Check out these articles on how to use a Laser to Repair Jewelry
Steve
Steve Satow
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Repairs
March 03, 2009
September 28, 2008
August 09, 2008
August 05, 2008
August 02, 2008
July 08, 2008
July 03, 2008
June 24, 2008
June 19, 2008
Laser Welded Silver Dish Repair Part 4
10. The reinforcement bars are now flush on the host material and ready to finish welding.
11. The bars are welded in place and ready to be cleaned up with a small abrasive wheel.
12. This is a picture of the joint on the other side of the handle. With one side all reinforced all the flexing will be transmitted to this side. I expect this joint to fail soon. The customer was made aware and knows this will happen. She chose to spread the cost over two separate repairs.
13. The finished underside of the joint is a trade off between ugly and the functionality of keeping the top pretty and not breaking again. I hate to leave a job like this but sometimes there are trade offs the customer will accept.
14. The finished repair from the top looks like it never happened. The customer was very happy with the repair.
June 17, 2008
Laser Welded Silver Dish Repair Part 3
7. To add the reinforcement bars I used a ball burr to help countersink them into the host sterling and not the old solder from the previous repairs.
8. I rolled out 16ga. Argentium sterling wire I wanted to work harden it as much as possible to make it stiffer. I want to prevent the new joint from breaking from metal fatigue from flexing. I placed the first end of the wire in place in its groove and tacked it in place.
9. Here all three pieces of straight wire are in place and ready to be bent down to fit the host materials contours.
