Roy - my only point was that the sharpie indicator is too low. If you have done research, kindly post a peer reviewed document.
Hello Jo…I think we’re talking past each other here, but I don’t know how to be clearer. NO, the Lewton-Brain post to which I refer DOESN’T discuss lowering the lights. It says to watch the torch flame and when it turns orange, you have reached annealing temperature. He says the dull red temp with today’s torches and lights is way too high a temp. He has a Youtube video on this which I just watched and the flame turns orange in bright room light.
Also, I’m not against using boric acid or flux as a temperature indicator, but, according to Cahoon’s research, paste flux as an indicator gives a temp that is far above the 1100 t0 1200 that is usually advised for torch annealing. My guess is that annealing in the craft workshop is a fairly robust process where exact temperature control is not imperative. Yes, I know you can overanneal and end up with cracking metal, but Lewton-Brain talks in his video about annealing multiple times to raise a bowl, so clearly the method he’s using works when used over and over in raising silver. Just sayin’…
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Judy, my only point was that the Cahoon research, according to my analysis, raised more questions than it answered. Do you disagree with my analysis? See it as wrong? She indicated temps via the thermocouple, but did not report whether she tested the annealed samples to see whether they were actually softer, which is the point of annealing, isn’t it? As far as doing research, we all do a form of “research” every time we anneal and whatever method we use works well enough for us to get our work done.
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The quote should have been - only anneal when required. Such as when the metal is work hardened by raising or reducing. Then there is no limit.
Greetings Godsmark & All.
Your story covers softening silver Ok, as well as do all of the other replies. There are a few points that have not been covered. Going down one step from 1.50 mm. to 1.40 mm. this seems to be normal for most draw plates. Looking at what you can change to make this more easily accomplished, is more interesting, for me any way.
One is to make sure that the tail that you are going to pull through the draw plate is filed squarly and correctly. In this (your) case the tail must be one and a half inches long plus. The taper at, the end should not be less than 1.30 mm squared at the end tip and tapered back (1 1/2") to 1.5 mm. squared. The wire needs to be turned 45 degrees after filing and the four corners filed off to make an eight sided taper. By then the wire will by now have probably been work hardened. Do what you need to do!!! If you heat it up don’t forget to coat the metal with a slide lubricant, as it is cooling, which may have been missed out on from previous comments. Why one and a half inches for the tail well if you don’t have a “pair of strong hands” this extra length will help the taper to get your arm muscles stretching and the lubricant wormed up quickly by the draw plate and very importantly build up your momentum to keep on “going” as the metal becomes longer… do not stop… keep going.
If you need to, and as you often do, you will need to get one foot (leg) up onto the workbench next to the vice. , Remember " Dressing inappropriately", is your problem, in an equal opportunity environment. But to having a workshop apron, that can be put on “back to front” when required will bring on lots and lots of good humour anyway.
Saying something like “drawing metal” is enough, to clear the situation or find out who your friends are.
Regards, John in Oz
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Thanks, John,
Certainly, I have not been preparing such a long tail as you recommend … so increasing that with side lubricant should help me pull wire down. I have found work hardening on the reduced wire end has caused it to snap off at times. Most annoying.
One other most useful piece of advice from an earlier reply, which has really helped, was that I found the next hole down, on the draw plate I was using, was smaller than it should have been. Fortunately, I found an old draw plate with a better sized hole and that has helped me do my next reduction.
Additionally, I have annealed wire in a tin can with sharpie marks and that has given me a more consistent softening without needing to switch on the kiln … which I will do if I have a lot of wire to soften.
Thanks to everyone … I am back on track. Heather G
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I do have a kiln and am very interested in annealing silver sheet as well as also silver and some gold wire. How does one locate firing schedules for the different metals? My ultimate goal is to accomplish granulation fusing in the kiln.
Stiller has the info on there website. But I normally do a web search