Can gold filled wire be drawn? Will the gold come off or is it all
just going to drawn smaller? Any info about any special lubes to use
or to stay away from if, in fact, gold filled wire can be drawn?
Thanks for any thoughts and/or info. This is a GREAT LIST!!! I
tell jewelers and small metal workers about it when ever the chance
arises. This and the Sandbox (metal workers in all fields of metal
art/design - a free e mail group but also somewhat connected to
another metal workers site ArtMetal.com) are my 2 daily “for sure” to
read sites!!! Thank you ALL for making it
such!!!
If you have highly polished dies or can find a manufacturer that will
do the job for you for a small fee you can do it. but depending on
the gauge wire and the actual amount of gold on the wire doing it
yourself without marring it, and without a draw bench with good dies
it’s essentially not going to be successful. The tension has to be
constant, the dies perfect and the karat gold layer 14/20 12/20
isn’t going to work as the amount of alloy is equal (sort of, if not
exceeding) the amount of actual gold in 12 karat. As it gets hot
with friction (even provided you are applying a finely ground paste
lube if not a liquid with each pass- presuming we are talking about
at least 10 feet). all of a sudden H. Schmidt in New Orleans who has
been in business for over 100 years making karat gold wire, sheet,
and other mill products has been selling gold filled. I would try a
smaller supplier like them first for a relatively small job (that is
unless you have 50 ounces of a single gauge or something like that).
They have an ETSY shop 208 gold and their New Orleans Address is
available on line- call and ask. can’t hurt. You may have to sign
some damage waiver with other companies, or even H. Schmidt but it
may be the only way to get it drawn down without destroying it.
asfor gauge, I would think you’d need at least 16 to consider drawing
it down… rer
If you have highly polished dies or can find a manufacturer that
will do the job for you for a small fee you can do it. but
depending on the gauge wire and the actual amount of gold on the
wire doing it yourself without marring it, and without a draw bench
with good dies it's essentially not going to be successful. The
tension has to be constant, the dies perfect and the karat gold
layer 14/20 12/20 isn't going to work as the amount of alloy is
equal (sort of, if not exceeding) the amount of actual gold in 12
karat
you can draw gold fill like any other wire. How do you think they
make it? Care in annealing and good lube and polished dies will be a
good thing but there is not any reason not to redraw it.
I think I met you at Ball State in the mid-90’s when you did a
molkume workshop. It was so much fun and I still have a chunk of the
project you made! Just a blast from the past- thank you for sharing
with students. It does follow them into their careers later on!
Fondly, Steph