Hi all,
I’ve purchased 4 ounces of foreign coins (not valuable ones) and
want to try making charms like those shown here. Can and should I
anneal the coins?
http://www.ganoksin.com/gnkurl/11t
The entry is a gallery shot, not a lesson, and the artist doesn’t
say whether she annealed hers. I’ve asked, but haven’t received a
reply, and haven’t been able to find specific googling.
They are, of course, very hard, so I assume they need annealing. I
don’t want to poison myself, so I’d like to know how to do this
safely and effectively. I’ll be using an acetylene-air torch. (By the
way, many thanks to those who offered guidance on torches and torch
set-up, checking for leaks. I finally bought a Goss (formerly
Presto-lite).
I’ve looked up each coin for metal content. There are some of each
that are:
Stainless steel, Copper-nickel, Copper-Nickel-Zinc, Bronze, Brass, Nickel
Brass, Copper-Nickel over steel, And one aluminum bronze.
I’m thinking the bronze is safe to anneal. I’ve seen on this forum
that brass’s zinc content can make one sick, so should I forget about
those with zinc content, or is it safe if I wear a mask? I can do a
bit more research to find out annealing temps, but any advice you can
provide would be most appreciated.
Thank you,
Georgette