Broken Post

Mikeyy

Mikeyy

Pearl Diver
Joined
Dec 7, 2006
Messages
1,083
This is a bit embarrasing. But before I try something crazy, Does anyone have a suggestion as to what to do about a broken post in a 18K gold ring. :D And secondly how to get it out of the pearl. :p

What am I laughing about? This isn't really very funny.
 
Does this have anything to do with Favre? Something tells me he isn't cashing his 401K in after today. WOW! The Bengals haven't beat the Browns in so long I can't remember when. They showed promise in the beginning, but true to form, choked! I'm watching the Ravens/Steelers coming up. I have a hunch about the Ravens. Congrats on the Charger win!

Oh, this post about a post! The methods I am about to share with you are tried and true, I promise. Why is it stuck? Is there glue in them thar holes? If so, put the pearl in a cup of water and nuke it. Try 30 seconds at a shot until the glue loosens and the post is freed.

If the dang-gone thing just broke off, (this method will cause sudden coronary palpitations), but I swear its been tried with no pearl damage. Ream a bit of a dent in the pearl hole. Then, on the head of a pin, drop some lime scale remover into the hole being careful not to drip any on the outside of pearl itself. The lime scale remover will dissolve and widen the pearl hole everso slightly to allow the post to be removed.

Or, you can just start all over with a new pearl and a new post! Sounds like you may have to solder a new post on anyway.
 
Last edited:
knotty panda said:
Does this have anything to do with Favre? Something tells me he isn't cashing his 401K in after today. WOW! The Bengals haven't beat the Browns in so long I can't remember when. They showed promise in the beginning, but true to form, choked! I'm watching the Ravens/Steelers coming up. I have a hunch about the Ravens. Congrats on the Charger win!

Oh, this post about a post! The methods I am about to share with you are tried and true, I promise. Why is it stuck? Is there in glue in them thar holes? If so, put the pearl in a cup of water and nuke it. Try 30 seconds at a shot until the glue loosens and the post is freed.

If the dang-gone thing just broke off, (this method will cause sudden coronary palpitations), but I swear its been tried with no pearl damage. Ream a bit of a dent in the pearl hole. Then, on the head of a pin, drop some lime scale remover into the hole being careful not to drip any on the outside of pearl itself. The lime scale remover will dissolve and widen the pearl hole everso slightly to allow the post to be removed.

Or, you can just start all over with a new pearl and a new post! Sounds like you may have to solder a new post on anyway.
Click to expand...

Thanks, I will give it a try. Yeah Chargers. I don't really dislike Farve. But I don't like Ian. I like his bro. But when he refused to enter the draft because the Chargers had first round picks, Well, that put him on that other list.
 
Nerida said:
How are your soldering skills, Mikeyy?
Click to expand...
Well, I guess we'll be finding out. :D You people must have some little tiny fingers. Have you ever heard of the proverbial bull in the China shop. :rolleyes:
 
I use a solvent called "Attack" to disolve the cured epoxy that I have used to attach pearls to findings. You can soak the pearl & finding in the solution to loosen the finding. I got it at a local findings supply shop. Its great stuff and if there is any part of he post you can grab with a pair of pliers, you should be able to remove the post after a little soak.

Hope that helps!
 
O.K. I hold my hand up.
'Twas me that used the acid when I broke the tip of the reamer inside a Cortez pearl....:eek:

After trying all day to remove the blighter, I tried the acid as a last resort; after all, the pearl was useless with the reamer tip lodged inside the drill hole and I'd probably end up binning it anyway, so may as well try drastic action.
Having asked my chemist husband if it's possible to dissolve metal he suggested I try the acid limescale remover.
It took all day, a drip at a time, wait for the acid to disappear and then another drip etc.
I'm not sure if the acid dissolved the reamer tip or the inside of the pearl - just that, after a day I was able to push the reamer tip through to the other side.
But Mikeyy, this was a metal reamer tip, not gold, so if the acid dissolved the metal tip, then I think you will have to find something that'll dissolve the 18 carat gold.
And I used masking tape around the pearl to try to protect the surface of the pearl.
This was all a few months ago and the pearl appears to be unharmed apart from having a very large drill hole. :)
It is now at centre front of a necklace which I wear often.
 
Did the resulting solution or residue seem discolored? Not sure what metal the reamer was made of, but iron would give either green or brown salts depending on the acid, so I'm guessing it dissolved a bit of the pearl rather than the metal. I should think calcium carbonate would be more reactive than a metal treated to prevent rust. Other metals which don't rust are also lower on the reactive scale as far as I remember.
 
Hello Raison,
There wasn't really any resulting solution or residue, but I seem to remember a brownish colouration inside the hole until I rinsed the pearl when I'd removed the tip.
Now the inside looks the same as all the other pearls.
 
Hi Mikeyy
Just drill it out - if you can get hold of a drill with a small enough bit.
1mm bits are fairly easy to get hold of and will fit into a normal drill (a hole in the wall to put up shelves) drill. You will need a steady hand and go slowly. - You might drill your thumb. It is straightforward
You will just have to replace the post with a bigger one
I would never use a reamer now - takes too long and the points do break off easily. I just use my normal drill and the tiny drill bits. Now can anyone tell me where to get .7mm bits.
There is no point in paying a fortune for the bits as they blunt after a few pearls (unless someone has a cheap source of diamond tipped bits !)
 
Thanks gang, I will be operating this morning. Hope the patiant survives the ordeal.
 
Yipee. I have my pearl back. I nuked it but the stem was so short that I couldn't get enough grip on it. So I redrilled it. It came out fine.
I still have to repair the ring. But atleast I didn't lose the pearl. Its a GSS. There my favs.

Thank you guys. I new I could count on ya. :)
 
Wendy,
I am not familar with sourcing things in England and I'm not sure if you are asking for .7mm drill bits or"cheap" .7mm drill bits but here are a few suggestions. Of Course your jewellery supply place should have them.They can be found at businesses that cater to machinists, sometimes auotmotive supply places,and also places that sell to people who are assembling electronic components.

DFrey
 
Wendy,
I use a Japanese pearl drill that I buy from Ottofrei.com, located in California. Although, those pearl drills are not cheap, about $5 for the .7mm, they are great and last quite a while. They work very well in a flex-shaft. Just so happens I have one handy so I can tell you that the product number for the .7mm is 128.517.

Gail
 
Pearlgully said:
Wendy,
I use a Japanese pearl drill that I buy from Ottofrei.com, located in California. Although, those pearl drills are not cheap, about $5 for the .7mm, they are great and last quite a while. They work very well in a flex-shaft. Just so happens I have one handy so I can tell you that the product number for the .7mm is 128.517.

Gail
Click to expand...
I just bought the YDK drill while I was in Hong Kong. I didn't really have the time to shop for drills so I bought this one. Its functional enough for $150 but the Japanese product did look a little better constructed. And it was 3-4 times the cost.
 
Hooray !
Glad you saved your pearl Mikeyy. :)
 
Hi Wendy,
If it is twist drills that you want there are at least two grades of drills which will have different steel in them. The "high speed steel" twist drills will cost a bit more but stay sharper longer,have a longer useful life and you don't have to shop as often. I find it is worthwhile to spend the small extra amount for the high speed steel.
DFrey
 
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