What’s the deal with this stuff? I’ve read mixed reviews: Those
selling it say it’s better than good and those regulating it say it’s
garbage.
Those that sell cobalt platinum say it’s great. It casts well (which
is why the manufacturers like it), but that’s about it. It is
magnetic, which should give you some idea of what it’s like to work
with. It is all but impossible to solder or fuse with any degree of
excellence.
Those that have to work with it will tell you it’s a major pain in
the behind. I personally won’t touch it unless I absolutely have to.
If you do have to work with it, keep it completely separate from any
other platinum. It can contaminate your 900 Ir or 950 Ru it just like
steel does.
Dave
Those that have to work with it will tell you it's a major pain in the behind. I personally won't touch it unless I absolutely have to.
Cobalt platinum apparently casts easily. It’s also quite hard and
takes a good polish - easier to do than Ir/Pt. Beyond that I pretty
much consider it a plague on the world of metals. 10%Ir/Pt is such a
joy to work, and cobalt platinum just sucks all the life out of that
Why anyone would try to sell it as semimounts that require further
work is beyond comprehension. It could be false, but I heard that
Stuller some years ago was compelled to offer many of their parts in
Ir/Pt because of overwhelming complaints about cobalt. It is about
the sorriest excuse for a platinum alloy as you’ll find in the
world.
Doing repairs I run into quite a bit of Cobalt Platinum. I got into
the habit of touching all Plat to a small magnet on my bench, to spot
the Cobalt stuff, and I keep a magnet in my plat scrap container to
pull out any small scrap that I might have missed. Since I do my
platinum work with a laser the Cobalt variety is less of a problem,
as long as I know which I am working on and keep my stock separate.
I love the excellent and brilliance that appears on Orchid - this
being a fine example- It would have taken me years to figure that
one out, so I thank you for providing an easy detection and remedial
solution…I use magnets on other scrap but had forgotten that cobalt
is polarized!..thanks James.R.E.R