Fire Scale removal using kiln

I have been told by two different sources that you can remove fire
scale on a silver piece if you fire it in a kiln at 1300 degrees for
13 minutes. If this were accurate that would be great! Both sources
had not actually tried this however. I looked all over the internet
for any about this with no success. I would LOVE to know
if this is true or not.

Thanks ever so much!
Heidi

Sorry to disappoint but all it will do is make the firescale uniform
over the whole piece and deeper than it was before.

Jim

James Binnion
@James_Binnion
James Binnion Metal Arts

360-756-6550

Heidi,

The process of putting a piece of sterling silver that has fire
scale in a kiln at 1300 degrees for 13 minutes to remove fire scale
sounds like a great way to develop a deeper coating of fire scale.
Fire scale forms on sterling silver when it is exposed to oxygen and
heated above around 1000 degrees.

The best way to prove the fallacy of this procedure is to put a
piece of sterling in the kiln and heat it to 1300 degrees.

The best way to get rid of fire scale is to not get it in the first
place. There are fluxes that prevent fire scale when soldering. Fire
scale can be prevented when vacuum casting sterling silver. Check
out Orchid archives for my very simple method of preventing fire
scale when vacuum casting.

Lee Epperson

remove firescale on a silver piece if you fire it in a kiln at 1300
degrees for 13 minutes. 

Is that Fahrenheit or Celsius? If it’s Celsius it will remove the
firescale alright by melting the silver object into a puddle. At
Fahrenheit that temperature would risk any parts soldered with medium
silver solder (or less) shifting or completely falling off.

Nanz Aalund
Associate Editor / Art Jewelry magazine
21027 Crossroads Circle / Waukesha WI 53187-1612
262.796.8776 ext.228