Granulation glue

[cbutchko11]

what is granulation glue made of and this is available by many vendors

[rmeixner]

Originally some type of animal or plant based glue. There are modern equivalents on the market. Do a quick search and you will find a lot more than I can tell you…Rob

[MarrinF48164]

According to my teacher and mentor, and confirmed by a book to which I no longer remember or have access to, ancient craftsmen (Etruscans? Phoenicians?) used that which they picked from their nostrils! I wouldn’t personally recommend it.

[SueS11184]

Well, it’s organic, and affordable

[Elliot_Nesterman]

Generally any of the tree gums will work: gum arabic, gum tragacanth, et al. What’s important is that it burn off cleanly. The carbonization of the gum also helps create a reducing atmosphere around the grains.

[wldlzrd1]

Hi,

i believe hide glue is also used…

Hide Glue [Was: Granulation]

Debra Wrote… These granules were placed on the sterling or fine sheet with a mixture of hide glue and water and then fused..... Debra, Thanks for the advice. Can you tell me what "hide glue" is. Thanks MILT Milt and Maxine Fischbein

Hide glue & granulation

In April issue of Lapidary Journal there is a granulation project by Jack & Elizabeth Gulatieri that included holding granules in place with Klyr-Fire. It says place the “glue laden” granules in place and that the “glue” should dry in 10-15min. Sounded like it would solve a placement problem for me so I’ve tried it. After many hours the Klyr-Fire is still soft. The article does not say to heat (before or after) to dry. I don’t know if the Klyr-Fire that I bought is old or bad or th…

Alternate granulation glues

Hi all, The recent topic of hide glue has me thinking about a question. In Carles Codina’s book, “The Complete Book of Jewelry Making”, he mentions several organic binders to be used to attach the granules. The key being that they are organic so that they will emit carbon. Two he mentions are gum tragacanth and gum arabic. So my question is, has anyone used something like this other than regular hide glue? This may sound silly to many but I am vegan and like to make a plant based choice w…

julie

[wldlzrd1]

Hi,

…just saw this…never trued it…looks interesting…anyone have experience using it…?

G GLUE - THE GRANULATION SOLUTION | JewelryArtsInc.Tools

julie

[Pam6]

Hi Julie,

John Cogswell recommends saliva for Sterling Silver granulation. Klyr fire is water and ethyl methyl cellulose.

Sandra McEwen makes a fusing liquid to fuse the fine silver components in her champleve work, https://youtu.be/_YKzcAi7E64?si=7XQbxR-WQrPCmPja

Good luck!
Pam

[jsfandskh]

tragacath and gum arabic have ancient histories for their use… the Etruscans did incredible granulation work. Does anyone know what they used? I’ve never seen a reference to their techniques… could be lost to the ages…

[Elliot_Nesterman]

Possibly still the best technical examination and technique description of ancient granulation is in Patricia Davidson’s technical treatise, which was published as part of the catalog of a famous travelling exhibition in the mid-60s.
Greek Gold: Jewelry from the Age of Alexander, by Herbert Hoffmann and Patrician L. Davidson.
Hoffmann wrote the art historical section and Davidson the technical examination. While out of print, it is available used. For anyone interested in ancient jewelry it is an essential reference.

• Full disclosure, I happen to have gone to grad school with Ms. Davidson’s daughter, but that in no way influences my admiration of her scholarship.

[jsfandskh]

thanks for the reference. it’s amazing what artistry the ancients were capable of using “primitive” technology and how exacting they were… I had the good fortune o visit Paris this summer and go to the museum of decorative arts. The jewelry made by Lalique’s studio was stunningly beautiful. I have a book written by an Italian author of the craft of jewelry making from the same time… they were using techniques that we would consider primitive also: mouth blow pipes, Bunsen burners… I’ve used a mouth blow pipe and a candle flame when I was a kid to do charcoal block testing on minerals for metallic content…it’s possible to generate 2,200 degrees using only air and a candle flame but the area that is heated is only a point, yet the jeweler’s of the time were able to make exquisite jewelry using the most rudimentary equipment…the did have small gas fired furnaces and burners but the temperatures attained were no more that what a modern gas stove top burner puts out…what they had was time and patience… a single piece could take a year or more to complete. I suppose that it was no different with the ancients… craftsmen carving statues or casting bronze using charcoal fires and bellows would have taken years to complete… technology with electrically driven tools, arc and laser welders, milling machines would have amazed the ancients as their work amazes us…

[SheridaW48684]

Gum arabic and gum tragacanth are what we use to stick down the wires for cloisonne enameling. Another one used in enameling is lotus root powder. I suppose it would work for granulation as well since it’s organic and burns out cleanly.

[GinaM17971]

Yes… I use it after copper plating my 22k gold granules… works great!

[GinaM17971]

it may depend on whether your using argentium granules, fine silver granules or 22k gold granules. When I attempt my granulated pieces, I use 22k gold granules that have been copper plated and then G Glue from Jeanette at Jewelry Arts. Works like a charm… with some patience and understanding of ancient granulation techniques. She has a wonderful workshop that dives into granulation!

[Sonja]

Jewellery making gold glue solder for etruscan granulations, ancient goldsmiths enamel

Mad scientist metalsmith. Does aazing things.

[ebaldinger]

Lotus root powder! Really? How romantic!