Today was one of those days in my studio. I have a show coming up,
and have been rushed to get things finished.
I had cut several lengths of sterling tubes into 3/4 inch
pieces,–about 40 in all. Then realized I should have polished the
tubes before cutting them into sections. Decided the best thing to do
was pickle them and then toss them into my tumbler for burnishing. To
my dismay, the little tumbling shot pieces all wedged themselves
firmly inside of each tube. There was no way I could dislodge them. I
poked and poked with a steel rod but could not budge them. Not enough
of the ends protruded so that I could grasp them with my pliers.
Fixed myself a nice hot cup of tea to sooth my nerves, and thought
the matter over. Finally, I realized that if agitation had put them
into the tubes, perhaps agitation would remove them.
I tossed the batch into a jar, tightened the lid, and bounced the
tubes up and down, shaking the jar vigorously. Eureka. It worked. The
jostling dislodged the steel shot, and I was able to save my silver
tubing.
Just thought I would share this in case someone else
finds shot imbedded in their silver tubes.
I used to cast a bead hanger for an artist, the tube was 1/4"
diameter by about 2 ". The first time I tumbled them was a rude
surprise by how much steel shot got stuck inside the tube, as it was
curved just made it more difficult. Talk about a learning curve…
I used the plastic part used for securing screws in sheet rock,
stuck them in both ends. Pain to do that with hundreds of parts.
Fixed myself a nice hot cup of tea to sooth my nerves, and thought
the matter over. Finally, I realized that if agitation had put
them into the tubes, perhaps agitation would remove them.
This same technique works well if you get pieces of shot caught in
chain that’s been tumbled.
I’ve never put them in a container to shake them. I just hold the
chain containing the piece/s of shot 1 or 2 feet above the table &
let them fall. If the shot doesn’t come out on the 1st try more tries
may be needed.
I recall Noel posting something similar to Alma Rands’ description…
she said she put the items with shot stuck into them, inside a stiff
box and then “shook it like a crazy person.” I had to wonder how one
shakes a crazy person. VBG!!
Judy in Kansas, where it’s a foggy, foggy day in MHK.
Looks like the coefficient of thermal expansion for stainless steel
is around 51, and silver is 54. Wouldn’t gain any appreciable
improvement from that. Only possible advantage is from added
lubrication.
also would have helped to use warm/hot water as that would expand
the tube and make the shot looser.
Would it expand the tube more than it expanded the shot?
If the shot is carbon steel and the work is sterling then yes but
would it be enough difference, I don’t know. If it is stainless shot
then no, the thermal expansion coefficient of sterling and 300
series stainless are about the same.
I recall Noel posting something similar to Alma Rands'
description... she said she put the items with shot stuck into
them, inside a stiff box and then "shook it like a crazy person." I
had to wonder how one shakes a crazy person.
Actually, that was a description of how to remove a cabochon that
somehow gets into its setting without dental floss under it to aid
removal. But it makes sense to me that it would work to dislodge
shot, too.
Aack! “How one shakes a crazy person”! Ah, English! Well, you’d have
to shake them hard to get their attention, right?
But it worked, in that you remember! I have always found that a
colorful description sticks in the mind better than a staid one. And
it’s more fun.
Actually, that was a description of how to remove a cabochon that
somehow gets into its setting without dental floss under it to aid
removal.
I have another “trick” for removing a stuck stone. Unfortunately I
have had experience in this! (Probably most of us have)
What I did was to mix up a tiny amount of fast setting epoxy, glue a
piece of skinny dowel to the top of the cab, let it set for a while,
then just pull it straight up and out of the setting. The epoxied
dowel was easily removed by placing it in a jar with just a touch of
nail polish remover. I suppose if the stone is treated with an epoxy
based resin in any fashion this could damage it, but I don’t leave
it in the solution very long at all, it pretty much came right off.
Plus, is was I stone I had cut myself, so I knew it was all natural.
Just an added tip I thought I would throw in.