Hi,
I wanted to add some gold granulation to my sterling silver pieces
(think a little larger than granules 1 - 3 mm)…what kind of solder
would I use? Gold? Silver?
Thank you, Oh experienced Ones !
Donna
Hi Donna
I wanted to add some gold granulation to my sterling silver pieces (think a little larger than granules 1 - 3 mm)...what kind of solder would I use? Gold? Silver?
I think this may be a little tricky. Granulation refers to fusing.
When solder is used, you don’t get the same effect. Someone can
correct me if I am wrong, but I think if, for example, you have a
sterling ring shank and you want to add gold accents to it and you
used silver solder, you will inevitably have a bit of silver solder
up on your gold accent ball…which will have to be cleaned up. If
you used gold solder, you will inevitably have a small pool of gold
solder down on your sterling ring shank. This will have to carefully
be cleaned up. It is the cleaning up part that is bothering me. I
think when the differently-colored solder has to be cleaned up, you
will be left with a weak join, which may fail.
Have you tried looking into traditional granulation? I don’t believe
you can do it with sterling in the mix, but you can, say, make a fine
silver base, add gold granulation to it, then solder it down to your
sterling piece.
There is much more to be added, of course, but I
wouldn’t go into it unless you wanted to hear more about granulation
itself.
Good Luck
Kim Starbard
Fusing gold balls to silver is not only possible but arguably easier
than fusing gold-to-gold. Has to do with the difference in melting
points or the eutectic alloy formed, I would guess. Check out the
work of Harold O’Connor for some wonderful examples of gold
granulation on silver, particularly fine gold granulation in the
folds of recticulated silver.
Lee
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Hi Kim and Donna,
Granulation refers to fusing. When solder is used, you don't get the same effect.
Kim, you’re absolutely correct and you’ve pointed out a semantic
issue involving the word granulation: it can apply to a technique or
to a decorative effect. Your explanation refers to the former but I
believe Donna was interested in the latter. It would be easier for
metalsmiths if everyone using the term granulation were talking about
a particular fusion technique, but unfortunately that’s not the case!
Donna, what you want to is decorate your silver pieces with small
balls (granules) of gold, right? You can certainly do this by
soldering, although, as Kim points out, the results will not be as
clean as when using the granulation technique.
I would recommend using silver solder since if the solder happens to
flow outward, you will be less likely to see the mistake against the
silver sheet. If you overheat the gold balls, the silver solder will
indeed flow up the sides (as Kim also mentions) so it is important
that you direct the heat onto the silver and not onto the gold balls.
This is one of those situations when heating from below could be very
helpful. But a little bit of solder on the underside of the gold
balls won’t matter to the overall effect.
Beth
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I often solder very small gold balls to sterling silver. I use silver
solder - put a tiny snippet of solder beside or under the ball and
put the torch to it (carefully or the balls/solder will blow away) I
keep a soldering pin ready to move them if needed when the solder
flows. If there is silver solder crawling up the balls it is so
minute to be unnoticeable. You do have to be careful not to over
heat, gold has a tenancy to melt into the silver if over heated. If
possible I hold the torch beneath the piece and direct the flame
(very small) in circles to the underside of the piece.
Hope this helps.
Jan - in hot (for us) Oregon.
Designjewel.com
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Can’t find the site with the website given for Harold O’Connor
(http://www.haroldoconnor.com )…I tried to locate the site but
couldn’t…so if anyone could correct this for me I would love to see
his work
Thanks
You can certainly do this by soldering, although, as Kim points out, the results will not be as clean as when using the granulation technique.
I beg to differ, recently a friend of mine went to Germany and took
a granulation course and there is historical evidence that soldering
was used to granulate some larger sizes of spheres. I have used
solder to attach spheres to my pieces, and I use so little solder,
in my opinion, the work is so clean you cannot tell I used solder. I
have not tried this with concentrated patterns of spheres, but I
have done three spheres in a row with slight separation between the
spheres, or single decorative spheres. Done it in sterling, done it
in gold. Technique can be trumped by skill.
Richard Hart
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Hi Donna,
I use silver solder when attaching a ball of gold to silver. That way
if you see anything around the base it matches the base, which is
silver. Don’t forget, you won’t need much at all… and I pre- apply
the solder to the very bottom of the ball first then warm up the
silver and place it on when it’s just about at temp.
Good luck,
Laura
www.LauraGuptillJewelry.com
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What about attaching fine silver balls to 22k gold.? I would
appreciate any advise people have on that.
Can't find the site with the website given for Harold O'Connor http://www.haroldoconnor.com
I found the website but it clearly says “coming soon”. So am guessing
it’s just not ready yet.
Hi Richard,
I have used solder to attach spheres to my pieces, and I use so little solder, in my opinion, the work is so clean you cannot tell I used solder.
I stand corrected :-). So let me rephrase: Most of us cannot get
as clean a result when soldering on balls as when using the
granulation technique.
Beth
Hi Sue!
What about attaching fine silver balls to 22k gold.? I would appreciate any advise people have on that.
Never tried it but… how thick is the 22k? Couldn’t you just fuse
the SS balls, heating from below (providing the 22k isn’t too thin)?
Beth
Granlulation is ok but does not take colour very well if you are
useing the iredecent effect that you obtain from Liver of Sulphur i.e
Potassium Sulphide.
Sam
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If you want to see some of Harold O’connor’s tiny granulation work,
take a look at the new Ornament with Salida, CO jewlers and their
studios. Towards the front of the issue is an ad for Harold with
about 6 pictures of his current work. Donna in VA… took a class
with Harold some time ago
Hi All,
I have been watching the attaching spheres and granulation thread.
The article from Harold O’Connor is in Tim McCreight’s book, Metal
Technique
Metals Technic: A Collection of Techniques for Metalsmiths (Jewelry
Crafts)
Tim McCreight
Brynmorgen Press
Price: $17.95
This is one of those must have books in your library. Besides the
granulation technique, Charles Lewton Brain discuss his fold forming
techniques, Claire Sanford covers patination and also Michael Good
for anticlastic raising.
We need more books like this!
-k
Karen Christians
M E T A L W E R X
50 Guinan St.
Waltham, MA 02451
Ph. 781/891-3854 Fax 3857
http://www.metalwerx.com/
Jewelry/Metalarts School & Cooperative Studio
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Sue,
What about attaching fine silver balls to 22k gold.? I would appreciate any advise people have on that.
I was taught to use solder that matches the base of the piece. For
example; if soldering fine silver balls to 22K gold sheet you would
want to use gold solder. If attaching gold balls to silver sheet you
would want to use silver solder. You can purchase different grades
of solder.
Hope that helps. I often solder my silver balls onto sheet because I
do not like the slight change in texture you get around the area you
are fusing. I use very little solder by pushing my balls into my
firebrick and flowing solder onto them. Then I flux and just heat the
bottom piece until the solder flows.
Hope this helps.
Delias
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Hi,
Hope that helps. I often solder my silver balls onto sheet because I do not like the slight change in texture you get around the area you are fusing. I use very little solder by pushing my balls into my firebrick and flowing solder onto them. Then I flux and just heat the bottom piece until the solder flows.
could you explain the process of pushing the balls into the
firebrick and ‘flowing’ solder onto them. What type of solder are you
using? Tks
Judy
Judy,
could you explain the process of pushing the balls into the firebrick and 'flowing' solder onto them. What type of solder are you using?
I first heat my silver into little balls and pickle them. When you
do this on the firebrick you usually get a small area that is a
little flat from where it cooled flat against the brick. I then
position them on the firebrick with the flat area facing up. I use
the handle of my tweezers and push them flat into the firebrick (I
use a soft firebrick). The balls are now level with the brick. I then
flux the tops that are facing up and pick solder some little tiny
pieces of solder onto the tops. I usually use medium solder because
it is usually one of the last things I do on a piece before I solder
on the bail, posts, whatever… I then pickle the balls. Once they
are nice and clean I flux the area where I put the solder and
position the balls where I want them. I heat the sheet not the balls
when I solder them on and wait until the solder flows. Another trick
I like to do is take my small punch that I use for chasing and make a
little divet where I am going to put the ball so it stays in place.
The divet is small enough that the ball hides it.
Hope these instructions are not too detailed. I am still a student
myself and not always the best at explaining things ; )
Delias
On this 4th of July please remember that we still have the ability
to affect change in our great country. It is easy to become jaded and
believe that we do not have the power to be, do, or have what we
want. However, as long as we believe that we will not have the power
to be, do, or have what we want.
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I like the idea of making a divet to hold the ball in place, I shall
use this idea, thank you.
Sam.
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Hi Delias,
Many thanks for your reply - great to have all that detail. I’ve
printed it off and going to give it a try as soon as I’ve got hold of
a soft firebrick.
best wishes
Judy