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

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

[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

[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