[Source] Silver tubing

Does anyong out there have an idea where I can find fine silver
tubing without having to special order it. Also can someone
explain to me what is an ICQ number and what is it for. Thank
you. Vince LaRochelle, Eugene, OR.

   Does anyong out there have an idea where I can find fine
silver tubing without having to special order it.   

Vince Hoover & Strong (http://www.hooverandsstrong.com) lists 19 sizes
of sterling silver tuping in ther catalog ranging from 1 to 6 mm
in diameter.

hope this helps
WayneM

Hi Vincent, Call Rio Grande (RGI), at 1-800-545-6566, or write
them at 7500 Bluewater Road NW, albuquerque NM 87121, or fax them
at 1-800-965-2329. They will send you all three of their
catalogs (Tools, or Gems & Findings, or Display
Materials/Packaging etc.) free of charge. Their Gems & Findings
catalog is really complete. On page 14 they explain their
pricing, and you can combine items, such as the silver tubing
you want (called heishi here in the good old Southwest) which is
in current catalog page 36, in several styles. I love to just
sit down and browse their catalogs, there are so many goodies in
them! I rarely use any other supplier, since their line is so
complete. Good luck on finding what you want.

Sharon Holt, aka bootsie@NetMDC.com

Wayne M. Schenk wrote: Oops, I think you got an extra S in the
address for Hoover and Strong. Teresa

The question was where to find FINE silver tubing, not sterling,
which is readily available. It is not too difficult or time
consuming to draw your own tubing. Unless there is a supplier of
FINE tubing, this may be the way to go. J.Z. Dule

Vincent,

I have also been in search of fine silver tubing. I recently
contacted Rio Grande and they are researching whether or not
they can find a supplier and what minimum quantity I would need
to order. (special order) They are going to get back to me by
the beginning of next week. I have been making my own tubing,
but I do want to step up my production. I have also contacted
Swest as well as Hoover and Strong and they are unable to
produce any fine silver tubing. If you find out about other
resources please share your and I will do likewise.
Also, if you only need a small quantity and that is why you
don’t want to special order maybe we can work something out. To
be continued…

Linda Crawford
Linda Crawford Designs
Willits, CA

Hello Vince,

I have read the many posts on this subject and haven’t seen
anything about seamless cast tubing.

If you do not require the strength or thinness of drawn tube and
don’t need pieces more than an inch or so, why not just cast it?
I have cast 4" in a vacuum setup. Plastic tubing and drinking
straws waxed to size (dip it in hot wax to build the thickness)
also hobby stores and building suppliers have tubing of various
sizes and shapes that will stink up your shop as they burn out.
For tiny tubing dip iron wire in wax and remove it after the
cast.

For round tubing a drill bit and wooden grit reamer cleans up
the inside. Chuck it in your FS and sand the outside. Square,
triangular and hex will take a little longer to finish. Stars
are a real pain.

I have never attempted to draw cast tubing as I have never
needed tubing by the foot. I’m sure with a lot of annealing and
gentle increments it could be accomplished though.

Anyone have that kind of time to experiment?

Hope this helps.

\ () || |/
\ /
/
web site: http://www.opalsinthebag.com
e-mail: cutter@nospam@opalsinthebag.com

Vancouver, B.C. CANADA.

Can anyone refer me to a supplier of 1/2" (OD) sterling, round tube,
1mm thick (or 18ga thick metal) and 3/8 "(OD) square tubing, medium
wall, as referred to in Pauline Warg’s book on beads. No luck at
Rio, Hauser & Miller or Hoover & Strong. Thanks ALL! Tom

Hi Tom,

Metalliferous is THE company for 12" length sterling tubing in
diameters up to 2". Here’s their Web site: metalliferous.com. Here’s
a link to their tubing:

http://www.metalliferous.com/pdf/silver/SS%20Round%20Tube.pdf.

I’ve purchased tubing from them and arrived in excellent condition.

Jeffrey Herman

Handy & Harman is where i used to buy large diameter heavy wall
sterling tube we used it for making beads and wedding bands, i
know they can do it but you just gotta negotiate what kind of
quantity, beacuse if ur going to get over 500 troy ounces they
will probably make whatever you want…

try ordering ring blank stock. Other than making your own tubing
(easy) 1/2 dia. and up falls into the ring blank category as far as
pre-made material goes…as for square tubing, not one of the
suppliers I know of carries it that large, all are special order
items

Tom,

Stuller has the round tubing in the 1/2" size. It is considered heavy
wall tubing, the wall is 24 gauge or .020", not the 1mm as you
requested. It is sold only in 12" lengths.

I would also recommend calling Ross Metals 800-654-7677 as I
remember that company having larger sterling tubing. They may also
have the square tubing.

Beth Katz
http://www.myuniquesolutions.com

Last time I looked, Metalliferous (metalliferous.com) had a set of
bending springs in good jewelry sizes, so check there. I always
wanted to try these, but haven’t yet.

Good luck!
Lisa W.