Jewellery making tools: names, pictures and what each one is used for

The piercing saw, and why everyone breaks blades

The piercing saw is the defining jewellery tool, and it is the one that puts people off in the first hour. The blades are hair fine, they snap constantly at first, and it feels impossible.

Almost all of it comes down to three things. The blade must be fitted with the teeth pointing down towards the handle, so it cuts on the pull stroke. It must be tensioned drum tight, because a slack blade twists and snaps. And the saw must be held vertical and moved without any sideways force at all, letting the blade do the cutting rather than being pushed through.

Once those three are right, a blade lasts a surprisingly long time. Blades are consumables regardless, so buy them by the dozen and stop treating each break as a failure.

Teeth down, towards the handle

It cuts on the pull stroke. Fitted the other way it skates on the surface and achieves nothing.

Tension it drum tight

It should ping when plucked. A slack blade wanders, twists and snaps within a few strokes.

Vertical, and no sideways pressure

Let the blade cut. Steering it is what breaks it, so turn the work rather than the saw.

Lubricate the blade

Beeswax or cut lube on the teeth cuts cleaner, quieter and slower to blunt.

Match the blade to the metal thickness

At least two teeth in contact at all times. Too coarse a blade in thin sheet snags and tears.

Buy blades by the dozen

They are consumables. Fear of breaking one is why people cut badly and slowly.

Soldering, which is about heat and cleanliness

Jewellery soldering fails for two reasons: the joint was not clean, or the heat was in the wrong place. Solder flows towards heat and it will only flow onto clean bright metal.

The joint also has to fit before you start. Solder fills a gap of a few hundredths of a millimetre by capillary action, not a visible gap. If you can see daylight through the joint, no amount of solder will bridge it soundly.

The other thing worth knowing early is that solder comes in grades that melt at different temperatures. That is how you make several joints on one piece without the earlier ones falling apart: hard solder first, then medium, then easy.

Clean and bright, then flux

Solder will not flow onto oxide or grease. Abrade the joint, degrease it, then flux to keep it clean while it heats.

A tight joint, not a filled gap

Solder works by capillary action across a few hundredths of a millimetre. A visible gap will not fill soundly.

Heat the whole piece, not the solder

Solder runs to the hottest point. Bring the metal up to temperature and the solder will follow it.

Work down the solder grades

Hard first, then medium, then easy. That is how a piece with several joints survives the later ones.

Pickle after every solder

Warm acid removes the firescale and flux glass so the next joint has clean metal to work with.

Never put steel in the pickle

Steel tweezers in pickle copper plate the whole piece pink. Use brass or titanium tongs.

Finishing takes longer than making

Beginners consistently underestimate this. Making the shape might take an hour and finishing it properly takes two, and finishing is what people actually see.

The sequence is the same as every other trade on this site: work through the grades in order and never skip one. Files, then emery paper from coarse to fine, then tripoli, then rouge. Every scratch you leave shows more clearly with each stage of polish, because polishing is what makes scratches visible rather than hiding them.

The most common mistake is going to the polishing motor too early, which just puts a shine on the scratches.

Polishing reveals scratches, it does not remove them

Every mark left by a file or coarse emery becomes more obvious once there is a shine around it.

Work through the grades in order

File, then coarse emery, then progressively finer, then compound. Skipping a stage costs more time than it saves.

Tripoli then rouge, on separate wheels

One wheel per compound. Mixing them puts the coarse cut back into the final polish.

Tie your hair back and hold work firmly

A polishing motor grabs work and throws it. Below the centre line of the wheel, always.

Finish inside surfaces first

The inside of a ring is nearly impossible to reach once it is assembled. Do it while you still can.

Clean between compounds

Residue carried from one stage to the next is the usual reason a final polish will not come up.

What to buy first, in order

Stage one: cutting and filing

A piercing saw with a dozen blades, a bench peg, a hand file set, needle files, emery paper, half round pliers, flat nose pliers, side cutters and a ring mandrel.

Stage two: soldering

A small torch, a soldering block or charcoal, solder in three grades, flux, brass tweezers, a pickle pot and a steel bench block with a planishing hammer.

Stage three: finishing

Tripoli and rouge with separate mops, a pendant motor or rotary tool with burrs and wheels, a burnisher and an ultrasonic or a good brush and soap.

Stage four: setting and precision

A ring clamp, setting burrs, a bezel pusher, gravers, a loupe, digital gauges and a rolling mill or draw plate if you make your own stock.

Mistakes that cost metal or a stone

Fitting the saw blade the wrong way

Teeth must point down towards the handle. Fitted upwards it will not cut and you will assume the saw is faulty.

Soldering a joint you can see through

Solder bridges a few hundredths of a millimetre, not a visible gap. Fit the joint first.

Steel tweezers in the pickle

It copper plates the entire piece pink. Brass or titanium only, and keep steel out of the pot entirely.

Overheating and melting the piece

Silver goes from bright to slumped very quickly. Watch the colour of the metal rather than the clock.

Polishing before finishing

The shine makes every remaining scratch obvious. Do the abrasive work first, all of it.

Heating a stone that is already set

Most stones crack or discolour with heat. Set stones last, or protect and remove them first.

Over pushing a bezel

Too much force cracks the stone or leaves the bezel bruised and wavy. Little and often, working around the setting.

Working without magnification

You cannot correct what you cannot see, and a loupe reveals faults that look fine to the naked eye.

Looking after jewellery tools

Never file steel with a precious metal file

Steel loads and blunts a file quickly, and then it burnishes silver instead of cutting it. Keep separate files.

Brush files out with a file card

A clogged file scratches rather than cuts, and the metal caught in it transfers to the next piece.

Keep plier jaws smooth for finished work

Serrated jaws mark metal permanently. Polish a pair smooth or tape them for anything visible.

One compound per polishing mop

Label them. A rouge mop contaminated with tripoli will never bring up a final polish.

Cover the pickle pot

It evaporates, and the fumes corrode every steel tool in the room. Lid on when not in use.

Keep the bench peg and sweep the bench

Precious metal filings are worth collecting. A bench skin under the peg pays for itself.

Frequently asked questions

What jewellery making tools do I need to start?

A piercing saw and blades, a bench peg, hand and needle files, emery paper, half round and flat nose pliers, side cutters and a ring mandrel. Add a small torch, solder, flux and a pickle pot and you can make and join properly.

Why do my saw blades keep breaking?

Usually one of three things: the teeth are fitted upwards instead of down towards the handle, the blade is not tensioned tight enough, or you are pushing sideways. Turn the work rather than steering the saw, and blades last far longer.

Which way do piercing saw blade teeth face?

Down, towards the handle, so the saw cuts on the pull stroke. Run your finger along the blade before tightening it: it should feel smooth upwards and catch downwards.

What are the different grades of solder for?

Hard, medium and easy solder melt at progressively lower temperatures. That lets you make several joints on one piece by working down the grades, so the earlier joints do not come apart while you make the later ones.

Why won't my solder flow?

Almost always a dirty joint or heat in the wrong place. Solder only flows onto clean bright fluxed metal, and it runs towards the hottest point. Heat the whole piece rather than aiming the flame at the solder itself.

What is pickle and do I need it?

A warm mild acid solution that removes firescale and flux residue after soldering. Yes, you need it, because the next solder joint will not flow onto oxidised metal. Never put steel in it, as that copper plates the piece pink.

What is a bench peg for?

A shaped wooden block clamped to the bench that supports work while you saw and file. The V slot lets the saw pass through while the work stays supported right at the cut, which is what makes accurate piercing possible.

Do I need a pendant motor or will a rotary tool do?

A rotary tool is a reasonable start. A pendant motor gives a lighter handpiece on a flexible shaft with better speed control, which matters for stone setting and inside a ring. Both take the same burrs.

What is the difference between tripoli and rouge?

Tripoli is the coarser compound that removes fine scratches, and rouge is the fine one that produces the final shine. They need separate mops, because tripoli carried into the rouge stage puts the scratches back.

How do I set a stone without cracking it?

Work gradually and evenly. With a bezel, push a little at a time working around the setting rather than closing one side fully. Never heat a set stone, and check the seat is level before the stone goes in.

What size ring mandrel do I need?

A stepped or tapered steel mandrel marked with ring sizes covers everything. Get one without a groove if you plan to hammer rings on it, since a grooved mandrel is for holding stone set rings safely.

Is soldering jewellery safe at home?

With sensible precautions, yes. Work on a fireproof surface, ventilate the space, keep flammables away and have water to hand. Pickle is an acid, so gloves and eye protection, and never mix it with anything else.