balling ends of wire with stones

[Raven777]

I am trying to ball the ends of fine silver or argentium. The wire is about 1" - 1.25" 20 gauge. on the wire I have glass beads or stones. balling one end inserting it and trying to ball the other. but it gets too hot.
So how to do this without cracking or heading the stones/ beads? I have tried packing in wet paper towels, but then the wire will not ball. Looking for advice. I have used an acetylene torch, and also a mini torch oxygen propane small tip. IS there some other method or some other torch/iron?

[CJ57]

I don’t think you can Raven. Why are you balling both ends?

[Raven777]

I need both ends balled for my design.It is the method I need for design purposes and to hold the stones/ beads on the wire

[Dennis]

Hi Raven, and welcome the forum. There are other ways of realising your design. For instance you could solder on a 2mm one hole bead at one end, slip on the bead,
and then using extra easy hard solder, fix on a closing one.
You would have no trouble doing that, but the bead must air cool, not to crack it. Dennis.

[Raven777]

Thank you Dennis. I think this still will not work though. After many tries the heat transferring across the wire from the torch is too hot for the stones. I am thinking some other type of torch or non flame heating method is the only way to do this. Or some packing material that I have not thought of.

[CJ57]

You need the heat to get the silver to ball. You may find the design isn’t feasible which is disappointing but it’s the learning curving of designing and making. As long as the wire that needs to be balled runs through the centre of the bead no amount of cooling will save them and do what you require of the metal

[Dennis]

Thank you Dennis. I think this still will not work though. After many tries the heat transferring across the wire from the torch is too hot for the stones. I am thinking some other type of torch or non flame heating method is the only way to do this. Or some packing material that I have not thought of.

You can but try ii, but I think that if you use artificial stones, which are basically coloured glass. a ball will successfully solder on with extra easy silver solder. Heat blockers are not much help for this- just a not too fierce flame from a medium torch and let the stone heat up slowly. Dennis.