119139304 basic silver smithing

Basic Silversmithing - manual of techniques & tools

http://www.silverspiderforge.com/silversmithing.html[30/12/2011 10:02:45 PM]

Basic Silversmithinga manual by Manuel

Shop Safety | Tool List | Example of a Compact Work Area | Sawing || Metal Properties | Soldering | Annealing | Hammer-Work (Forging) |

| Raising and Bouging | Joining Ideas | A Simple Portable Jeweler's Bench || Transferring a Design | Reciprocal Hobby Drill |

| Conserving Metal | Ring Mandrels | Time Savers | Bibliography | Resources |

In Adobe Acrobat [173 KB]

Shop Safety

1. Have fire extinguisher and first aid kit on hand at all times. It is usually a good idea tohave a sink with running water accessible. An aloe plant is a good companion to"workers with fire" also.

2. Do not touch an item on your heating pad, fire brick, fire screen, etc. with your barehands! (This is an excellent accident reduction idea.)

3. Keep long hair tied back!4. Safety glasses (not goggles) are a fairly comfortable way to save your eyesight from

damage.5. Good ventilation is a must.6. A well-lighted studio is imperative.7. Before you incorporate any mechanism to assist you in your working, familiarize

yourself with the proper use(s) and care and safety precautions relative to the device. Ifnone come with the machinery, find someone who knows the PROPER operation andASK and learn from them! NEVER be afraid to ask questions!!! It's your life.

8. Make sure your work space is adequate to your needs. Adapt furniture, tables, drawers,tool access, sawing level, fire area, etc., to YOUR comfort. (Some people need awarehouse, some people just a closet.)

9. I do not condone the use of gloves. Too many chances to get 'all thumbs' syndrome andthat's DANGEROUS!

10. Keep a good attitude! If it doesn't want to work, let it rest. If you truly care about whatyou make, let it come of its own volition. Don't force it. You create an unsafeenvironment for yourself and others.

11. PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE. SAFETY IS A HABIT. I could outlineeverything in detail, but you know yourself better than anyone. If you find theseprinciples 'childish' or elementary, maybe you should consider a different craft or adifferent teacher. I have more than enough scars to show you how to learn throughexperience.

Tool List

1. Bench pin & clamp2. Jeweler's saw frame and blades (2 dozen each 2-0, 4-0, 8-0)3. Hobby-sizes reciprocal drill with 2-#68, 4-#76 bits

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4. Bench block (anvil)5. Small ball-peen hammer6. Needle file set7. Hand-held propane cannister and pencil-tip torch8. Fire brick (or 2 thin 'half-bricks') or heating pad9. 1 pair of long tong copper tweezers

10. Three grades of solder: easy braze, medium and hard, one-foot half-inch wide strip ofeach

11. Soldering pick or dental tool (even a wire coat hanger!)12. Sodium bisulfate (pickling compound)13. Borax (20-mule team pure borax)

You will also want: 1 heatable container with cover for pickle (wide and deep); 1 watercontainer (wide and deep); 1 small saucer for borax and a cheap watercolor brush, too; onepair of safety glasses, and 1 apron.

WEAR your 'HOLY' clothes!

PLIERS: (Not included on original list because of the cost). When you do buy jeweler's, besure to get a box joint, not a side lap. I find 'rosary pliers' the most practical for the money.They run about $28 a pair.

Basic Tools in photos pageExample of a compact work area

Lighting should be full, but not glaring. Direct sunlight can prove very unpleasant when

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working with a reflective metal!

Sawing

Jeweler's saw frame with blade 'strung'

MAIN IDEA: Relax, let the saw cut. If you force it, youspend more time replacing blades than sawing!HINT: When making a sharp turn while sawing, 'jog' inplace at the point of the angle to make space for theturn.

A. tensioner knob (notpresent on all frames)B. saw blade grippersC. gross lengthadjustmentD. bladeE. points of teeth facehandle (saw cuts ondownstroke only).Also blade size isgenerally determinedby material thicknessor gauge.



Metal Properties

All metals interact with the oxygen in the atmosphere in some way. This process is known asoxidation (A). This surface coating must be removed (B) for a proper bonding (C) of twogiven 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 isconsidered inseparable elements.

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

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

Melting points

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



METALS:.999 Silver melts at 1762o F.Sterling melts at 1640o F.Copper melts at 1989o 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 alwaysfollow this rule.)

6. With COPPER TONGS, put piece in 'PICKLE'. The purpose ofthe sodium bisulfate solution is to remove 'borax glass' or firescale left on metal during the heating process. Leave in thepickle until the surface appears white and free of fire scale.Note: Pickle should be kept warm, but NOT HOT. Sodiumbisulfate is CAUSTIC, just like battery acid. It is an electrolyte.Never put IRON into pickle. This will impart a copper tone tosterling silver. WEAR EYE PROTECTION, an APRON, andNEVER use your hands to put in or remove an item frompickle!!! USE THE TONGS! Wearing your favorite shirts andpants already ridden with holes is a good idea. Do not splashpickle 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 beannealed, 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 andcracks. I love copper! You can anneal it to your heart's content!

Hammer-Work (Forging)

(This is totally compatiblewith the working of Copper.)

Small Pall-peen hammer polished androunded will serve well as a planishingand forming hammer.

An inexpensive planishing hammer can bemade from a garage-sale/hardware storefind.

Typical hammer faces (expensive): A. FormingB. FlatC. PlanishingD. Rim or ColletE. Raising

Metal Working Stakes (expensive)-- Pistol Grip-- Bowl or Cup-- Candle or Horn (also known as 'spoutstake'-- Mushroom-- Creasing stake (Very expensive), butcreaser 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 canbe demonstrated briefly here.

To spread metal evenly and flat, hammer in a spiral counterclockwisefrom the center to the edge, then reverse and go clockwise from edgeto 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 ONESIDE, the side that will be the inside of the bowl. (It should be notedthat 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 abowl mandrel and planish as above on a metal mushroom stake,depending on the desired finish.

Bouging starts at the rim and works in tothe middle.

Stake planishing goes in reverse, from themiddle outwards.

Use wrist action. Let it flow!



Joining Ideas

A. TabB. TwistingC. Rivets

D. FoldingE. Fusing with HeatF. Soldering

G. Tube rivetH. Joined with loopsI. Fused end of wire

USE YOUR IMAGINATION!

A Simple Portable Jeweler's Bench



Transferring a Design

Reciprocal Hobby Drill Operation:

Grip drive, push drive down.RELEASE. Do NOT pull



back up, as that will damagethe bit. We are talking smallhere, since the average drillbit is .020 inch diameter.

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

Conserving Metal Keep multiple designs closeto the edge. Interior cut outsare started with a drilledhole, saw unstrung. Threadsaw blade through hole(design side up!) andrefasten blade. Place onsawing surface (bench pin)and saw to your heart'scontent.

Ring Mandrels

Hint:

When engraving the insideof a ring, do the engravingfirst (while the ring shank isflat), then form the ring.



Time Savers

- Buy solder in sheet form and cut your own.

- Keep saw blades in air tight DRY containers (with size clearlymarked). 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 alot of jewelry or metal work, it is invaluable for forming and recyclingmelted scrap into usable sheet and wire.

IMPROVISE!



REMEMBER: if you buy for function instead of name, you're aheadof 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 theBIBLE by many. About $100

2. The Complete Metalsmith: an illustrated handbook by Tim McCreight. Davis ISBN 0-87192-135-9REAL 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 AugustusRose, Reprinted by Lindsey Publications Inc. 1989 ISBN 1-55918-014-5 (pbk.) Antiquated in itsmaterial, but totally suitable for todays artist!

2. ART OF COPPERSMITHING, "A practical treatise on working sheet copper into all forms". By JohnFuller, Sr. 1993 Reprint by the Astragal Press* Mendham NJ, USA ISBN 1-879335-37-9. Another bookalso antiquated, but fully useful for anyone wishing to understand the process of working copper onstakes... Did you ever want to make a steamships vent stack? This will show you the process, as well ascups, pans, dippers, pipe and a wonderous assortment of practical items (just need some imaginationand 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 forAstragal Press titles under Finney's Publishing name. I might consider going down to theirestablishment 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 DoverPublications ISBN 0-486-23786-9 (pbk.) Many of the forge work detail can be translated to Silver orCopper! This is a wonderful book to have in your library... I have repaired pewter items many times forpeople as well as silver and copper or gold.

Blacksmithing Resources

1.The Countryside Agency Archive

This is the set of books that taught me how to smith before I had a friend and teacher. The first book"The Blacksmiths Craft" is a MUST HAVE for any smith, professional or beginner, BAR NONE! It isthe number one in my library. This is the online archive that now allows you to download (in .pdfformat) the entire set of books... lucky you! I paid over $25.00 per volume for my set.

2. Edge of the Anvil: A resource book for the blacksmith by Jack Andrews. I do not have the newestversion, but it is available on Amazon Books

http://www.countryside.gov.uk/LAR/archive/publications/craftpublications.asp

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3. The Blacksmith: Ironworker and Farrier by Aldren A. Watson. Norton Publishing ISBN 0-393-32057-x pbk. about $18.00 This book is good for those who like to really 'do it yourself'. No mamby-pambyhere, from hearth to making a bellows!

4. The Complete modern Blacksmith by Alexander G. Weygers. Ten Speed Press ISBN (not given) Somegood ideas, however, be careful, he is somewhat fanciful with his illustrations and not factual. (that isalso why I won't list Alex Bealers book the Art of Blacksmithing... mr. Bealer I didn't find helpful at all...sorry.)

5. Professional Smithing by Donald Streeter. Astragal Press* ISBN 1-879335-66-2 This book is for thosethat get past the basics of smithing and need to understand duplication methods and jigs for speeding upduplication. Wonderful book, and has some really detailed imagery of box-joint works and some veryfine projects in colonial styles.

6. How to Forge Weld on a Blacksmith's Anvil (For those who have diligently tried and failed) by RobertM. Heath Published by Valleyview Forge - Canton, Mississippi 1995 The only thing I can say about thisbook is if you don't have it,.. well you should. If there is a saint of iron burners... it is mr. Heath. Hisaddress is listed as:Robert M. Heath - 5139 Sunnyvale Dr. - Jackson, Mississippi 39211 Phone: 601-956-0361 IF mr. Heathis still about please get this book. It will save you hours of tears and screaming and running amok inblind screaming panic! I promise you there will be less iron in the scrap pile and more iron going outyour door in finished product.

The next two books are for sheer enjoyment and inspiration: and are available through Schiffers onlinecatalogue

Decorative and Sculptural Ironwork 2nd Ed. by Dona Z. Meilach. Schiffer Publishing Limited ISBN 0-7643-0790-8 (pbk)

The Contemporary Blacksmith by Dona Z. Meilach. Schiffer Publishing Limited ISBN 0-7643-1106-9(hbk)

Both of these books are something I can just sit and browse through. The first book (Decorative andScuptural Ironwork) I found in the local library years ago in its first incarnation... It disappeared fromthe library and I could never find it again! Then through a close friend who is also a smith I found out itwas being re-published anew, and My wife Nan, got it for me as a present. Now it is starting to separatefrom the binding due to use!!! But I will rebind it if I have to, it is that dear to me! To see such beautifulwork makes me want to do beautiful and lasting work. I think you will find both these books just as aweinspiring.

And don't forget to look up any of these books (with the possible exception of mr. Heaths wonderfulbook UNFORTUNATELY!) on Amazon.com!

Resources

Rio Grande4516 Anaheim Ave. NEAlbuquerque, NM 871091-800-545-6566

National & InternationalGreat catalog -- Tools, findings, supplies $$$$$$$

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FAX 1-5-5-821-5529www.riogrande.com

Silver Tool Box1320 NE 2nd StMinneapolis, MN 55413(NOTE PHONE NUMBERCHANGE)Phone: 1-612-331-2590

good folks!Retail & wholesaleStore Hours: 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday,closed holidays

Centaur Forge117 North Spring StreetBurlington, WI 531051-262-763-91751-800-666-9175 (orders only)www.centaurforge.com

Blacksmith & Horseshoer supplies

If you want to see how I develop ideas for jewelry, continue on.

Please distribute freely as long as credit is given

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119139304 basic silver smithing

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