** Orchid Digest - Issue #202 **

[Ganoksin Online]

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* * O r c h i d D i g e s t * *

Jewelry Manufacturing Methods and Techniques

November 6, 1997 Issue #202
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.....IN THIS DIGEST.....

// -- N-E-W G-A-L-L-E-R-I-E-S --//

~ Sandra ElegantBee
~ Larry Crum
~ Richard Whitehouse

// -- N-E-W -- //

"Quenching castings"
~ RBuck83133 <RBuck...@aol.com>
~ Jess...@aol.com
~ Brian Adam <br...@adam.co.nz>
~ MidLife Crisis Enterprises <ml...@pacific.net>

"Coloring of 22K gold"
~ Metal...@aol.com

"Anticlastic raising"
~ "M. Erdman" <mer...@snet.net>
~ so...@juno.com (Sol Krichevsky)
~ John Burgess <jo...@ts.co.nz>
~ Ambe...@aol.com
~ Fishb...@aol.com
~ Holl...@aol.com
~ "Marrin T. Fleet" <mfl...@netten.net>

"Natural Gas torches?"
~ Dave Sebaste <dav...@mindspring.com>
~ Frank Goss <fra...@earthlink.net>
~ Elai...@aol.com
~ Jess...@aol.com

// -- C-O-N-T-I-N-U-I-N-G -- //

"New diamond simulant"
~ Francoise Jones <Fran...@bc.sympatico.ca>
~ Martin Haske <ada...@gis.net>
~ Francoise Jones <Fran...@bc.sympatico.ca>

// -- H-E-L-P --//

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Orchid D - I - G - E - S - T
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// -- N-E-W G-A-L-L-E-R-I-E-S --//

Artist: Sandra ElegantBee
Email: Elega...@aol.com
Orchid Gallery: http://www.ganoksin.com/orchid/sandrab.htm

I'm happy to annouce that I've just added some new 'bugs" to my
Elegant Insects Showcase in the Orchid Gallery !

Artist: Larry Crum
Email: lz...@bitcorp.net
Orchid Gallery: http://www.ganoksin.com/orchid/crum.htm

My name is Larry "lzrrd" Crum. My nephew asked for the following
bracelet for christmas last year- I finally got around to
finishing it last week. It is 8 oz. of sterling silver with a 40cm
long piece of labradorite for a stone. It weighs me down to put it
on but looks good on him! I have been making jewelry for about
five years, mostly opal and gold.

Artist: Richard Whitehouse
Email: ri...@rw.clara.net
Orchid Gallery: http://www.ganoksin.com/orchid/whitehouse.htm

I live in East Anglia, in part of that area that is called
"Constable Country", made famous by The famous artist, John
Constable. He immortalised much of the scenery in this area.
There has been a very strong movement to keep the area free of
modern development. Creating and area of outstanding natural
beauty whic attracts a large number of tourists each year. I am a
manufacturer of silverware and jewellery. I have my own workshop
which I built entirely from scratch (including the brickwork). At
present I am manufacturing highly detailed silver miniatures which
I sell to high end retailers in the UK and abroad eventually.

I am expanding my product base to include silverware, a range of
jewellery and the restoration of antique silver. The market for
silverware in the UK is fairly buoyant again after a long slump in
interest in precious metals. The country's economy is sound at
present with national output rising. There is money available for
people to spend on luxury goods into which silver fits very well.
The price of raw silver is also fairly low, this helps to keep
overheads for manufacturers down.

I am particularly interested in lost wax casting for a
manufacturing process. Many of the items I manufacture are made
using lost wax casting. This is a method of casting which has
remained unchanged for many years, and depends to a large extent
on highly skilled operatives. I manufacture quite complex patterns
which put considerable demands on the casters ability. The results
are usually excellent and of good quality.

// -- N-E-W -- //

Quenching castings
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
From: RBuck83133 <RBuck...@aol.com>

How long sgould one allow a freshly cast object to cool before
quenching and removal from the flask?
We have been instructed to allow the casting to get out of the
"cherry red" stage and then put into a bucket of water. It is
still very hot! I noticed in my last casting a hair line crack up
the shank and across the head. Could this be a shock fracture? I
am casting both gold and silver.
Thanks, Bob

From: Jess...@aol.com

My local wholesale caster tells me to let the silver castings cool
in the flask and knock the flask apart with a rubber mallet as a
way of avoiding "hot tear".

From: Brian Adam <br...@adam.co.nz>

Probably good advice, the cool quench part. Quenching too hot is
a common fault. We don't do it with fabricated stg pieces. I wait
about 15min before quenching a flask. Trouble it, the
investment's not shocked off of the castings, and it takes a bit
of work with a bamboo skewer to clean it up. Others will say use
an ultrasonic? Brian

From: MidLife Crisis Enterprises <ml...@pacific.net>

Or better yet (if you have one or can afford one) a bead
blaster!!! It really makes VERY SHORT WORK of cleaning
investment casted pieces. Keep the air pressure as low as
possible and blast only til cleaned. silver comes out firescale
less and gold is just good and clean. Try it you will LOVE it.
No detail loss if common sense is used as to pressure and dwell
time.

Coloring of 22K gold
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
From: Metal...@aol.com

Has anyone sucessfully colored 22k gold without the use of Liver
of Sulphur? Perhaps by flame coloring or the use of some other
chemical? A friend had seen a piece of jewelry(22k) that had a
patina on it that was very interesting and she would like to
attempt to color some of her own work in a similar manner. The
only sure thing is that it wasnt done with Liver of Sulphur.
Michael

Anticlastic raising
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
From: "M. Erdman" <mer...@snet.net>

I've been lurking, reading and trying to learn from you all - and
there is quite a lot to learn I see. I'm totally overwhelmed ...
but still very stimulated by what I read. ANYWAY TO GET TO THE
QUESTION - just what is "anticlastic raising" and how is it used?

Thanks in advance, Mary Erdman mer...@snet.net

From: so...@juno.com (Sol Krichevsky)

Susan/Betsy In a recent issue of Metalsmit ALLCRAFT in New York
advertised a set of stakes designed by Heikki Seppi who is so much
responsible for the current interest in anticlastic raising. If
you dont have the magazine or cant locate Allcraft let me know via
E-mail. Sol K.

From: John Burgess <jo...@ts.co.nz>

G'day. The term 'raising' means to hammer, stamp or otherwise
make a two dimensional change in a flat sheet. Anticlastic raising
is a method of taking a flat sheet of metal and changing it's
shape in three dimensions. Like for instance a simple saddle
shape. Or to take it further, to make a hollow vessel like a
goblet from a flat sheet, usually by beating the metal over
especially shaped anvils called stakes with specially shaped
hammers. A simple example of anticlastic raising is the common
earings curved in one dimension from a flat strip like a rounded
channel, then further hammering to curve the rounded channel at
right angles to make it into a loop. Anticlastic raising is by
no means easy to do. Cheers,

From: Ambe...@aol.com

Mary, Anticlastic raising is a way of forming metal sheets into
shapes using may different hammer strikes, Have you ever seen the
beautifull work of Mike Good? This is done using this technique.
I am sure that there are people out there that can explain it
better. These are my laymens terms. Amber

From: Fishb...@aol.com

When one pounds on metal, whether it be pound out, or pound in.
(anticlastic- think is the 'pound out' method (aka, you are
pounding into another form - starting with FLAT metal, you put a
form (indented) under the flat metal, and then you pound away!
Pound in (not sure of the techinical word . . .would mean the
opposite of what I've stated . . . instead of the indented mold,
it would be one that had height - hope that makes sense!!)

From: Holl...@aol.com

I took a class at Revere Academy several years ago taught by
Jack DeSilva, a very talented metal smith that now teaches for
himself somewhere in the bay area. I also think that Revere
still has an anti-clastic class and I know that Jack is teaching
anti-clastic raising. at the time I took the course, Michael
Good had just quit teaching at revere and was selling anti
clastic stakes that he was making. I ordered a set and have
found many uses for them over the years. I don't know if he is
still selling them or not, but with the right pattern they look
pretty easy to make. I think the pattern for some of them, is
in the book by Seppa previosly mentioned in this string. Ray

From: "Marrin T. Fleet" <mfl...@netten.net>

> I'm now using it to make a bracelet out of a strip of 16
> gauge brass. I hope to try silver as soon as I get the
> technique down. What kind of material do you use for a stake?
> I'm using a block of hardwood that my teacher shaped into a
> curve on the top. It works pretty good, but I heard that nylon
> blocks work well also (and last longer).

Seppa is recommending a high-tech nylon, filled with carbon
fiber, I think. He doesn't seem interested in retaining stakes,
but reuses them frequently after regrinding. I think he may be
missing the need for us newbies to repeat forms until we get it
right!

> Eventually I'd like to make smaller pieces, like earrings,
> pins, pendants.

Look for the jewelry of Michael Goode, a student of Seppa's, in
up-scale jewelry stores. It looks as if it is stake hammered,
despite the size!

> Do I just make a stake with a few smaller curves carved
> into it? Is this technique the same as hollow forming?
> Questions!Questions!Questions!

If you haven't seen "Form Emphasis for Metalsmiths" by Heikki
Seppa, 1978, Kent State University Press, Kent, Ohio, ISBN
0-87338-212-9, you might find it a good read, if a trifle hard
to understand in places. The explanation of terms (That were
likely invented by Seppa) is good, after a bit of reflection.
Difficult, but worth it, is a good summation!

Marrin Fleet mfl...@netten.net

Natural Gas torches?
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
From: Dave Sebaste <dav...@mindspring.com>

Hi again!

I may use my monthly allocation of questions all in one day! :)

I just had natural gas run out to my studio with the intention of
using it for a space heater and a torch. My current oxy/acet.
Little Torch is great, but sometimes it seems the heat is a little
too intense.
Anyway, it's a regulated 2 lb. line. Can anyone tell me what I
need? Can I just connect my fuel line from the torch directly to
the nat. gas line? I don't imagine I would need an additional
regulator? Will the Little Torch with tips 1-5 work, or should I
get a different torch?
Any ideas, suggestions or experiences are appreciated! Dave

From: Frank Goss <fra...@earthlink.net>

Dave, my experience is that the torches designed for use with
natural gas do not need a regulator but because of fluctuating
line pressure i would recommend one. i have worked with these
torches in the past and found flame fluctuation due to line
pressure changes to be the biggest drawback. as for the little
torch i don't know if 2 lb of line pressure is enough for all
tip sizes. let us know how it works. Frank

From: Elai...@aol.com

You cannot use the same tips for natural gas that you have been
using for acetylene. Also you cannot use the acet. regulator
for natural gas. A 2lb. gas line however will not require a
regulator - you couldn't find one anyway. You may want to get
however a flashback arrestor and check valve to put in the line.
Also if you have that gas line hooked up to your water heater,
and whatever, are you sure you're getting a full 2 lb. at the
torch? If not, there may not be enough pressure to open the
flashback arrestor/check valve assembly. Little Torch (Smith)
makes a low pressure natural gas torch specifically for
applications like these.

Hope this helps - if you need more info, feel free to email or
call.

Elaine Corwin
VP Tech Services
GESSWEIN CO USA
Bridgeport CT 06605
ph: 800-544-2043 or 203-366-5400
fax: 203-335-0300

From: Jess...@aol.com

Dave: I'm looking at my Little Torch instruction book, which has
a table in the back and some words about nat. gas. The table
says you can use tips 3-7 with nat. gas and the text cautions
that tip #3 may be hard to light. PSI for both oxygen and nat
gas are 3psi with #3, 4psi with #4, 6psi with #5 and #6, 8 psi
with #7. There are part numbers listed of various regulators,
and there is one for LP gas with an asterisk that says LP=
propane, propylene, MAPP, H.P. or Flamex, but no specific mention
of a regulator for nat. gas. I would think you would need a
regulator to get the pressures right and that this H1954C-510 is
what you need. there is also a nte that you have to have at
least 1 psi of nat gas to use the torch at all. The inlet
connection for this regulator is CGA 510. Hope this info helps
and I hope if you do this you will let me know how it goes --- I
hadn't thought about it, but I am moving soon and will probably
have nat gas at the new place myself. HTH. Roy

// -- C-O-N-T-I-N-U-I-N-G -- //

New diamond simulant
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
From: Francoise Jones <Fran...@bc.sympatico.ca>

Hi Leo, It is Professor Henri Moissan that first discovered
moissanite in 1904. Moissanite is extremely rare in nature,
specimens that have been found are too small and too rare, they
do not form naturally in nature so they cannot be mine like other
minerals. Instead they are found in meteorites, a litle gift from
above! In 1907 the first application of silicon carbide was
produced as an abrasive and cutting material.Today SiC has been
called the "material for the future" due to its many
applications. For people in the jewellery trade SiC or synthetic
moissanite is a very exceptional good imitator of diamond.
Because of its properties such as high thermal conductivity,
hardness (9.5) and refractice index (2.65) this material is the
closest to diamond than any other gem materials. Most jewelers
who had the opportunities to look at the material mistakenly
identified synthetic moissanite as diamond!!!

A press release dated July 31st, 97 from Cree Research,Inc.
state as follow : "A product release by C3 is scheduled for the
first calender quarter of 1998."

Also C3 is taking a very strong position about the full
disclosure of the qualities of synthetic moissanite.

Apparently synthetic moissanite will cost more than CZ but much
less than the genuine diamond : $50. TO $7O. per carat ??? The
annual market for CZ at present is over $200.millions !!!

I doubt very much than your piece of rough was synthetic
moissanite, first it is not on the market yet. I also doubt very
much it is natural moissanite, you did cut a 5mm stone out of it,
way too big (if it is you have a museum piece!).Your rough was
easy to cut, synthetic moissanite has a hardness of 9.5 which is
between corundum 9 and diamond 10. Now diamond is 140 times harder
than corundum. What did you cut it with and polished it with ?
Your dealer oriented and marked the rough where to cut the table,
most likely because the stone is doubly refractive and was trying
to minimize the double refraction. Your cut stone lack brilliance,
synthetic moissanite is visually similar to diamond.

Out of curiosity find someone (gemmologist) in your area to find
out what you have been sold (they might be some of that same stuff
in the next parcel you buy, but next time you might not be
told!!!) and run those tests:

- polariscope, find if your stone is singly or doubly refractive, -
set it on the refractometer, get an RI, - immerse it in a set of SG
liquids, find its SG, - look at it through a microscope, find the
inclusions,

if you can't get an RI and SG , find what it does under SW/LW/UV
lights see if you can get an AS on the spectroscope.

Have fun with your mysterious stone. Give me the results, may be
we can solve the mystery.

Sincerely. Francoise.

From: Martin Haske <ada...@gis.net>

Colorless Moissanite, at least the sample I tested in Tuscon,
appears like a high pass filter, at 430-450nm, if I remember
correctly, unfortunately, I did not keep the data file, as it was
done on a rental PC at the AGTA show.. As soon as I can get
another sample to run I will publish the spectrophotometry on my
web page.

From: Francoise Jones <Fran...@bc.sympatico.ca>

Hi Martin, I believe your Spectrophotometer Analysis System again
will be very helpful in differentiating between synthetic
moissanite and genuine diamond. I have made a couple of contacts
to find out positively if synthetic moissanite has or not a
distinctive spectrum such as diamonds. I will let you know if I
get any answer. Your Spectrophotometer Analysis System is
definitely a sure way of differentiating between diamond
simulants, synthetic diamonds and genuine diamonds. The grafts
are as easy to read as 1 2 3 ...
Best Regards. Francoise.

----------- End of Orchid Digest --------------

// -- H-E-L-P -- //
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