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Making irregular silver beads during melting phase

Jewelry Discussion
#1

Hi Orchid Friends,

anyone out there has never experienced making silver beads during
melting phase?

I mean, is there any method do melt silver and to create in the
meanwhile the hole through it without need to use micromotor in a
second phase? I was wondering something with a steel thin rod around
which melt silver. but I really do not know if this can works or if
there is any already proven method to save time in doing silver
beads…

Thank you in advance! :wink:
Micaela

#2 
is there any method do melt silver and to create in the meanwhile
the hole through it without need to use micromotor in a second
phase?

If you want a sphere with a hole through it, I doubt it. But if you
want a torus (donut) shape, I would think you could carve a
ring-shaped depression into a charcoal block and melt enough snippets
of silver in it to get an even silver ring.

#3

Hello micaela, You might try pencil lead to put a hole in molten
silver. Just be sure to use a piece long enough to keep your hands
away from the metal. Have fun. Tom Arnold

#4

Micaela, Having played around melting silver and moving it around
with both the torch and a solder pick. you should be able to get a
bead, by getting nice hot ball of silver and stabbing it with a clean
pick. Try it, the worst that could happen, is you get another ball of
silver. BTW, I use up our scrap silver making balls and then whamming
them into the different designs on a shot plate.

Dave Leininger
The Swanky Stone

#5 
You might try pencil lead to put a hole in molten silver.

This is off-topic, but this comment reminded me of something, sorry
about the interruption.

Have you ever watched those PBS programs about volcano’s in Hawaii
where they show people dipping into the molten lava to measure the
temperature or whatever they do? Every time I see that I think,
wouldn’t it be cool to take molds out there and cast sculptures with
molten lava? It would be hot, but I bet it could be done.

Mark

#6 
....... I use up our scrap silver making balls and then whamming
them into the different designs on a shot plate.......

What’s a shot plate?

Janet

#7

Thanks, guys!

Lots of interesting suggestion. I will try all the method to
understand what works best for me. For the moment. thanks!!

  1. Playing around melting silver and moving it around with both the
    torch and a solder pick to get a bead, by getting nice hot ball of
    silver and stabbing it with a clean pick (thanks Dave)

  2. pencil lead to put a hole in molten silver. Just be sure to use a
    piece long enough to keep your hands away from the metal (thanks
    Tom)

  3. a torus (donut) shape, is ok for me. so. I will try to carve a
    ring-shaped depression into a charcoal block and melt enough
    snippets of silver in it to get an even silver ring (thanks Noel)

Mark, I had never thought about taking molds out of lava. but it’s
intriguing. I have Stromboli volcano not far from me… can be a
nice trip to trye! :wink:

Ciao to everybody!
Micaela