Headpin off-cuts

[pearlescence]

I am contemplating a huge pile of headpin off-cuts, mostly about 1.5-2.5cm long.
Any suggestions of something more useful than back to the refiners for melt?

 

[claudenancy]

I do not have experience in this, but I understand that creative jewelers can use this for forging. For example see:
http://reviews.ebay.com/GOLD-REFINING-YOUR-OWN-SCRAP-IN-HOME-STUDIOS_W0QQugidZ10000000003656580

This might be for personal or display since it would be difficult to certify the karat.

 

[pearlescence]

Thanks - but no access to draw plates etc at the moment.
I was thinking more of what to do with them as they are
Silver does not have a carat, and it is all 925, if needed I could send it off for hallmarking anyway

 

[la_corsetiere]

Hmmmm...if you do jewelry fabrication, you could form a nice spider web with those little pieces...either stand-alone, or sweat-soldered onto a contrasting background like copper...

 

[purlgurl]

On another direction, it sounds like you consistently need shorter headpins. I have made my own, at home, before I had my studio, on my gas stove. On one jet, I had a small ramekin of household white vinegar, gently warming, for pickle. On another jet, I used heatproof tweezers to lower the wire into the flame. After it balls up, it is dropped into the pickle. You can cut the right length wires, from a roll of wire, or wire sold by the meter, so less wastage.
You could also make hammered end, or 'roller squashed end' headpins, the 2.5cm ones would be long enough for a small pearl, and a loop, rather than wire wrapping.

 

[GemGeek]

Hmmmm...if you do jewelry fabrication, you could form a nice spider web with those little pieces...either stand-alone, or sweat-soldered onto a contrasting background like copper...

Spider web? No surprise there, little goth-girl! What a great idea!

 

[ShashiRatna]

Hello PurlGurl,

Why is the wire dropped into the warm vinegar? What's "pickle"?

Cheers,
SR

 

[pearlescence]

Any silver (or most other metals) have to be pickled after heating/soldering/annealing to remove oxides etc which come to the surface and discolour. A mild acid is usually used, but I wouldn't use vinegar for two reasons - one it stinks and two there are many better pickles about.
Pickle won't remove firestain though

 

[purlgurl]

I just used vinegar because I had it on hand. It wasnt that smelly...hahaha

 

[lisa c]

What gauge wire do you recommend, and what type of wire did you use? hard, half-hard, soft, dead-soft? Does the stove flame work as well on gold-filled as on sterling silver?
Thanks,

 

[pearlescence]

stove flame is a bit uncontrolled. If you are going to do more than a few I recommend you get a decent hand blow lamp - they are available here and should be over there, often sold for making creme brulee or for home plumbing - but make sure you have one with a good flame control
not sure you could do it on gold filled as the inside of base metal would presumably get mixed in with the gold..? I'll try it when I have a moment spare (!) and report back

 

[GemGeek]

not sure you could do it on gold filled as the inside of base metal would presumably get mixed in with the gold..? I'll try it when I have a moment spare (!) and report back

I'm very curious to hear what happens with the GF.

 

[lisa c]

Thanks, Wendy!

Steady flame - chemistry class = bunsen burner! Or...

What about pressing the tip of a wire onto a flat hot surface? What hot appliance surface would get hot enough? A griddle? a hot plate coil? Perhaps only a soldering iron tip would develop enough heat?

It probably would be better if I start researching jewelry-making-tools lists. Why spend the time to re-invent the wheel, right?

Research time!

 

[purlgurl]

Perhaps only a soldering iron tip would develop enough heat? [/QUOTE]

I think using a soldering iron is called 'cold soldering' for a reason. The soldering iron only gets hot enough to melt lead solder. I havent tried, but I dont think it would get hot enough to melt silver.

 

[lisa c]

So, ok... A gas stove-top flame gets hotter than a soldering iron. I thought "cold-soldering" was a chemical rxn joining, I didn't equate it with low heat. So much to learn...Thanks!