For this week’s
#tooltalktuesday I wanted to show the Foredom® H.15D hammer handpiece. This model includes the “duplex spring” which provides extra flexibility, there is also the H.15 model but I have never used it so I can’t compare the two. I do imagine the extra length and flexibility makes it a bit easier to maneuver and is perhaps easier on my wrist but I’m speculating! The handpiece comes with an anvil point, which I polished (you can use your polishing machine or a ceragloss wheel.) This included anvil with the circular shape and flat end is the one I use the most often when setting. The handpiece works with Foredom flex shafts and attaching is simple, you want to run your flex shaft at a low speed and gently pull your regular handpiece off and then run it again to place the hammer handpiece on. You use the hammer handpiece at a low speed , somewhere between 0-5,000 rpm and you can adjust the impact force from light to heavy by rotating the silver knurled adjusting ring. To interchange the anvil points you simply screw them on and off, I also purchased the Foredom Anvil Kit (with 6 anvils). This handpiece is also compatible with Badeco tips which is something I will definitely look into! I’ve only begun to experiment with my other tips but they are great not only for stone setting but also for experimenting with texture! Back to stone setting, in my example I am setting a simple tube setting, but I’ve used this hammer handpiece on heavy prongs, super thick bezels and harder metals like 14k gold. You want to start by properly securing your work, I used my
@grstools Benchmate but you could also use a vise, Jett basic or your preferred method. Begin slowly, you don’t want to go too fast in a single area as it may make your bezel wonky. Practice for sure! I find I can get a lot of control and I don’t worry much about hitting my stone accidentally however I wouldn’t use this with one of my delicate opals (that’s just my personal choice, I don’t want to risk it!) It’s a super useful tool which I use on a regular basis! They sell for $149 I will include a link in my stories! Let me know if you have any questions!
#metalsmithsociety
