For some people, making sterling silver jewelry is just a hobby, but for others it's a real job. Silver paste is another perfect material to start with, if you can get it, but you can also cut, fix or shape solid silver with a goldsmith's hacksaw, a welding kit or anvil and hammer.
Steps
Method 1 of 4: Sculpt the Silver Paste
Step 1. Choose a heat source
After sculpting the dough, you will need to burn it at a high temperature to remove the binding material and leave only the silver. Some products can simply be burned over a gas stove, but others require a propane torch or even a furnace. Check what temperature your tools can reach before choosing the silver paste processing.
- If you use the stove, you will need a steel mesh.
- Get a refractory brick if you're using a propane torch.
- The furnace is recommended for large and thick items.
- To assess the temperature that the gas stove is capable of reaching, heat a small thin aluminum pan to the maximum and then point it with an infrared thermometer when its surface is completely hot.
Step 2. Buy some sterling silver paste
You may need to order it online, as many fine art stores don't stock it. Pure silver is much more common, but the resulting jewels are less robust.
The pasta is available in blocks to model, or in semi-solid form inside a syringe for detailed decorations and even in "sheets" for origami-like works
Step 3. Shape the dough as you like
You can sculpt it with your hands or with tools as if it were clay, you can add details with a knife, a wire or cut it with stencils.
- The silver paste shrinks during burning, so it shapes the jewel slightly larger than expected. Check the instructions on the packaging of your specific product, as the volume reduction can vary between 8 and 30%.
- You can create surface decorations by pushing molds or other metal objects into the dough.
Step 4. Let the material dry and sand it
Wait for the pasta to dry in the air overnight, or speed up the process with a hairdryer. Finally, smooth the surface with fine-grained sandpaper.
Step 5. Burn the pasta with a propane torch
If you have chosen this tool, place the object on a brick of refractory material, in turn placed on a heat-resistant surface. Keep the flame about 2 cm from the object and heat it until it catches fire, burns, becomes incandescent and maintains a constant color. Continue applying heat for at least 5 minutes or according to the specific instructions of the paste brand.
From time to time, look up to relieve your eyes
Step 6. Burn the pasta on the stove
In this case, follow these guidelines:
- Place a piece of stainless steel mesh on a burner. Turn the latter on to maximum.
- Look at the net to see where it is warmest. This area should be glowing. Turn off the stove and wait for the mesh to return to its normal color.
- Place the silver paste in the hottest point of the retina and turn the burner back on, this time with the flame at minimum. Use flat nose pliers, not serrated, to move the object.
- Once the pasta has completely burned, raise the flame until the silver becomes incandescent red. Lower it again if you notice the metal turning orange.
- Continue to heat the object for ten minutes, then turn off the heat.
Step 7. Burn the dough in a furnace
If you have a furnace, then you can follow the precise directions for the type of pasta you bought. Metal strengthens most when subjected to relatively high temperatures for a long time, but faster techniques may be described on the package. A jeweler's furnace will burn the dough faster, but a pottery tool is fine too.
The optimal temperature for "cooking" the silver paste is 900 ° C, kept for two hours, although you can get jewels that are sufficiently resistant even at 650 ° C
Step 8. Harden the silver (optional)
Usually it would be recommended to let this metal cool spontaneously. However, if you're in a hurry, you can quench it in cold water to bring down the temperature quickly, even if it won't be safe to touch for several minutes. This process could create problems to the structure of the jewel, in case you have to heat it again to make subsequent changes. If, however, you carefully dry the silver, you could avoid these difficulties.
Never temper jewelry where you have set glass, precious stones or other decorations
Step 9. Polish the surface (optional)
After burning, the silver is white and slightly opaque. If you want it to go back to the shiny color we are all used to, scrub the surface with a steel or brass brush; alternatively use a polisher with red jeweler's abrasive paste.
Method 2 of 4: Use a Goldsmith's Saw and Polisher
Step 1. Get some silver
For small jewelry such as earrings, you need a metal strip that is at least 6cm wide and no more than 9cm long. You can change these dimensions according to the project you want to create, but it will be a little more difficult to model the silver. The most used are the 0, 8 mm and 0, 6 mm thick sheets.
Sterling silver could be marked with the "ster" or "925" symbols
Step 2. Gather everything you need
The silver is soft enough to be cut with a jeweler's hacksaw, but you will then have to sand and polish it to remove the jagged edges. You can buy these specific tools in a hardware store or online. Here's what you'll need:
- A goldsmith's hacksaw with “2/0” blade.
- A small polisher with flannel pads (or a bench grinder with interchangeable discs).
- Blue or red goldsmith polishing paste (scratches on silver can be removed with Tripoli or white-red abrasive paste).
- If you are modeling earrings: sterling silver hooks, a drill and a number 64 bit.
- To decorate the surface: hammer or metal mold.
Step 3. Assemble the goldsmith's hacksaw and polisher
Insert the blade into the upper end of the hacksaw and lock it with the nut. Then insert it in the extreme lower point of the bow and also block this side with the wing nut by pulling the structure to put it under tension. The polisher should already be assembled, or you will need to consult the instruction manual to understand how to mount the polishing discs. Put the polisher on the workbench.
To check the hacksaw, hit the blade with a fingernail and hear a sound similar to a "ping". If you don't feel it, then stretch it more
Step 4. Choose the template you want to use
You can draw a sketch of the jewel yourself, or find inspiration online and in magazines. To make a pair of earrings, you will need to make two identical pieces.
Step 5. Cut out the silver according to the shape you have chosen
Secure the design on top of the metal plate with masking tape and then go over the edges with the hacksaw.
- Keep the blade slightly tilted forward.
- Move the hacksaw up and down as you go.
Step 6. Printing the silver paste (optional)
The easiest way to add details is to purchase metal stencils. To impress the design on the silver foil, place the mold on it and hit it firmly with the hammer. Make sure the mold is flat and firm as you hit it several times.
Step 7. Polish the jewelry with the polisher
Follow the instructions for your specific machine. A goldsmith usually turns on the machine and applies red abrasive paste all over the rotating pad. Then gently bring the metal into contact with the pad to smooth rough edges and polish the surface.
Step 8. Wash your creation with soap and water
In this way you eliminate the residues of abrasive paste. Dry it with a soft, clean cloth, preferably a chamois or wool.
Step 9. Add his ring to the earring
Drill a small hole in the upper part of each jewel and insert the end of the ring; finally twist the ring on itself or turn it around the edge of the earring to lock it. Of course, you can skip this step if your jewelry doesn't need to hang.
Method 3 of 4: Solder the Silver
Step 1. Get everything you need
If you need to join several pieces of silver in your home, soldering is usually the best technique. However, you need a minimum of preparation and the following materials:
- A "medium" or "hard" filler material made with a silver alloy (not the standard one for welding). Avoid products that contain cadmium, unless you have a respirator.
- A small oxyacetylene or butane torch, preferably with a flat "chisel" tip.
- Any flux for soldering or brazing suitable for silver.
- Copper pliers and tweezers (of any metal) to handle the silver.
- A "pickling" solution for soldering, heated in advance according to the instructions on the package.
Step 2. Have a safe work area
You need to choose a well-ventilated room with a heat-resistant countertop and some refractory bricks. The mask is indispensable for working the details and to protect you from splashes when you get very close to the metal. Gloves, a tight denim or leather apron and natural fiber clothing complete your personal safety measures.
You will also need to keep a container of water nearby to rinse the jewelry, although the presence of a fire extinguisher is never too much when working in a room with flammable material
Step 3. Clean the silver and apply the flux
If the metal is greasy or has been touched by many bare hands, scrub it with a degreasing solution. Immerse it in the pickling solution, if the silver is black due to oxidation. When it's clean, you can smear it with flux where you need to solder.
Powdered flux must be mixed to make a paste or liquid. Check the instructions on the package
Step 4. Solder the silver
If you've never soldered before, just follow the instructions in this step-by-step guide. Alternatively, you can follow the next steps.
- Carefully place the objects on the refractory brick; then place a small piece of filler material (or a small lump of solder paste) with tweezers.
- Heat the area with the flame 10 cm away, focusing on the thickest point of the silver. Do not heat the filler material directly. Grab the bits of silver with tongs to keep them from melting.
Step 5. Rinse the metal, dip it in the pickling solution and wash it again
Once the filler material has melted along the gap that separates the two items to be welded, turn off the heat and wait a minute or two for it to solidify. With the copper tongs, dip the silver first in the water and then in the pickling solution to remove the oxidation generated by the welding process. Perform a final rinse in water and pat dry.
- Make sure that the pickling solution does not come into contact with your skin and clothing - it is corrosive.
- Pliers not made of copper can react with the pickling solution and be corroded.
- If you prefer an "aged" looking silver, you can skip the pickling.
Step 6. Add gems or glass (optional)
These embellishments can be joined to silver with two-component epoxy glue. Weld a bezel onto your creation, sand the walls with coarse sandpaper (if necessary), and then glue the stone. Finally wait for the glue to dry as indicated on the package.
Method 4 of 4: Forging Silver Jewels
Step 1. Opt for flat pliers
Serrated ones can leave marks on silver, so jewels created with precious metals should only be handled with flat pliers. There are different sizes and shapes, if you want to create many pieces, and you can choose between pliers with rounded jaws and wire cutters.
Step 2. Turn the silver wire into jewelry using the hammer
Silver is quite malleable and the thick wire of this metal is used to model necklaces or bracelets. Simply place the wire on a small anvil or other flat and resistant metal surface, then hit it repeatedly and gently with a mallet or hammer until you get the shape you want.
If you want to attach a pendant, wrap the wire around the object or weld it using a sterling silver anchor point
Step 3. To get different effects, use different hammers
You can use different hammers to have more control over the process; usually the craftsmen use a flat-headed instrument and a ball-point pen, or a couple of specimens for each model, but in various sizes. Once the shape has been modeled, you can use a bush hammer to give the jewel a surface finish, or a body hammer to smooth out any dents, creases or bends.
To be sure enough that the blow gives the metal the shape you want, let the tool fall directly on top of the silver, at a 90 ° angle to the surface
Step 4. Try hot forging
It is not a very common technique for working silver, since it is a manageable metal even when cold. However, if you have some experience and want to experiment with intricate or tight curves, then you have to try hot forging. You need a gas forge (alternatively an electric oven with excellent temperature control) that can heat the metal until it glows (red as a cherry) and keep the temperature constant, while you model it with tongs and the hammer.
The correct temperature for this process is around 600 ° C, but it can vary based on the specific sterling silver alloy you are using
Advice
- Use pure silver only if you are trying to create fine and complex shapes, such as waves. Sterling silver is usually preferred for its greater resistance.
- Polish the precious metal with a clean cloth every time oxidation appears. When the silver is very black, a polishing machine may be required to bring its luster back to the surface.
