Making a pmc and sterling ring

**bashingmetal** · 27-09-2011, 01:24 PM

Hi there

I want to mould a flower from pmc 3 and then make a rind out of sterling sheet. How do I join them together? Can I put paste on and kiln it or Do I need solder as if I was soldering two pieces of sterling together?

Sorry if it's a stupid question?

Cheers jo

**Kwant** · 27-09-2011, 01:33 PM

You would need to fire your flower first then solder it to the sterling.

**Dennis** · 27-09-2011, 01:46 PM

Clay experts might have another answer, but if I were doing it I should fire the clay, solder the shank, and then solder the two together.

As fired clay absorbs solder like a sponge, the best technique would be to melt plenty of solder onto the shank first, position it on the back of the flower with a few more pallions and sweat the two together. Dennis.

**Melanie De Castro Pugh** · 27-09-2011, 02:06 PM

I'm with Kwant and Dennis on this one. I make a lot of pmc (copper and silver) things which I then solder to silver or copper rings. And as Dennis says, you need a LOT of solder!

**Adrienne** · 27-09-2011, 10:36 PM

Make the shank as normal then drill three or four holes right through the shank, where you want the flower to go. Make the flower in pmc and apply to the ring, making sure that some of the pmc goes into the holes - or push a little disc of pmc onto the ring first, so some goes into the holes, and then make the flower and add to the ring using paste. Then fire or torch. What you are doing is creating a connection like using dowels in wood - a sort of rivet.

It's explained really well by Doris King in a book called "Precious Metal Techniques" edited by Tim McCreight. It's become a real must-have book for me.

If you want, I can scan the small section on this (it's about a page and a half) and email it to you.

regards
Adrienne
Gothglitz Designs (www.gothglitz.co.uk)

**Adrienne** · 27-09-2011, 10:42 PM

Oh, if you're still going to solder PMC to sterling then you have to Depletion Gild the sterling silver first. I have instructions for doing this in a kiln or by torch, I don't have a kiln - I use my torch.
The copper in the sterling will make it really hard to solder fired PMC to sterling. By depletion gilding, you are left with a layer of fine silver on the sterling which will really easily solder to the PMC (and you don't have to use lots of solder!)

**pearlescence** · 28-09-2011, 06:23 AM

I've never used PMC (it is on the 'to do' list) my question is: If you need to use a lot of solder to attach something made from PMC to sterling, how would that go with assay for hallmarking.?

**Adrienne** · 28-09-2011, 08:30 AM

I think that if you make a piece out of both sterling and PMC - it will have to be hallmarked as sterling, no matter how much solder or PMC there is.

regards
Adrienne.

**Dennis** · 28-09-2011, 12:38 PM

Originally Posted by Adrienne

It's explained really well by Doris King in a book called "Precious Metal Techniques" edited by Tim McCreight. It's become a real must-have book for me.
If you want, I can scan the small section on this (it's about a page and a half) and email it to you.regardAdrienneGothglitz Designs (www.gothglitz.co.uk)

Hi Adrienne, I Have searched the web and it seems that Tim McCreight has edited two similar sounding books: ‘Precious Metal Clay Techniques’, and
‘Metals Technic’.
He has also written: ‘Working with Precious metal Clay’. Which makes it all a bit confusing, but I think it is the first title you are referring to.
Regards, Dennis.