Re: I would like to make my own Sterling and Argentium Metals... Is this possible ?

Abrasha schrieb:
Jman wrote:
> I currently possess a large number of pure silver bars (500 oz's) an=
d
> a LOT of pure copper. Can I combine (using a proper scale) the prop=
er
> weights and make my own Jewellry grade silver in a crucible ? I've
> seen many a link where this is being done, but I have never spoken
> with anyone who has "Actually done it".
>
=20
Making your own "good" Sterling Silver, in a setup that is not a=20
professional setup, is extremely difficult if not impossible to achieve=
=2E=20
I have done it, and will never do it again. In over 30 years I have =

never been able to make a decent sterling silver ingot.
=20
The main reason for this, is that right at the melting point of silver,=
=20
it's ability to absorb oxygen rises almost twenty fold. In German this=
=20
is called "Sauerstoffaufnahmefaehigkeit". Oxygen will get trapped=20
inside the alloy, which will manifest itself as so called "Blausilber" =

(Blueish spots under the surface of the ingot), which can only be=20
removed mechanically. Unfortunately with simple hand held crucibles,=20
and without protective gas to keep oxygen out of the melt, is is=20
practically impossible to prevent these spots from forming.
=20
If you have access to "Theory and Practice of Goldsmithing" by Erhard=20
Brepohl, you can read about this phenomenon.=20
(http://tinyurl.com/28vhjq). It's a very good buy. It was translated =

from the German by my friend Charles Lewton-Brain. I had to study it =

in school. Some time ago, I put the graph relating to this on my web=20
site, when this issue came up in the ng.
=20
> Is the process more difficult than it looks ?
=20
Yes. It is almost impossible to achieve good results.
=20
> Is making a strip ***
> of sterling or argentium even possible without foundry type tools ?
=20
You'll be able to make a strip of silver of extremely poor quality.
=20
>
> Are there other metals that one can produce in a shop environment ?
=20
High karat gold ingots, 18K and up, are a great deal easier to produce.=
=20
Although top quality is again practically impossible in a simple shop=
=20
environment. Here the problem is usually air bubbles inside the ingot,=
=20
in "inconvenient" places. Read, usually smack in the middle of the=20
ingot, and therefore in the middle of a piece of ***, once it is=20
rolled out. Very annoying. I made all my own gold alloys for well ove=
r=20
20 years. I no longer do this. I like working with perfect ***.
=20
You are right, however beginners try to start always with the highest=20
complication level. They must have their own experiences.
;-)


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Heinrich Butschal
--=20
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