Surgical steel.

Never used this before, but have been requested to make some earrings using the above for the posts as the person has a skin allergy. Any soldering problems or anything else I should be aware of please?


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Not an easy road. You can get medical quality stainless steel wire from Smiths, although you might have to phone them for advice.
https://www.kcsmith.co.uk/productsearch?q=medical+wire,
and use it for making ear wires, but you cant really have a soldered post, or metal scroll, for fear of a reaction where it contacts skin, close to the vulnerable piercing.

If you are in an experimental mood, you might try using Argentium silver and Argentium solder, Which fits the bill for many.

https://www.ganoksin.com/article/arg...-road-testing/ Dennis.

I find argentium super duper for my allergy prone skin.

Thanks for the Smiths link Dennis, most useful.

Smiths do wire in many sizes of rods too, which is very useful if you are making brooch pins.
Straightening wire from reels is just another thing to tease you. Dennis.

If I wanted to make my own surgical steel earwires I assume I get the soft wire, shape and hammer, so its work hardened?

Ahh, teasing me now, eh! haha :D

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Originally Posted by Dennis

Smiths do wire in many sizes of rods too, which is very useful if you are making brooch pins.
Straightening wire from reels is just another thing to tease you. Dennis.

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They also do smaller packs of straight wire. I bought some on your recommendation. I seem to remember that the delivery was relatively expensive but the up side is that the wire does not need to be straightened. :-)

https://www.kcsmith.co.uk/product/08...-r600h00800l30

Thanks Alastair, much appreciated. I bought a pack of earwires years ago and they are awful, so have sat in a box since. I'll definitely be ordering some of this wire for my more sensitive customers' earlobes. I've already got some argentium, but like to offer customers a choice.

This thread has taken on a life of its own, but here is more for Jules:

The material is so stiff, that once bent into ear wirers, it will need no further hammering, or hardening.

I saw on U-tube that to make identical ear wires, you fold a piece of wire in half, bend it up as normal and then nip the two pieces apart. Dennis

Many thanks for those extra tips Dennis. :)

Don't forget titanium and niobium for sensitive skin

My concern is that I have got some surgical steel discs and posts, but will they silver solder onto silver successfully.?


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Yes they will. Try it on copper first if you are in doubt. The post will still be quite stiff, even after heating, so there is no need to harden it, but a tentative twist will assure you that the joint is strong. Dennis

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Originally Posted by Dennis

Yes they will. Try it on copper first if you are in doubt. The post will still be quite stiff, even after heating, so there is no need to harden it, but a tentative twist will assure you that the joint is strong. Dennis

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Thanks Dennis.


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Quote:

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Originally Posted by Dennis

Yes they will. Try it on copper first if you are in doubt. The post will still be quite stiff, even after heating, so there is no need to harden it, but a tentative twist will assure you that the joint is strong. Dennis

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Well that's surprised me. Had no idea you could solder steel to silver!

I tend to prefer slightly more aggressive flux than borax for stainless steel - Tenacity #5, for example.

Yes, agreed and for other base metals too, sometimes. Trouble is it's quite an investment and what I bought maybe 20 years ago is mostly still there. Also you have to pickle quite fiercely in a hot solution to get off the glaze that forms. Dennis.

Oh yes, it's a pig to remove in comparison.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Dennis

Not an easy road. You can get medical quality stainless steel wire from Smiths, although you might have to phone them for advice.
https://www.kcsmith.co.uk/productsearch?q=medical+wire,
and use it for making ear wires, but you cant really have a soldered post, or metal scroll, for fear of a reaction where it contacts skin, close to the vulnerable piercing.

If you are in an experimental mood, you might try using Argentium silver and Argentium solder, Which fits the bill for many.

https://www.ganoksin.com/article/arg...-road-testing/ Dennis.

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Yet another question my friends!....as this is steel I assume You can’t pickle it ?

You might have to, to get off glaze due to flux, or brighten the silver part. The stainless steel will go dark grey, but is easily repolished. Dennis

I thought I had asked yet another “surgical steel” question but either I dreamt it or the goblins have gobbled it up.....can you pickle surgical steel and silver pieces or does that ruin the juice?

Yes, mine is the last reply on the previuos page.

In reply to your further enquiry:
If you put silver into pickle that contains iron, or use steel tweezers to remove it, the silver will quickly turn pink, due to deposition of copper. The effect stops when you remove the offending ron or steel.
However most stainless steel is safe if not left in very long. Dennis.

Thanks yet again.


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