Comments | metalsmiths: Hi y'all!

willowteestar in metalsmiths

Hi y'all!

Aug 30, 2006 17:25

I'm a newbie here, a lapidary whose muse is pushing her to explore metalsmithing, specificaly alloying some 14kt blue-green gold. I have a small oxy-propane torch, scale, files, buffer and the like - what else do I need? How do I stir the molten metal? How do I turn it into wire and sheet? I'm thinking about sand-casting a pendant setting - is ( Read more... )

Comments 8

egg_shell August 31 2006, 03:01:10 UTC

I too am trying to teach myself how to sand cast. I have nothing to show for it yet - I got a kit from Santa Fe Jewelry Supply Co that had a 2 part crucible with a set of flimsy tongs to hold it - a very unstable situation. Even though I got the silver to melt I didn't feel comfortable pouring it and have abandoned the venture till I get a better crucible - one with a handle permanently attached. That is the only thing I know FOR SURE about it. Get a sturdy crucible!

Also, sand casting is best for making things with flat backs, and where the original thing you are casting can be lifted straight back up out of the sand mold. If you want to make something very intricate then lost wax casting would probably be best.

Maybe look in the Santa Fe Jewelry Supply Co catalog and the Rio Grande "tools" catalog to get an idea of what you will need.

iron__monger August 31 2006, 19:11:09 UTC

Buy the book "complete metalsmith" by Tim McCreight, it will give you a good overview of the basics and is really cheap. You need a roling mill to make sheet, they are a few hundred bucks (new) for the smallest ones.

OR.... oh_bother August 31 2006, 23:55:51 UTC

Another approach is to use a charcoal block and melt a blob in a small depression that you previously dug in the block.
You can stir with a graphite pencil or a chopstick. Flame will of course burn the wood away. Let it solidify a couple of times and flip it over to get a good mix. It's good if you can get the whole thing molten.
Do this outside maybe even with a fan as everything about this is toxic.
You can use boric acid as flux but not too much.
THe block helps hold down the oxide formation.
Melt the highest temp metal first, gold, then copper then silver.
You can hammer sheet from the blob if you keep annealing after about 25% reduction.
The book mentioned above is indeed helpful, also go check www.ganoksin.com
If you're expecting a true blue-green prepare yourself for disappointment, same for purple and black.
Start with something easy.

Re: OR.... willowteestar September 1 2006, 00:59:06 UTC

Thanks. I had originally wanted "deep green," but the cadmium scared me away.

Re: OR.... oh_bother September 1 2006, 01:42:01 UTC

Oh yeah stay away from cadmium, although we all have to die of something, it can at least be something more pleasant.
The colors are usually the result of an oxide formation and not truly the color of the metal.
Copper in red gold for some reason makes gold extremely hard. I found out the hard way.

I repeat start SIMPLE

Re: OR.... willowteestar September 1 2006, 02:50:20 UTC

Well, I do have some electrum, to which I've added about 5 grams of Alaskan and Californian gold nuggets. Next, I'll add a gram of .900 coin silver, and start hammering. Sound easy enough?

easy enough oh_bother September 1 2006, 03:02:50 UTC

Yes but you have to do the math as to what karat it turns out to be, and remember to keep your fingers out of the way.

Re: easy enough willowteestar September 1 2006, 03:42:24 UTC

As the initial chunk started out as a broken Byzantine coin, likely to have been made as an alloy of copper, tin, silver and gold, and the added gold was just as it was found in the sluice, there's no telling what karat it is now. I just like playing with it to make it a pale yellow.