Cutting a .999 block

Jewelry Discussion
1

Hello all, I have a 100 oz. block of .999 silver and I can not
figure out how to cut it for use. Last time I casted (about 3
years ago), my partner cut off a piece with a Super Saws-all.
That was WAY to dramatic for me. I’ve tried using a regular saw
but the silver is too soft and gummy. What do I do with this
thing? It’s a mighty pricey paperweight!

Amy O’Connell
Amy O’Connell Jewelry
http://www.ezmo.com/amy

2

Amy, Try drilling a series of holes around the size chunk that
you need. A drill press, a piece of plywood backing and an alum.
baking pan to catch the tailings is all you need. Drill the holes
as close together as you can, then just saw through the walls
bet. the holes.

Hank Paynter
Brook Hollow Studio

3

Amy, Try drilling a series of holes around the size chunk that
you need. A drill press, a piece of plywood backing and an alum.
baking pan to catch the tailings is all you need. Drill the holes
as close together as you can, then just saw through the walls
bet. the holes.

Hank Paynter
Brook Hollow Studio

4

Hey Amy,

Normally you lubricate your saw with some sort of wax based
product, but that doesn’t help with fine silver. Instead of a
lubricant, try a little chalk on your saw blade, rechalking it
fairly frequently. This should go a long way toward keeping the
saw from clogging up with that soft gooey .999 stuff. MP

5

Amy I you are a caster this might work for you. I use to preheat
the 10 and 100 oz bars in my kiln to has hot as I dared. Then I
set up a fire brick that I had scooped out a “crucible” on one
end on one side, with a path way scooped out to the opposite end.
I positioned on the edge of my bench so that I could put a metal
bucket directly below the brick. Fill it with water. I took the
bar out of the kiln glowing red. Placed on the brick in the
hollowed out part and put my torch to it. As the bar melts the
silver will flow down the scooped out path, drop into the bucket
and make casting shot that you can alloy later.

This use to work fine for me, but I have not done it for about
15 years. If anyone see a problem with it please let Amy and me
know before she tries it!

Don Norris
@Donald_Norris
PO Box 2433 Estes Park, CO 80517

6

I take a hot flame, flux the material and melt what I need off
the end. Ringman

7

Just had another thought on this… If you have a machine shop
near by you might be able to get them to slice your block into
usable sized slab with a band saw. Just a thought.

8

Hi Amy:

You might try melting it down and pouring some smaller ingots
that you can roll out in a rolling mill.
The only other idea is to take it to a silver refiner and
exchange it for sheet and wire.

Cheers

Virginia Lyons
Metalsmith

9

hi amy,

why not hold the ingot with tongs or pliers and melt one end of
it and let the molten metal dribble into a bucket of water.

best regards,
geo fox