Basic Silversmithing

Example of a compact work area

Lighting should be full, but not glaring. Direct sunlight can prove very unpleasant when working with a reflective metal!

Metal Properties

All metals interact with the oxygen in the atmosphere in some way. This process is known as oxidation (A). This surface coating must be removed (B) for a proper bonding (C) of two given metals to be joined by solder.

Some properties of silver and copper:

1. Fine silver is laboratory gradable at .999 parts in 1,000. The remaining .001 part is considered inseparable elements.

2. Sterling silver is an alloy of .925 part silver with .070 parts copper and .005 parts tin and antimony. (The copper is why sterling always needs to be polished!)

3. Copper. Industrial grade is about 60% copper and 39% tin and other hardening alloys along with 1% inseparable elements.

SOLDERS:
• Soft (easy) braze melts at 1325^o F.
• Medium braze melts at 1390^o F.
• Hard braze melts at 1423^o F.

METALS:
• .999 Silver melts at 1762^o F.
• Sterling melts at 1640^o F.
• Copper melts at 1989^o F.

Note:   BORAX is the simplest flux.

Soldering

1. Clean surfaces physically (by sanding or brushing).
2. Assemble pieces (on work surface).
3. Apply flux.
4. Use solder pick to place pallions on work.
5. Heat to solder flow (for multiple heats the General Rule is to use hard first, medium second, and soft third. I don't always follow this rule.)
6. With COPPER TONGS, put piece in 'PICKLE'. The purpose of the sodium bisulfate solution is to remove 'borax glass' or fire scale left on metal during the heating process. Leave in the pickle until the surface appears white and free of fire scale. Note: Pickle should be kept warm, but NOT HOT. Sodium bisulfate is CAUSTIC, just like battery acid. It is an electrolyte. Never put IRON into pickle. This will impart a copper tone to sterling silver. WEAR EYE PROTECTION, an APRON, and NEVER use your hands to put in or remove an item from pickle!!! USE THE TONGS! Wearing your favorite shirts and pants already ridden with holes is a good idea. Do not splash pickle around!
7. Rinse item in a bowl of water or under running water.

Annealing

Metal frequently becomes brittle and hard under constant working, bending, etc. It must be annealed, or softened.

Note: Sterling silver is an alloy that will handle a maximum of about 5 annealing processes, after which the metal loses tin and antimony and becomes easily burned and brittle and cracks. I love copper! You can anneal it to your heart's content!

(This is totally compatible
with the working of Copper.)

Small Pall-peen hammer polished and rounded will serve well as a planishing and forming hammer.

An inexpensive planishing hammer can be made from a garage-sale/hardware store find.

Typical hammer faces (expensive):
A. Forming
B. Flat
C. Planishing
D. Rim or Collet
E. Raising

Metal Working Stakes (expensive)
-- Pistol Grip
-- Bowl or Cup
-- Candle or Horn (also known as 'spout stake'
-- Mushroom
-- Creasing stake (Very expensive), but creaser can also be made of wood (inexpensive).
-- Bowl hollowed out of a wood block (very handy)

Raising and Bouging

Stretching, thinning, and shaping are learned by experience, but can be demonstrated briefly here.

To spread metal evenly and flat, hammer in a spiral counterclockwise from the center to the edge, then reverse and go clockwise from edge to center. Turn the piece over and do the same on the other side.

For a bowl spread (raising), do the same process, but only on ONE SIDE, the side that will be the inside of the bowl. (It should be noted that the circle for a bowl should be cut to the desired circumference + 10 times the thickness of the sheet of metal that is being used.)

It is preferable to 'bouge' out the bowl with a forming hammer in a bowl mandrel and planish as above on a metal mushroom stake, depending on the desired finish.

Joining Ideas

	A. Tab B. Twisting C. Rivets
	D. Folding E. Fusing with Heat F. Soldering
	G. Tube rivet H. Joined with loops I. Fused end of wire USE YOUR IMAGINATION!

A Simple Portable Jeweler's Bench

Transferring a Design

Reciprocal Hobby Drill

Grip drive, push drive down. RELEASE. Do NOT pull back up, as that will damage the bit. We are talking small here, since the average drill bit is .020 inch diameter.

The drill only really drills one way. This takes practice. Patience helps a lot!

Conserving Metal

Ring Mandrels

Time Savers

- Buy solder in sheet form and cut your own.

- Keep saw blades in air tight DRY containers (with size clearly marked). Buy by the gross if possible. Do the same for drill bits.

- Keep pickle in a container with a close-fitting cover..

- Solder work together, THEN cut out.

   

- A rolling mill is an expensive tool. However, if you plan on doing a lot of jewelry or metal work, it is invaluable for forming and recycling melted scrap into usable sheet and wire.

REMEMBER: if you buy for function instead of name, you're ahead of the game, and will have change left over.

- Wire drawplates are expensive, but come in handy.

- Improvise: Learn to adapt and make your own tools.

Bibliography

1. Jewelry Concepts and Technology by Oppi Untracht. Doubleday ISBN 0-385-04185-3 Considered the BIBLE by many. About $100

2. The Complete Metalsmith: an illustrated handbook by Tim McCreight. Davis ISBN 0-87192-135-9 REAL HANDY! About $18

3. Jewelry Making and Design by Rose & Cirino. Dover ISBN 0-486-21750-7 GOOD BOOK TO HAVE! About $6

4. Jewelry Making: An illustrated guide to technique by D. DiPasquale. Prentice Hall ISBN 0-13-509828-9 About $16

5. Jewelry Making by Hamish Bowie. Henry Regnery Co. ISBN 0-8092-7987-8 paper

6. Metalwork for Craftsmen: Step by step guide with 55 projects by E.F.Kronquist. Dover ISBN 0-486-22789-8 BEST BOOK OF ITS KIND FOR THE MONEY (about $5)

7. Silversmithing and Art Metal for Schools, Tradesmen and Craftsmen by Murray Bovin. Bovin Pub. ISBN 910280-03-7 About $20

8. Silversmithing by Finegold and Seitz. Chilton Books ISBN 0-8019-7232-9. (If I ever open a school, this will most likely be the textbook I start with.)

Copper Working Books:

1. Copper Work: "An illustrated Text Book for Teachers and Students in the Manual Arts" By Augustus Rose, Reprinted by Lindsey Publications Inc. 1989 ISBN 1-55918-014-5 (pbk.) Antiquated in its material, but totally suitable for todays artist!

2. ART OF COPPERSMITHING, "A practical treatise on working sheet copper into all forms". By John Fuller, Sr. 1993 Reprint by the Astragal Press* Mendham NJ, USA ISBN 1-879335-37-9. Another book also antiquated, but fully useful for anyone wishing to understand the process of working copper on stakes... Did you ever want to make a steamships vent stack? This will show you the process, as well as cups, pans, dippers, pipe and a wonderous assortment of practical items (just need some imagination and you can adapt much of this material to a present day shop and product line! (*NEWSFLASH: FINNEYS BUYS ASTRAGAL PRESS AND RELOCATES TO MINNESOTA! So be sure to look for Astragal Press titles under Finney's Publishing name. I might consider going down to their establishment and seeing if I can't offer some of these books on my site!)

Pewter Working Books:

1. Pewter-Working, Instructions and projects. By Burl N. Osburn and Gordon O. Wilber. 1979 Dover Publications ISBN 0-486-23786-9 (pbk.) Many of the forge work detail can be translated to Silver or Copper! This is a wonderful book to have in your library... I have repaired pewter items many times for people as well as silver and copper or gold.

Resources

Rio Grande
4516 Anaheim Ave. NE
Albuquerque, NM 87109
1-800-545-6566
FAX 1-5-5-821-5529
www.riogrande.com

Silver Tool Box
1320 NE 2nd St
Minneapolis, MN 55413
(NOTE PHONE NUMBER CHANGE)
Phone: 1-612-331-2590

Centaur Forge
117 North Spring Street Burlington, WI 53105
1-262-763-9175
1-800-666-9175 (orders only)
www.centaurforge.com