please. i need recomendations to cast argentium.What is the best
temperature to cast? how much time is the best to wait before
quenching? i cast with a induction machine, and the best
temperatures to the flasks? thanks very much
Hello Ivan,
please. i need recomendations to cast argentium.What is the best temperature to cast? how much time is the best to wait before quenching?
I don’t know if you’ve received any responses yet but at the risk of
stating the obvious you can find basic casting info for Argentium
Sterling at their site http://www.argentiumsilver.com
Click past the Flash intro and then into the “Technical Guide”
section. You can download the info as a PDF if you’re into that…
oh, what the heck, here’s what (the current version) of that PDF says
about casting:
INVESTMENT CASTING
Casting temperature range: 1750-1800F/955-980C. Argentium™
Sterling Silver displays a paler colour when heated/molten, therefore
do not judge casting temperature by eye.
Flask temperature: Lower flask temperatures are recommended. For
guidance, drop by a minimum of 85F/30C below regular temperatures
used for standard sterling silver.
Crucibles: To avoid contamination from other alloys, it is important
to use separate crucibles for Argentium™ Sterling Silver. Do not
use silicon carbide crucibles.
Protective atmosphere/fluxing: A protective atmosphere is recommended
when melting Argentium™ Sterling Silver. If a protective
atmosphere is not available, flux can be used (boric acid is
recommended). Skim any oxides off the surface before stirring.
Hardness wet investment removal: Leave flasks to cool for 20-25
minutes before quenching. This will give castings approximately the
same hardness as standard sterling silver (70HV). To raise the
hardness to approximately 95HV, heat castings at 580F/300C for 30-45
minutes and air cool to room temperature.
Hardness dry investment removal: Leave flasks to cool to room
temperature before removing castings from the investment. This will
give Argentium™ Sterling Silver a hardness of approximately 100HV.
Precipitation hardening: For hardness above 100HV, follow
precipitation hardening instructions.
Remelting: Use at least a 50% fresh/50% scrap mix. For high-quality
pieces, using more fresh metal will yield superior results. It is
important that used trees and buttons are free from investment powder
residue, to avoid contamination.
If you want to go to the source I’ve got contact info for Peter
Johns, the guy who invented the stuff. I’m sure he’d be happy to
answer any questions you might have. Email me offline and I’ll give
you his address.
Finally there’s a guy named Marty who’s got a small blog about his
work with Argentium, including some casting. See that blog at
Cheers,
Trevor F.
in The City of Light
Visit TouchMetal.com at http://www.touchmetal.com