I am hoping a jeweler out there can help me with a technical
question. I am working with a customer who is trying to develop
expertise with the granulation technique (fusing small beads to
make a decorative surface). Do you know whether a "water welder"
with a de-oxidyzing flame will aid in this process?
Please respond back to @Eisinger_Enterprises thanks.
Gentlemen;
I would avoid using a water welder to do any type of fusing. The
flame area is generally too small to evenly heat the object to
be granulated. In my experience with granulation, pieces to be
granulated (or fused) needed to be brought close the melting
temperature by placement in a kiln or upon a small "beehive"
type fusing kiln. The torch, with a soft reducing type flame,
would bring the objects up to the final, fusing, temperature. I
have never seen a water torch capable of generating anything
other than a sharp, hot, pointed flame, one that would only heat
a very small area . Unless you want an unhappy client, I’d
steer them clear of a water torch for this type of work.
Just my $.02, Eben
Last summer we occasionally hosted Rhoda, a 84 year old jeweler
who had studied granulation in NYC. Her process was to preheat
the 22k sheet on a trinket kiln and fuse the granules with a
prestolite torch. An air gas torch with its lower temperature,
larger flame, and less oxidizing properties would make sense for
this process, allowing much more control than an oxygen/gas
torch.
Richard D. Hamilton
USA
Fabricated 14k, 18k, and platinum Jewelry
wax carving, modelmaking, jewelry photography
http://www.rick-hamilton.com