How to make a flat emery stick ?

Emerging (the name for sanding in jewelry jargon) is a step that comes right after filing. It is a very important part in the manufacture of metal jewelry. Indeed, it allows toattenuate the traces left previously by the file and to prepare the metal parts for the next stage: the polishing.

And to emerge the metal, we often use a cabron, a kind of wooden stick covered with a sheet of emery paper.

Did you know that you can make your own emery boards? The technique is very easy: just wrap the emery paper around a wooden support, then attach the whole thing with a wire or a piece of tape.

The trick is to wrap a sheet of emery paper around the wooden stick, "breaking" the paper with a scribe. Be careful not to press too hard with the scribe so as not to cut the paper.
The goal is to have the emery sheet fit perfectly on the wooden support with right angles.

This tool will be very practical and useful in your work as a jeweler, you just have to remove the used abrasive part to reveal a new part ready to use, and here we go again!

To learn more about how to make your own cabrons, Lucie explains everything in our video above.

Once you understand how to make a cabron, prepare them with different grains and shapes. For example with a round wooden stick, it is ideal to emerge the inside of the rings!

Attention, we remind you the precautions to take when sanding:

• Protect your hands with a pair of gloves.
• Wear safety glasses and a mask for fine dust,
• Work in a well ventilated area.