I just saw an ad in the June Lapidary Journal for a product called
"Firescoff." Their website is: http://www.nventa.com/firescoff.php
They say it prevents fire scale, acts as a flux and you don't need
pickle to clean up after soldering, just warm water.
I saw that article too and am very curious about the product. I think
I will get some and give it a try. Will let you know what I think. I
noticed in your website that you use that Platinum Sterling. What can
you tell us about its working properties?
First stuller carries it in two sizes 1oz. 54-4413 and 4 oz 54-4414
Hazard rating 1=slight, flammability is minimal, reactivity is
minimal I have the msda sheet if you liked it faxed or e-mailed
Andy “The Tool Guy” Kroungold
Tool Sales / Technical
Stuller Inc
Phone 800-877-7777 ext. 94194
Fax 337-262-7791
I noticed in your website that you use that Platinum Sterling.
What can you tell us about its working properties?
I can’t really tell much about the “working properties” because I’ve
only used it for my castings - and I don’t do the casting myself. I
discovered this alloy because I asked my caster if they had Argentium
Silver - - I liked the idea of a tarnish-resistant silver. They don’t
use AS, but they DO use the Plat Sterling…so, I tried it. The
castings come out really nice, very white and bright. I just have to
take the sprue-nub off and finish. So I have sawed, ground, and
polished - - and I haven’t noticed anything unusual or difficult
about doing these operations.
I have fabricated with the plat/sterling and cast ingots to mill
out, and forged it. I love this stuff, it solders like gold or AS
where you work small areas at a time. I love it’s color, I use it
with colored stones which I bought to set in white gold but I hate
working with white gold. I hate white gold especially when it comes
to stone setting. My only problem with plat/sterling is when it comes
to selling it. I have successfully sold it to custom clients who are
looking for white color but not white gold cost. Clients who want
silver but want it more special than sterling and they usually
equate special with cost, it has to cost more than regular sterling
in their minds to be special. I have made 5 commissions with it so I
have a photo’s of the pieces which they can see the color which aids
in selling it. These commissions were cast but I took the buttons
and milled them into sheet to fabricate and loved working with it
but since they were not commissioned pieces they sit in the gallery
not selling. I feel the cost of a finished piece probably helps to
prevent it from being sold but maybe now silver is so expensive
anyway the price won’t be a barrier. I hate to think it is design
which prevents it from selling… I have complained to ABI
since they started making this material that they should name it and
try to gain market recognition of it both of which would help sell
it. ABI probably just thinks I complain too much. I know doing both
types of promotion on a national scale would be very expensive. For
now I see plat/sterling as a neat metalsmithing material which I
will sell to the occasional client wanting something special. I am
very enthusiastic about plat/sterling myself and this usually sells
it. Even as I write this I want a better name for it, it is
inconvenient to write plat/sterling let alone stumble through an
explanation to a client about what it is.