ImpressArt Heart Stamped Scrap Silver Charm Pendant

This project is a great way to utilise off cuts of clean scrap sterling silver. There are lots of ImpressArt stamps available in different fonts, numbers, patterns, symbols and designs. A truly personalised and individually handmade gift.

Step 1

Weigh out your clean sterling scrap silver.

Note: 1 gram of sterling silver made an 8mm diameter pendant 1.7mm thick after being flattened with a hammer (as pictured).

Step 2

Place the scrap silver on a heat proof or charcoal block. Make sure the scrap silver is all in contact and add a pinch of crumbled borax. Use a blowtorch to heat the silver up until it melts and forms a blob.

Step 3

Leave the silver ball to cool for 2 minutes before quenching (cooling) in water using tweezers and placing in a warm safety pickle solution. Leave for 5 minutes or until and clean and remove with plastic tweezers.

Step 4

When clean and dry place the silver ball/blob onto a steel block. You could secure it in place using double sided tape on the steel block. Use a household hammer to flatten the silver into a disc.

Step 5

Smooth the surface and edges of the silver disc using needle files and emery boards, supporting the silver on a bench peg. You may wish to use parallel pliers or flat nose pliers to hold your silver whilst filing. Work from the coarsest emery board to the smoothest.

Note: Parallel pliers with nylon inserts (999 PR06) are a great way to hold a small piece of silver for filing without scratching or damaging the surface of the silver.

Step 6

Anneal the silver disc by placing it on a heat proof block and using a hand blow torch to heat the silver up until it glows.

Note: Annealing the silver after hammering it will soften it ready for stamping it with the ImpressArt stamp.

Step 7

Leave the silver disc to cool for 2 minutes before quenching (cooling) in water using tweezers and placing in a warm safety pickle solution. Leave for 5 minutes or until clean and remove with plastic tweezers.

Step 8

When clean and dry place the disc or a steel block. Secure the disc in place using double sided tape. Place the ImpressArt stamp face down in the middle of the silver disc and strike the top of the stamp 1-2 times.

Note: It’s a good idea to practice using the stamp on a piece of copper or scrap sheet silver first. This can give you an idea of how hard to hit the stamp on the silver disc.

Step 9

Next create a notch in the top of the silver disc using a round needle file and supporting the silver disc in pliers or bench peg. This notch is for the jump ring to ‘sit’ in, so it only needs to be around 1mm deep.

Note: You could use a pendant motor with a burr to create a notch (999 6387).

Step 10

Take the 4mm jump ring and grip either side of the ends with flat nose pliers and snipe nose pliers. Close the jump ring ends flush by twisting the pliers into the centre.

Step 11

Place the silver disc on a heat proof block and add a small amount of solder paste in the notch. Use reverse action tweezers in a third hand to hold the jump ring and line it up in the centre of the notch of the silver disc. Ensure that the 2 ends of the jump ring are in the notch and in direct contact with the solder paste and silver disc. Use a hand blowtorch heat the silver disc until the solder melts and flows.

Note: Best practice is to use hard solder on the first and only solder join. However, any solder (easy, medium, hard) will work just fine.

Step 12

Leave the silver disc to cool for 2 minutes before quenching (cooling) in water using tweezers and placing in a warm safety pickle solution. Leave for 5 minutes or until clean and remove with plastic tweezers.

Note: If any excess solder has flowed onto the silver disc use an emery stick to gently sand and smooth away.

Step 13

Polish the silver charm by placing in a barrel tumbling machine with barrelbrite, water and stainless shot for 15-20 minutes. Alternatively use a silver polishing cloth to gently rub the charm until it shines or use a wire brush to add a brushed matt finish.

Step 14

With a cocktail stick dipped in platinol draw around the detail from the ImpressArt stamp to make the detail black. When dry give the charm a final shine with a silver polishing cloth.

Note: Ensure you follow all the safety instructions on the platinol.

Step 15

Thread the chain through the jump ring on the charm. If the jump ring on the end of the chain is too large, gently and carefully squish it using pliers until it is an oval shape and will thread through the jump ring on the charm.

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