red gold

[sarahd]

i recently made some fine bangles for someone in 9ct gold and they have now asked if i can do the same thing in pink or red gold. I dont seem to be able to find any info on where to source the gold and also how to work with it ie soldering etc - any info would be most welcome

[bustagasket]

Welcome to the boards Sarah, one of our resident experts will soon be able to point you in the right direction i am sure :D :~:

[Solunar Silver Studio]

Sorry - can't help on that one but I can say :~: It's really nice to have you on the forum!! A big :welcome: from me!!

[nikki_d72]

Hiya and welcome, fellow newbie!

Cookson supply 9ct red gold in sheet and wire from, and the solders to match, you'll find it all on their main website. It can be a little harder to work, for some reason (you'd think the copper content would make it softer, but doesn't seem to be the case) and the solder is a little more yellow than the metal so use sparingly and clean back well before polishing.

Hope this helps.
Nikki

[sarahd]

thanks that is a real help - i will look into it and let you know how i get on - so happy to have found this forum :)

[The Bijou Dragon]

I think it might be the name, unless I'm wrong isn't it usually called Rose gold (because it is a red colour). Might be easier to find!

[The Bijou Dragon]

Thanks, I wasn't aware of that, I don't have much to do with gold and hadn't heard of Red Gold just that my Nana used to call her rose gold ring red gold so I presumed!

Does it go green easily with the higher copper content at all?

[nikki_d72]

No it won't go green at all, it's an alloy with a high copper content but is still 9ct gold so won't tarnish any differently to any other 9ct alloy. It's just a bit of a swine to put through a drawplate if its over about 2mm, without the use of a drawbench! (hands up who has one of those? We were so spoiled in college, weren't we??!)

[sarahd]

if i buy it at the correct diameter i wont need to do that but is it quite straightforward to solder and same methods of cleaning? i dont want to make an expensive mistake

[nikki_d72]

if i buy it at the correct diameter i wont need to do that but is it quite straightforward to solder and same methods of cleaning? i dont want to make an expensive mistake

Yes, The solder will take quite a bit to run, so get your brave hat on, and as I say there is an unavoidable colour difference (use hard, if poss), so make sure your join is as tight as it possibly can be, use the minimum of solder and clean back to the join before polishing. Have fun!! It's a lovely colour, they'll love it.
Nikki

[sarahd]

one last question! do i heat the whole piece as in silver or just the join as in gold? many thanks

[nikki_d72]

Just treat it as gold and heat the join. the heat transfer rate is about the same, but it takes quite a blast, so the last time I used it (on a ring) most of the ring was glowing before it ran anyway. The heat probably won't travel so much in a bangle, Also I think my torch was getting a bit low so didn't have the same grunt as normal. You'll be fine.

[Matp85]

it is easy to work with! just remember just stop if you think its gonna melt let it cool down and reflux!

:V: i have loads of draw plates and have once seen the whole vice ripped of the bench because they forgot to heat the tension out the wire.

Also nearly been hit the head when the draw plate came out the vice and landed with a nice metal on wood sound infront of me like a whip from across the room with the wire still in one end of the draw plate and the other in the guys pliers!

[nikki_d72]

Ha! Brilliant fun, eh? Bet you enjoyed a pint that night! My drawplate nightmare was with 4mm square and I think it was just a particularly crappy plate, to be honest (maybe that and having the vice jammed in place with my feet on the floor as it wasn't attached to the bench, yuk, yuk - but it's always worked before!!) as it was well annealed, I ended up forging it down in size and it worked just fine. If in doubt, hammer it!!

Nikki