Jeweling Tools | CRATEX Abrasives

Jeweling metal is an easy and fun technique that gives any metal a great looking finish. You can do it at any garage or workshop, because depending on what you got at hand, it’s possible to use only two tools to do it! The way the series of circles are done is unique, like a unique signature that each craftsman puts on a metal canvas. The jeweling pattern is attractive, because or it sharp, but shallow swirls that catch the light beautifully.

To create a pattern on the metal part you can use a proper jeweling tool, such as an abrasive rod, a metal brush or even a pencil eraser, all depending on the look you’re going for and the type of metal.

The size of an abrasive tool will depend on the size of your workpiece. In case you are working on larger surfaces, you’ll need large brushes (e.g. paint removal tool). If you’re working on smaller surfaces, you can use tools like small abrasive bits that can be mounted on a drill press, hand drill or a rotary hand tool. As mentioned previously, you can use a pencil with a rubber eraser as well, and many have tried this option. Only be aware that you’ll probably end up soon with an empty pencil box and not so impressive work done.

In case you’re working on a hard metal piece or you want to create a deep scrape, you can use wire brushes. Just make sure you use a rubber or a zip tie around to bind the individual wires to maintain the circular pattern of the tool. The brushes work well on both flat and curved surfaces as they follow contours.

Another jeweling method would be to use Cratex rubber sticks impregnated with silicon carbide abrasive. You can achieve best results on flat, well-polished metal surfaces.

If you’re using a smooth tool, like a piece of rubber, you’ll need some sort of abrasive compound, such as a Clover lapping compound. Note that you can even use toothpaste – people have tried it and it works! There are different grit compounds on the market, so you’ll need to try a few out on different types of metal to get an idea which compound is most suitable for which metal type and the tool that you’re using. If you’re using a brush a slurry of abrasive and oil is necessary. If you don’t use it, you’ll probably end up with dull polished pattern. In case you don’t want to spend money on multiple lapping compounds, you can simply get a 90-grit compound which can easily get mixed down with some sort of motor oil if necessary. There’s no way to thicker thinner compounds like the 120 or 220, so with a 90-grit compound you’ll hit two birds with one stone.

Professionals use milling or CNC machines, but any craftsman get an amazing job done with a drill press and indexing table, a vise and a ruler.

You can use just about any good-old drill press for jeweling. You won’t even need a fancy drill press, the cheap one will do a great job, too. This method will require a steady hand, precision and focus, and depending on the size of the work piece, it can take hours. Although it can be tiresome for many, it is something that the craftsmen are taking pride and satisfaction in.

There are vises that move by the exact number of inches with every full rotation of the handles, which makes it easy to evenly space the circles. Compound slide works best, but you can use regular cross slide vise, or a small stationery vise attached to a block of wood in case you don’t have one. When using a vise, you should always clamp your piece in soft or rubber jaws to avoid damage. You can also clamp down a ruler in it and use the distance markings to measure the crossovers more accurately.

In case you’re using a CNC machine, all you need to do is write a G code program which will be the drill command – you’ll define how much pressure and how long it should be applied, as well the overlapping percentage, so the upside of the machine is that it is more precise and consistent. After that, you just turn it on, sit back and enjoy the creation of your beautiful work decoration.