I’m looking for technical on gold granulation, does
anyone know of a good text to use to get started with? I can’t
seem to find anything that covers specifics like temps and
alloys. Mark Maxwell
I’m looking for technical on gold granulation, does
anyone know of a good text to use to get started with? I can’t
seem to find anything that covers specifics like temps and
alloys.
22k works best, 18k works, most alloys at that fine content
work, 18k onto sterling works, sterling onto sterling works (John
Cogswell wrote a thesis on this, available in condensed form in
the book ‘Metals Technic’), with effort other variations are
possible.
In terms of temperature it doesn’t stick until it sticks.
It is a really hot procedure because basically it is at the
fusing temperature. Various means are used (copper salts etc) to
change the surface tension (dirty up) the gold balls so that they
retain their spherical shapes at a high temperature. There occurs
a small visible ‘mercury-like’ flash at the join when adhesion
takes place. See the tips page at Ganoksin for info on
granulation. The earlier ideas about eutectic alloys and locally
lowering the melting temperature at the join by using copper
salts etc seems to be a complete myth-it is really about surface
tension and fusing the metals together.
A successful granulator I know uses 22k and likes spit as the
adhesive. He says he ‘gums it’ around for a while until it makes
long mozarella-like strands, (gooey is good) as the adhesive. His
granulation is really impressive and he has at least once
emulated Eutruscan work successfully. Many ancient granules were
assisted to stay in place by sitting on lightly scored lines on
the metal. Charles
Brain Press
Box 1624, Ste M, Calgary, Alberta, T2P 2L7, Canada
Tel: 403-263-3955 Fax: 403-283-9053 Email: @Charles_Lewton-Brain
Metals info download web site: Learning Center - Ganoksin Jewelry Making Community
Product descriptions: http://www.ganoksin.com/kosana/brain/brain.htm
Links list hosted at the Metal Web News:
http://www.mindspring.com/~wgray1/jewelry/
Another tip: If you are granulating on Fine Silver, be sure
to coat the back of the base sheet with ochre or some other heat
resistant material. The heat that is needed for fusing can ruin
the flat sheet, especially since it sometines needs alot of
repetition to get all the granules fused. Sandra/ElegantBee