Which rhinestone and stud setter should I get?
(Is the Bedazzler any good?)
Well we can't tell you which one to get, but we can give you a list of the ones we know about, and let you make your own decision. Here they are, from the most famous to the least.
Bedazzler
The Bedazzler has been around for a long time, and I think just about everyone has heard of it because of the great advertising.
Ours came with 4 interchangeable tips marked 20, 30, 34, and 40. These work with the following pre-set stone sizes. SS16, SS30, SS34 and SS40 respectively. They also work for nailheads size 20, 30, there is no 34, and 40.
There are stampings on the baseplate which are supposed to correspond to the tips, but they were confusing to me. You might have to try a couple and see which ones you think work better for you.
The Bedazzler does not do a very good job of attaching stones or studs. The flimsy construction makes it hard to apply even pressure, and the aligning of the plunger to the baseplate is very crude.
If your stud is too small for the tip it will simply fall out. If it's too big you might damage the tip by stretching it too much.
It was hard enough to align the plunger tip with the baseplate when looking right at it, without any fabric in between. When the fabric is over the baseplate, it was almost like a shot in the dark.
With this tool you will naturally have a lot more instances of studs and stones not attaching correctly. The fault lies with your Bedazzler, not with your studs and stones.
The Bedazzler is probably fun for kids, but there is no way that you can use it to create the large detailed designs shown in their infomercial.
Classification: Toy
More information about Bedazzler
http://www.infomercialscams.com/scams/bedazzler_complaints http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20061126164028AAbaBR8
Gemagic
The Gemagic is the latest kid on the block, and they're marketing is like Bedazzler on steroids.
You can check out their video at this link. https://www.gemagictv.com/?cid=159432
It's great but be careful. We hope it will give you the urge to embellish garments, not necessarily one to buy a Gemagic
The Gemagic came with 5 tips. They are marked 20, 30, 34, and 40 and 60. The first 4 work the same way as the Bedazzler, but we couldn't find anything to fit the 60 tip.
Interestingly, it came with stones and studs that were made of steel, not brass as is customary for metal that will get wet in the wash.
The rusting risk aside, the steel goods may have performed marginally better because of their stiffness.
Installing your tips is a little trickier than for the Bedazzler, because you have to assemble 3 parts together and then put that in the Gemagic.
The baseplate has markings like the Bedazzler does, but again there was head scratching figuring out which one worked best.
The Gemagic uses preset stones or studs, provided they fit in the tip and stay there during the application.
The results were the same as for the Bedazzler. Not very good. Very light construction, and tips and baseplates that don't really line up. Maybe loads of fun if your not doing anything serious, but expect a lot of studs not properly set.
Classification: Toy
More information on Gemagic.
http://www.infomercialscams.com/scams/gemagic_complaints http://www.associatedcontent.com/video/10735/visual_instruction_for_gemagic_like.html
http://www.expotv.com/videos/reviews/5/66/Cathy-Mitchells-GeMAgic/11620
Brisk Set
This was the one and only true lightweight little craft machine. This is a solid machine for light craft work. Your design is marked on the backside of the fabric, and place it backside up, over the bottom cup of the machine.
This tool uses interchangeable dies in a nice range from 4mm to 15mm for rimsets and nailheads. It can also attach tiffany settings up to 11mm. Only tiffany setting dies are provided with the base machine.
As with any lightweight tool, you have to apply good pressure with your hands to get the job done. Some can find it tiring after a while.
We stopped carrying this machine a few years ago because the supplier became unreliable. After he moved his company to California for health reasons, the attachments became impossible to get.
Don’t be deceived by machines that look like this but are not Brisk-Sets. This machine has been knocked off a few times, and none of them was any good.
Classification: Craft
Home Pro LR
This machine was originally developed for eyelets and rivets, but the manufacturer has since extended the range to include nailheads and pre-set rhinestones. This is a well-made tool that has a solid feel. We only tested nailheads some time ago, and it did a good job attaching them to the test material.
The dies have a flexible rubber sleeve that holds the ornament up top, so you can set stones and studs right-side-up. But there's not a lot of throat area for bunching up heavy materials, and the opening between the jars is quite small, so it was not quick loading the ornaments.
Classification: Craft
GU50
The GU50 was conceived to be a heavy duty Brisk-Setter . It's a solid machine for serious craft work or light production. Dies are available for rim-settings and nailheads, 4mm to 11mm. There are also dies for rhinestone rivets. There are no dies for tiffany settings presently.
The machine is solid and best screwed down. Instead of using your hands, you use your arm powered by a lever, giving you plenty of power with little effort. Just like the Brisk-Set, you mark your design on the backside of the fabric, and place it backside up, over the bottom cup of the machine.
Classification: Craft to Light Production
To see this item in our store click here .
You can also view these very very basic video demonstrations
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CHWey3yNoWE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HA3UY05n074
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xCrTx8E25Ec
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