Hello! (and a question!)

[ruth3007]

Hi all!

Thought I should introduce myself before diving straight in with a question! :~:

I'm Ruth, I make silver jewellery as a hobby, started a few years ago just messing about but have recently attened an evening class to try and improve my silver jewellery skills!

Now for the question! I have about 150grammes of scrap silver and I have no idea what to do with it! I emailed Cookson who said that I couldnt sell it as scrap since it was less than a kilo :( Realistically I will never ever get a kilo of scrap due to the small quantities I work with. Any suggestions what I can do with this? (I don't a cruicibles for melting it down)

Ruth

[mizgeorge]

You don't need a crucible to melt it in small quantities.

A lot of my scrap gets turned into little silver balls to use for decoration. Just make a little round depression in a charcoal block put a bit of scrap in with some flux, and take a torch to it. It will melt and spin and turn into a perfect little ball to use for decoration.

You can do the same thing on a slightly larger scale to make freeform blobs to use as spacers or pendants too.

[ruth3007]

I've made little silver balls for decoration before, just with such a large quantity I'm running out of plans, might try making a bigger 'blob' with it and turn that into a pendant or something!

Thanks for the suggestion anyway!

R

[jille]

I reticulate small pieces then fuse them onto sheet metal,
It was inspired by the melting snow we had earlier this year

[Di Sandland]

I've made silver balls then bashed them flat with a hammer, drilled them, and use a whole load of them together as spacers.

[Kwant]

Bash? Is that a technical term?:X

[Jayne]

I've made silver balls then bashed them flat with a hammer, drilled them, and use a whole load of them together as spacers.

ah, now I've tried this but had muchos trouble keeping the little beggars stable for drilling. Masking tape no good, vice tight enough to hold them but dents the sides. OH reckons I should solder them together in a strip, drill them in a channel & then saw them apart afterwards but it sounds like a terrible faff. How do you do yours, Di?
J x

[bustagasket]

Welcome to the forums, no need for me to chip in with advice already good stuff here, and i am a noob :)

[Jayne]

Sorry, where are my manners?
Welcome Ruth :~:
J x

[ps_bond]

Hi Ruth!

If you've anything left after granulation & reticulation, I'd hang onto it until you've got more.

Jayne, have you tried sticking them to a board with a thin coating of setters wax or shellac on it?

[Jayne]

Not yet, Peter. Thanks, I'll try that.
J x

[Di Sandland]

ah, now I've tried this but had muchos trouble keeping the little beggars stable for drilling. Masking tape no good, vice tight enough to hold them but dents the sides. OH reckons I should solder them together in a strip, drill them in a channel & then saw them apart afterwards but it sounds like a terrible faff. How do you do yours, Di?
J x

I stuck em down with a thick pad of blue tack

[Jayne]

I'll have a go at that too - ta :D
J x

[ruth3007]

Hi everyone!

Thanks for all the ideas, will try some of them out and hopefully put some nice pictures of the results up soon!

Ruth x

[Cathy at the Beach]

Hi Ruth....feel funny welcoming you to this forum as I just arrived too!!

I use my little scraps in new pieces. I solder various shapes of scrap to silver sheet and form pieces for bracelet links etc. After soldering them securing onto the piece- I use a pumice wheel on my dremel to smooth them and make sure there are no catchy parts. Often I will add a bezel set cab with them.They look organic- kinda neat. I also melt bits of silver onto copper. It fuses together and creates neat little rivelets of silver- looks a lot like reticulated silver.
I have some scottish blood. So I waste nothing. LOL

[Gemma]

Hello Ruth and :welcome: from me too.
A ickle crucible is quite cheap! I got one recently and am going to attempt to draw some wire...one day.
I love watching scrap melt!

[Ominicci]

Hello from me too Ruth :welcome:

[AlexandraBuckle]

Welcome to the forum Ruth :~: