usually. I have been using heavier 18 and 20 gauge for bezels lately and it takes a little more oomph. I just decided to get a few plain anvil points and make a brass bezel roller point, braze it to the plain anvil and see what happens. I made a brass bezel roller several years ago that I use a lot and like so we'll see if the same design will work out as an anvil point.

[mirkaba]

Yesterday I ordered 3 points from Rio Grande. This morning while guzzling my first cup of coffee I realized I already had 2 points that I never use ....So I shaped, drilled and brazed a brass bezel rolling point all before the sun was up. It works pretty well on the test pieces and I just happen to have a 20 ga. sterling bezel for the trial run. So far it looks like it just might work. The brass is a lot softer than the hard steel anvils I have been using.