Annealing with a kitchen torch

[jetlag]

Doable?

I bought some 3mm and 4mm round silver wire in class today and am wondering if I can anneal it enough with a kitchen torch to bend round a mandrel. You know, the sort you caramelize a brulee with? LOL Otherwise, I'll have to wait 2 weeks as it's half term next week :'(

[WitchfordSilver]

I used a kitchen torch for quite some time and it will solder quite big rings, you just have to keep it moving up and down the wire.

don't thing your have a problem.

[jetlag]

Thank you. That is just what I wanted to hear :D

I'm going to try pickling with salt and vinegar, too. Was just going to use a mason jar in a pot of hot water.

You guys are the best [[]]

[jetlag]

Right, I've annealed the 4mm round wire until it was a soft salmon colour and quenched it, but it's still too hard to bend round a mandrel easily.

What am I doing wrong?

[Trudy]

Ive used half round ring pliers to bend thicker wire in to rounded shapes...not sure if this is right though :confused:

[jetlag]

This just won't bend. I got it almost into U shape and it's hardened already. Is that normal?

[Lisa Quinn]

Hi there

Yes, 4mm wire would be really difficult to bend by hand , regardless of the annealing process, you will need a nylon or wooden mallet to bash it round a mandrel and if you are trying to make a ring, don't cut the wire to size before bending it, as you will have no leverage and it will be murderous trying to make a circle.

Good Luck

Lisa x

[jetlag]

Too late :lol: Ah well, lesson learned.

[amazingbabe]

wait wait, don't waste it, i actually don'nt make my perfect circles until i have them soldered, so just join them together so its shaped like a D,,,, solder,then shape it with your hammer and your mandrel,,,,, hope this helps:Y:

[Lisa Quinn]

If you have managed to make a U shape, try and hammer the ends with a rubber hammer to curl them over the mandrel a little bit more and once you have them in a C shape, hammer the top of the "C" to bring them together until you get a fig like shape and then holding the shape with the open ends at the top, hammer the two ends down (one at a time) until they meet, it will be a struggle, 4mm wire is extremely thick and I would certainly have trouble making a ring from such thick wire, but like Gayle says " don't give up" you can do it .

Lisa xx

[amazingbabe]

I sometimes use my pliers aswell. Even though this may mark the silver it can be filed out xx:Y:

[jetlag]

Aaaah, OK. Is it worth annealing it again? The kitchen torch works a treat, btw :Y:

The pliers is not an issue as I want to file bits off anyway to give a slightly organic look :)

[jetlag]

And the rubber mallet has to be quite heavy, I'm guessing?

[Lisa Quinn]

Not too heavy, I use a nylon hammer which isn't very heavy but does the job well, the key will be to strike it in the right place whilst keeping the wire from slipping around the mandrel. xx

[Emerald]

wait wait, don't waste it, i actually don'nt make my perfect circles until i have them soldered, so just join them together so its shaped like a D,,,, solder,then shape it with your hammer and your mandrel,,,,, hope this helps:Y:

I am with Gayle on this one make the best shape you can with the wire saw pierce it so the ends meet perfectly and then once soldered together shape :Y: