Soft silver sheet

Jewelry Discussion
1

Hello Everybody

after rolling MILL, annealing silver sheet and quench in water soft,
but quench it in methanol softer, is there another way tho get silver
sheet much softer as possible.

many thks by advance for all the replies
nathalie

2 
after rolling MILL, annealing silver sheet and quench in water
soft, but quench it in methanol softer, is there another way tho
get silver sheet much softer as possible.

for the softest sterling sheet you want to heat to 1382F or 750C and
immediately quench in water. This will result in the softest
sterling. Do not quench in methanol this will actually result in a
harder sheet than water quenching. Sterling precipitation hardens
this means the slower you cool it the harder it will be after
annealing so air cooling would be the hardest, followed by quenching
in methanol, then quenching in water is the fastest cooling rate and
the softest metal.

James Binnion
James Binnion Metal Arts

3 
after rolling MILL, annealing silver sheet and quench in water
soft, but quench it in methanol softer, is there another way tho
get silver sheet much softer as possible.
  1. Try agitated water
  2. Try agitated brine solution (about 5-10% of table salt in water)
  3. Try agitated brine solution (in 2 above) to which dry ice has
    been added

Also, higher the annealing temperature and longer the time at
annealing temperature, softer will be the sterling after a given
quench. We have got some of the softest sterling when annealed at
1400F for 15 minutes and fast quenched in still water. Hardness was
measured to be 60 HV.

4

Hi Nathalie

is it sterling or fine and how thick and how large a piece?

I let fine silver air cool and it is like cardboard.

Sterling I air cool or drop into the pickle, and it is easier to
work.

How are you annealing, heat to a deep cherry red.

What type of torch do you have? Silversmiths use brazing torches
with bellows, flame control.

What are you doing with the sheet?

If you are raising it you need deep spinning silver often 950 not
925.

If you are making jewellery build your muscles and use your
planishing hammer.

Yesterday due to boredom and possible brain damage, LOL, I made a
bezel for a 7mm CZ

out of 1.5 mm sterling sheet. I used wire for the stone seat so the
bezel wall was 1.5 mm thick by 7mm wide.

I USE CZs FOR PRACTICE I DON’T CRY OVER A FEW DOLLARS WHEN I HAVE AN
EPIC FAIL.

I used a bench block and planishing hammer to form the bezel, even
king kong could not bend it with pliers.

I then tried to push the bezel down with a pusher, ow, there is no
fool like an old fool.

So it was time to set with hammer and setting punch. Used a benchmate
with the bridge for support for first 4 hits. Then up the mandril
and then for final set down of metal back in benchmate.

I post this to show you Nathalie various techniques are needed when
physical strength is not enough.

Richard