Bi-metal & enameling

Jewelry Discussion
1

I have a friend who has been searching for kim-boo foil for quite
some time. She says her rolling mill cannot roll the gold out thin
enough. Can you give me any suggestions? Alana Clearlake

2

Alana – Try Hauser & Miller at 800-462-7447. Laura.
lwiesler@att.net

3

Cut the foil she has made into two, use talc to cover them lightly
and put them interleaved with tissue paper. Re-roll!

4

Lay the almost thin enough foil on a sheet of copper and put it
through the mill again.

HTH
Pam Chott
Song of the Phoenix

5

After you go through the rolling mills possibilities, then place the
foil between two pieces of metal and continue putting it through the
mill.

Sue

6

rolling mill cannot roll the gold out thin enough. I roll my 24K gold
from an austrian ducat. I get it thin enough with my rolling mill,
but if you don’t you can put it between two pieces of brass or copper
to make it thinner.

Donna in VA

7 
She says her rolling mill cannot roll the gold out thin enough. Can
you give me any suggestions?

Dear Alana, After you’ve rolled the gold out as thin as the rollers
will allow, place it between two pieces of clean, smooth copper and
keep rolling. The copper will give you the thickness needed for the
roller to do its job.

Beth

8 
   I have a friend who has been searching for kim-boo foil for
quite some time. She says her rolling mill cannot roll the gold out
thin enough. Can you give me any suggestions?  Alana Clearlake

There are ways around this. She can sandwich the gold between two
pieces of copper or brass which have been oxidized to prevent the
adherence of the gold to these metals when rolled. One can also use
tracing paper or patterned paper which will create some thickness
thereby getting her mill to thin out the gold. This will also give a
soft surface to the gold which will not be lost when burnishing the
gold for “bonding” to the prepared sterling. HTH JZD

9

You can get the foil from Billmier (or Billmeyer) in Chicago. I’ll
get their address and phone number and email it as soon as I locate
it. They make all the gold foils for enameling, and the thicker
foil for keum boo. However, they will roll 23K, and not 24K. They
alloy it with fine silver, so it works perfectly for traditional
keumboo, as well as enameling. I had them roll a sample for me and
it was perfect. The only difference between it and the foil which
came from Korea was that the 23Kt was a bit paler in color. Another
possible source is Komelia Okim (from whom I took the workshop). I
may still have her address, and if so will send it on to you. She
ordered some for me from Korea. I do roll my own—but it is a
tedious, time consuming job, and mine is a bit thicker than the
traditional foil, but it works just fine. I just have to take extra
pains to be sure that the corners and edges are really burnished on
good and tight so that the foil will not lift. --As soon as I
sift though a pile of papers and stuff and find the address and
phone numbers I will send them on. Studio in a mess, as I am in the
process or reorganizing it. Alma

10

Has anyone tried sandwiching it between pieces of vellum? (or
goldbeater’s skin)

David