I am attempting to make a pair of quite large earrings by
reticulating th e surface of 830 silver. I understand that it is
possible to repeat a reticulated pattern quite accurately in
certain circumstances. Does anybo dy out there know what the
secret is?
Sue Lowday
SueLowday@compuserve.com
Very good tourch control and a constant qualility of silver . I
have fount that it is best to purchase silver and gold from your
refinner which is made just for this purpose. Hoover and Strong
is a good source. They also support a lot of charaties and often
include the students from the local collages by donating the
gold and silver for them to work with to make items which can
then be auctioned to raise money. Real nice folks to work with
also. Vernon
Gee, Sue, I don’t have the same understanding! I have done some
reticulation, and the effect is so near to accidental… so
close to the edge of actually melting metal, I think one would
be lucky to get a close approximation of a previous pattern. I
suppose, theoretically, if one was to develop a certain pattern
of torch movement, one could achieve similar results…
Dave
Dave Sebaste
Sebaste Studio
Charlotte, NC (USA)
dave@sebaste.com
http://www.sebaste.com
You are melting the interior of the metal sheet. That is why
you pickle it several times, to reduce the copper content and
raise the skin liquidus temperature. I am not saying duplication
is not possible, but like you I would think very unlikely.
Lester…
In a recent discussion with a formidable source I was assured
that it is possible to repeat patterns in the reticulation
process. The source had worked on the process with a very well
known jeweller who has used this process for many years now. He
was not prepared to share the secret with me and assured me
that there are probably only four people in the world who do
know the secret. I hate secrets! Unfortionately I am not
chemistry minded , however, he did hint that it would be a
problem to use the process due to the essential ingredient being
refined out of the gas?/ atmosphere?, I am not sure which. Anybody
out there any suggestions?
Best wishes
Sue
Has anyone tried to reproduce reticulation by simply casting the
original piece? I’am a new kid on the block so maybe this is too
simple! Mcoot
Sounds like a formidable source if you can’t remember their
name!
As someone’s already stated on this list the other day, it’s
simply depleting a lot of the copper from the surface of a silver
alloy (800sil, 850 sil, 900sil, or even at a pinch 925sil) and
thus giving it a new highter liquidus somewhat closer to fine
silver, 960=B0C.
When the whole piece is heated past the liquidus of the parent
metal it ‘goes all wrinkly-like’. The silver-rich surface stays
somewhat solid and acts as a cap or skin.
Probably the secret is the amount you succeed in making a
silver-rich surface that is enough of a contrast in liquiduses
with the parent metal.
So start with 850sil which goes molten (oh about what? 820?
850?) way below the skin of ‘nearly fine’ sil. People sell
‘reticulation silver’ don’t they? Probably, I’d guess, based on
850sil.
Anyone else have the secret? like ‘How Best To Deplete’.
Brian
B r i a n =A0 A d a m J e w e l l e r y E y e w e a r =A0
@Brian_Adam1 ph/fx +64 9 817 6816 NEW ZEALAND
Brian Adam Eyewear artworks - spectacles
Brian Adam Jewellery earrings rings NZ jade
http://www.adam.co.nz/workshop/ NEXT: Queenstown NZ Jan 13 1998
http://www.adam.co.nz/ruthbaird/ Ruth makes her jewellery alongside me
Sounds like a formidable source if you can’t remember their
name!
As someone’s already stated on this list the other day, it’s
simply depleting a lot of the copper from the surface of a silver
alloy (800sil, 850 sil, 900sil, or even at a pinch 925sil) and
thus giving it a new highter liquidus somewhat closer to fine
silver, 960=B0C.
When the whole piece is heated past the liquidus of the parent
metal it ‘goes all wrinkly-like’. The silver-rich surface stays
somewhat solid and acts as a cap or skin.
Probably the secret is the amount you succeed in making a
silver-rich surface that is enough of a contrast in liquiduses
with the parent metal.
So start with 850sil which goes molten (oh about what? 820?
850?) way below the skin of ‘nearly fine’ sil. People sell
‘reticulation silver’ don’t they? Probably, I’d guess, based on
850sil.
Anyone else have the secret? like ‘How Best To Deplete’.
Brian
B r i a n =A0 A d a m J e w e l l e r y E y e w e a r =A0
@Brian_Adam1 ph/fx +64 9 817 6816 NEW ZEALAND
Brian Adam Eyewear artworks - spectacles
Brian Adam Jewellery earrings rings NZ jade
http://www.adam.co.nz/workshop/ NEXT: Queenstown NZ Jan 13 1998
http://www.adam.co.nz/ruthbaird/ Ruth makes her jewellery alongside me
Yes you can cast a reticulated piece. See the article on
reticulation on the Tips page at Ganoksin. 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
You can make a reticulated master and cast it but you will
probably need to beef up the thickness of the master during the
molding process so you end up with a mold that will shoot. The
end product being a peice that is quite a bit heavier than the
original. Good luck S.Bradley
hi sue,
ooohhhhh, hate 'em gut secrets!!! as explained by brian adams
or metals technik, reticulation relies on depletion gilding and
then melting the underlying metal wich has a lower melting temp
than the depleted ‘skin’. the underlying metal expands and
contracts as it is heated and cooled causing ripples and
patterns in the surface wich doesn’t melt. all that one would
have to do to get repeatable patterns is this:
be sure the depleted ‘skin’ is the same thickness.
cause the heat source to play on the work in the same pattern
and distances for the same amounts of time. this could be done
mechanically via a jig and a pulling mechanism, or a jig and some
practice, or just a LOT of practice.
best regards,
geo fox
I am relatively new to jewelry-making, and just discovered orchid. I
decided to try my hand recently with reticulation (I know,
challenging for a beginner, but I’m eager). I used reticulating
silver from Hoover & Strong and made three passes with heating, then
pickling. The first time, the piece looked pretty good, with some
nice wrinkling, but not quite enough. The second time it looked less
interesting, and the third time I think I just heated the piece way
too much because it looked terrible and was too brittle to work with.
I cannot find a source which instructs me specifically in how to work
with reticulating silver, and I’m guessing the process is different
than for sterling! Can anyone help? Thanks!
When we used to work in silver, I dabbled in, and my partner was
highly active in, reticulation. We never found the stuff from Hoover
and Strong worked very well, so after trying it a few times we went
back to making our own metal for it.
Daniel R. Spirer, G.G.
Spirer Somes Jewelers
www.spirersomes.com
Hi, Diane-
The process with reticulation silver is the same as for sterling.
First, you need to heat the metal up to anealing temp (without flux)
and then pickle. Repeat this process five or more times. (Some folks
like to scrub the silver with a brass brush also after each
pickling)The heating causes the copper in the surface of the alloy to
oxidize, and then be disolved out by the pickle, leaving a “skin” of
fine silver on the surface of the alloy. This “skin” of fine silver
has a higher melting point than the reticulation alloy, which is what
makes the reticulation process work.
After the 5x torch and pickle routine, you are ready to reticulate.
Bring the whole piece up to temperature, and then focus the torch on
one spot until the silver begins to move, and then slowly move the
torch up and down the piece, advancing your torch as the silver
beneath it ripples.
The rest is practice.
Lee Einer
Diane,
It sounds like you are trying to reticulate the metal during all
three heatings? What you need to do is heat the metal 3 or 4 times to
just below the annealing temperature of the metal with a bushy flame
and hold it there for 3 minutes or so each time, then making sure the
pickle is fresh and very hot, pickle, this will create an almost pure
layer of silver on the outside and a layer of copper rich silver on
the inside. Scrub well with a brass brush after pickling.
After the last heating and pickling do not brass brush.
The outside of the metal will now have a higher melting temperature
than the inside, which is what causes the reticulation.
There are a few more steps, I have some instructions if anyone is
interested. I tried to upload them via ftp, but could not.
It goes against the grain for me, but you can buy reticulated metal
from Reactive Metals. I like to make my own.
Remember, reticulated metal does not form well and is usually
brittal, so do any forming before you reticulate.
Ed Colbeth
Metalsmith/Computer geek
Quincy, MA
617-359-1116
I am relatively new to jewelry-making, and just discovered orchid. I decided to try my hand recently with reticulation (I know, challenging for a beginner, but I'm eager). I used reticulating silver from Hoover & Strong and made three passes with heating, then pickling. The first time, the piece looked pretty good, with some nice wrinkling, but not quite enough. The second time it looked less interesting, and the third time I think I just heated the piece way too much because it looked terrible and was too brittle to work with. I cannot find a source which instructs me specifically in how to work with reticulating silver, and I'm guessing the process is different than for sterling! Can anyone help? Thanks!
On your initial heating, you should not heat it enough to cause any
texturing. Your objective in the first heating is only to prepare the
metal. Heat for 5 minutes and pickle. Heat for 10 minutes and pickle
Heat to reticulate.
Timothy A. Hansen
TAH Handcrafted Jewelry
web-site: www.home.earthlink.net/~tahhandcraft
e-mail: @Timothy_A_Hansen
Check out a book called, Metals Technic from Brynmorgen Press. It
has a section on reticulation by Heikki Seppa. It’s a great book in
general . . . and has 11 other sections covering different metal
techniques that may interest you.
merry radtke
merryelizabeth studio
I have used reticulation silver and sterling, and much prefer the
sterling. I have been able to get very fine results with it. My
objection to the reticulation silver is that even after the fine
silver has been brought to the surface, after reticulating it, the
color assumes a yellowish–murky look. also, I find the reticulated
sterling is less brittle than the reticulating silver. Alma
Hi every one I have been asked buy a couple of ORCHID members to talk
about reticulation. Frist I am not a expert on any technique in
jewelry. I have only been playing with jewelry for 30 mounths so I am
hardly an expert. But I like to play and just go for it and push
myself hard to learn new stuff. I am lucky that I learn fast. I have
been very lucky to have been in a couple of grate work shopes with
some fantasic people. Like Harold O’Conner and Charles Lewton-Brain,
both have inspired me and help me get where i am now. So I oue them
grate thanks!!! In Oppi Untracth book there is a lot of good info on
reticulation.
So here is my humble thoughts on this technique. This is much harder
to explane then it is to show… Frist the metals, sterling or
reticulation silver. sterling you should be familer with, reticulation
silver have a higher copper content They well both reticulate but
they well give you differnt effects, reticulation silver gives more
dramadic effects at least for me. sterling I like useing 16 to 20 gage
. Reticulation silver 24 to 26Ga. workes best for me.
Hears what I, do I heat the metal (do not flux you want the copper to
oxadize) to a little above analing temp.and keep it there for about a
min. then quench it in water to cool, then put it in a strong pickel
10% to 30% . After that rinse, and scrub it with a soft brass brush or
sinthic steel wool not the real steel wool you don’t want any steel on
the silver. It also helps to do this under water for lubercation. I do
this at least 4 times on the forth time I do not clean the surface
with the brush I just pickel. The prossess I just explend is called
depiltion gulding. What you are trying to get is a surface of fine
silver.
Now for the reticulation part, somthing I should mention is that the
shape of the sheet you start with well effect how it well reticulate
so experment with shapes. The best hint I can give you is tourch
control it seems to work best when you can matain the right temp. Its
like walking on a razer. It works best when you use a reflective
surface like charcoal brick or I like a solderite pad. now with a farly
hot flame If you have a oxy fuel , use a small tip with a oxadizing
flame ,if you have a fuel air torch you will have to play with it to
find the tip you like. I use a small tip but others that I know like
larger ones and if you are useing a thicker gage silver you well need
more heat. Below is the technique I use for reticulation silver.
Now heat (if you use charcoal pre-heat it befor you place your metal
on it) slowly with the flam far away from the metal and slowly bring
it to temp. whin it starts getting to temp. you can play with how
close you get the flam. What you are trying to do is get the core
molten but not the skin and you realy don’t want the core to migrate
to the surface. so becouse of the differant alloys in the silver the
core well melt at a lower temp then the fine silver skin and the
surface tention well cause it to ripple I like to stay in the same
place tell it starts to reticlate and then start to move the flame.
sterling is closer to fine silver you have to walk a finner line. (It
is very close to just melting it into a big blob) so whin the core get
molten pull the flam away for a split second and whin it cool it well
ripple and then move on inch by inch, so you are useing more torch
control for sterling. Some people use two torches for this. You well
just have to go for it and play I went thrue about 40.00 of silver
befor I started to get it. And most of it is up to god on how it well
ripple. then pickel it and scrub with a soft brass bruch under water.
as far as ploshing it if you over cook it it well be harder to get a
good shine I only worry about the high spots you can also depiltion
guld it a bit that well help remove some of the copper? but be carfel
you don’t want to get it to hot, just oxadize the copper that has come
to the surface!! Brushing it after you are done reticulating , well
get rid of most if it. I also like tumbling it. I don’t relly have a
good answer for ploshing it I like to have the fire schale in the
lower parts, it patinas better sorry about the spelling I don’t have
spell check.
Below are some questions Roxan asked me and they may shead more
light on this.
Roxan-First let me tell you that you have done a good job explaining
this progress to me. I do have a few more question so please bare with
me. In answer to your questions, I quench in acid pickle. Should I be
quenching it in water first then each time putting it into pickle?
Keith-THE REASEN I guench in water first I was told that the hot
metal is more pouress and the asid fills the pours so whin you reheat
it you get the acid fumes so I make it a habbit to cool all my work in
water befor I pickel.
Roxan-I am not clear on this part. Should it be a quick quench,
getting into the water or pickle as fast as I can? or do you let it
cool down a little before quenching? I use either 28 or 26 gage
sterling silver.
Keith-I have not though of in that way I just guench it right after
heating. I do let it cool after reticulating but not complety becous
it is so soft and close to melting. With thinner gages it is very
inportent to heat slowly!!!As your heating it and the core gets
molten, it well just start rippling in front of your eyes it seem like
magic. But I have not gotten grate results from thin sterling I like
thicker sterling, and seems to happen more on the surface. But ret.
silver workes grate with thinner gages. They are two differnt beasts
and work totaly differnt.
Roxan-I think one of the problems is that I may have used flux
Keith-Flux well not let the copper oxadize
Roxan-from time to time and I may not be keeping above the annealing
point long enough.
Keith-I am not tring to anneal just oxadize the copper in the silver
so the pickle well remove it. so if it get a little hotter is ok you
just don’t want it to start to reticulate befor you are ready.
Roxan-I have, on occasion, got it too hot and melted holes in the
piece, which sometimes adds interest to the work. Creative happenings
are good sometimes, there are no mistakes just a new opportunity to
incorporate it into your work.
Keith-You are totaly on target with this I have had some realy cool
stuff happen That way. But I also try to think of the reticulated
silver as raw material to hack and cut up for what ever I need it for.
Roxan-When I do the reticulation I think I am getting the skin too
hot before the inner core is hot enough,
Keith-Be patchent when heating it takes time .
Roxan-I will need to hold it a little further away and be more
careful next time. It seems to be a hit and miss thing with me.
Keith-and me!!
Roxan-Sometimes a piece turns out better than others.
Keith-what’s your point, just a joke!! that is just the nature of the
thing. Some times it takes me 5 or 6 times or more before I get
somthing I like.
Roxan-The other problem I have is keeping the piece hot enough so I
can work on a small area to reticulate. You are right that it can turn
to a blob very quickly, but I love the challenge. May be I am using
too large of a torch, but if you use a smaller one I have trouble
getting enough heat.
Keith-That is why you need something to reflect the heat back into
the metal I have found that a solderite pad does that the best I have
also have had good luck with a charcoal brick, If you use charcoal
preheat it first with your torch, fire brick is just so so but on
thicker gage it well work ok.
Roxan-I do clean the piece with a soft tooth brush but not with a
brass brush
Keith- Get a soft brass brush in water the ones at the harware stores
are to stiff and well leave scraches. I like the finest sinthitic steel
wool(its made by 3M it sort-of like a schochbrite pad) and am able to
get it at the hardware store.
Roxan-and only at the end of the reticulation. I didn’t know you
clean it between each heating. So this is another thing I am not doing
right.
Keith-I think it helps remove the copper but I am able to reticulate
if I don’t clean between heatings but it works much better if you do.
the last time I pickle befor I reticulate I don’t brush.
Roxan-I use a fire brick but not a charcoal brick, I also have a pan
with granulation of something not quite sure what it is, but it holds
heat and allows me to place things in it. I bought it from someone’s
estate through a friend that knew the person who owned it. It swivels
and make it easy to work on a piece.
Keith-If you want you can get a lazy susan at the hardware store to
put under your soldering pads.
Roxan-May be the polishing thing is because I am over heating the
piece. I am not sure,how do I tell if it has been overheated short of
it turning into a blob of metal? And are you saying that if this has
happened , I should re anneal it again after the reticulation is done?
Do you the brass brush again at the end of the reticulation?
Keith-Over heating lets see on reticulation silver it well kind-of
get crystaly looking, also whin the core migrates to the top you have
more copper in it and copper makes firescale???
Roxan- May be I am not sure of the term depletion guild which I have
understood to be bringing the fine silver to the surface. I thought
the copper stayed in the center. Gee now I am getting confused. I will
have to do some more reading on the subject.
Keith-Ya I think I realy don’t know what realy happens I think of it
as removing the copper from the skin and leaving fine silver I think
the heat oxcadizes the copper and not the silver and whin you pickle
it it removes the copper oxcides and leaves the fine silver??
Hope this is ok and helps a little Thanks Roxan for your help.
Keith G. Hale
Diane -
Did you first go through a cycle of heating and pickling to create a
silver-rich outer layer on the piece to be reticulated?
I have also used the Hoover and Strong reticulation sheet with good
results. This is what I did:
I repeatedly annealed the piece to be reticulated and quenched it in
hot sodium bisulfate (Ph down - I’ve stopped using Sparex, thank you
John Burgess). On some of the later annealings, I held the heat at a
dull red for several minutes - not enough to produce surface changes
in the sheet, but enough to bring the copper oxides out to be pickled
away.
In between picklings, I used Sun light detergent and warm water to
brass brush the sheet, rinsed and dried.
By the time I was done, I had a smooth sheet of metal that had a
white surface. To reticulate it, I used two torches, one with a very
bushy flame to heat the whole piece and the other with a very fine
flame to heat selected areas of the metal to a red-hot. As we moved
the bushy flame and the fine flame across the metal the cooling raised
a very attractive mountainous surface texture in the areas that were
allowed to cool immediately. If we kept the bushy flame on the work
after heating it to red-hot, I got a “pimpled” texture. I only heated
for reticulation once, not repeatedly. Perhaps your repeated heatings
destroyed the effect you were trying to achieve.
The 1998/99 Hoover and Strong catalog includes instructions for
reticulation on page 20. I also referenced Tim McCreight’s “The
Complete Metalsmith.”
I hope this helps-
Debby Hoffmaster