FS Granulation - elongated ovals instead of balls?

Jewelry Discussion
1

I am trying my hand making FS granules. Most are coming out OK, but
occasionally I’m getting pointed ovals instead? I watched Ronda
Coryell’s DVD at home, then tried it at work…maybe I forgot
something?

I’m using the compressed European charcoal as she recommended, and a
#0 torch head with an acetylene/air setup.

Thanks in advance for your input,
Kelley

2 
I am trying my hand making FS granules. Most are coming out OK,
but occasionally I'm getting pointed ovals instead? I watched Ronda
Coryell's DVD at home, then tried it at work...maybe I forgot
something?

My thought is that you might be moving the torch off a second too
soon, before the piece has completely melted and drawn into a sphere.

I’m assuming that you are melting the FS pieces on an inclined
charcoal block. If so, and the melted piece is racing down the
charcoal block as soon as it draws up, perhaps you could lower the
incline a little, allowing the metal a bit more time in the flame
before gravity does it’s thing to the little balls.

HTH,
Pam

Pam Chott
http://www.songofthephoenix.com

3

I had a class from Harold O’Connor…we took a large round bit in
the Foredom and made depressions in the charcoal block, put the
snippet of metal in the hole and fired directly on the metal with
the torch and had round “berries”/balls each time.

Rose Marie Christison

4

I experienced the same thing as I started to make Argentium granules.
What was happening was that the snippets would start to melt, get a
little bit round, and then roll off the block before they’d been
heated long enough to become ball up into a true sphere.

My solution had three parts: lower the angle of the block, make the
wire from which I make my snippets into ribbon in the rolling mill
before snipping, and use enough flame so that it takes very little
time to ball up completely.

One word of warning on the “use enough flame” idea. If the granule
doesn’t start to roll off after it balls up, get the flame off fast
or you’ll cook your granule to crunchy blackness…Argentium or not!

Best of luck granulating!
Tom

5

If the granules are rather large, I sometimes ball them up on the
block laying flat. They can have a slightly flat bottom on them, but
this can help when using large granules- more surface area at
attachment point. Or have the granules fall further through the air
before hitting the water and have a deeper water dish.

Have you tried granulating with Argentium yet?? Almost idiot proof
and structurally more sound since it is not fine silver but
sterling!

Ronda