Screw back mounts for nonpierced ears tutorials, where to find?

[SilverBouillon]

I'm working with argentium silver only, and could be able to find any manufactured argentium screw back earrings mounts.
Does any one know where I can get some tips for making it?

[Dennis]

Hi SB,

If you look at illustrations of those for sale, you will see that they have a long arm, one end of which is soldered flat to your ear stud. The other end has a threaded tube and a screw with a safe end. After solderingthe long arm is bent to a U shape to navigate the ear lobe.

When I once bought some sterling ones out of curiosity, I found the wire too thin and soft to resist the tightening of the screw and was not confident that they would hold. So if you were to make some I would recommend a piece of thick round wire, say 1.2mm, twisted after soldering to harden it. You will also need experience with a tap and die kit.

All in all you might go for ready-mades in 9ct white gold, twisted after soldering, which should work for you. You can still use silver solder. Dennis.

[SilverBouillon]

Thanks Dennis.
I do have a quite collection of sterling silver screbacks, and some gold as well. I know what you mean; when I wear ss ones, I do it with care due to soft silver. I hope that argentium is harder than ss after baking.
The one thing I don't understand is how to attach the end flat caps to the threaded tube which I suppose to insert into tube holder before I attach the second cap. I can solder one end cup to threaded tube, but how to solder the second one from the opposite side without damaging the whole construction?

One of my Native American ss screwback was broken showing that missing cover cap has been attached without soldering. It looked like threaded tube has been hammered like rivet into flat disc, then the cap added to cover that disk.

I hope I explain well, so you can understand what I mean.

The screback mounts available from manufacturers are all the same, which gives me both design and metal limitations.

[mizgeorge]

I don't find Argentium much harder than sterling, to be honest, even after heat hardening, especially with the thinner wire gauges. The big problem is the inherent softness of the silver, which means the threads inevitably degrade in time. I'd tend to agree with Dennis about using 9ct (or 10k for you!) white as a much stronger alternative. Clips, however, are pretty easy to fabricate, so if you particularly wanted argentium, these might be an option for non-pierced?

[SilverBouillon]

mizgeorge, clips are not as good as screwbacks, clips give me headache just after 30 minutes of wearing them. I do have vintage ss screbacks, and I can tell that some of them have stronger wire than others. Perhaps it's alloy difference, I don't know. I also own rhodium plated ss, and those are pretty strong.
Gold is not for me yet. I'm just learning.

As for argentium, you broke my heart I hoped that baking will make significant difference in hardness. That's what I read.

[Dennis]

Quote [ The one thing I don't understand is how to attach the end flat caps to the threaded tube which I suppose to insert into tube holder before I attach the second cap. I can solder one end cup to threaded tube, but how to solder the second one from the opposite side without damaging the whole construction? ] Quote.

I'm glad George has joined in. I get worried when all I can hear is my own echo. If everything else is hard soldered, you will not damage the whole construction if you solder the second one with easy solder. If you are worried practice with a piece of scrap wire and two disks possibly using something cheap like copper. Dennis.

[SilverBouillon]

If everything else is hard soldered, you will not damage the whole construction if you solder the second one with easy solder. If you are worried practice with a piece of scrap wire and two disks possibly using something cheap like copper. Dennis.

I think I got it. I can make the whole screwback construction without that final cap, solder it to the earring, then (just in case) secure the earring into insulating compound. Then I lightly screw the flat disk into threaded tube making sure it's 90 degrees to the tube, apply super easy solder on the disk, cover the disk with the cover cap and apply hit to sweat solder them together.
How about that?

As for practicing with copper, I'm afraid to contaminate argentium with it.

[Dennis]

Quote[As for practicing with copper, I'm afraid to contaminate Argentium with it.] Quote

Under normal conditions copper is quite safe in your workshop, even in your pickle. It's a constituent of silver alloys anyhow. The only way to contaminate your Argentium would be to deliberately melt some filings into it. Dennis.

[SilverBouillon]

It's a constituent of silver alloys anyhow. The only way to contaminate your Argentium would be to deliberately melt some filings into it. Dennis.

You are right, I did not think about it. Only some copper is replaced with germanium, but not all copper.

I'm afraid to annoy you with all my questions, only the one last for now.

Is it really important to bake argentium in oven (kiln)? I made a pendant, gave it mirror finish, and did not bake it. It's hard, shiny, and did not tarnish after placed in humid spot compare to SS.

[mizgeorge]

It's not mandatory to heat harden argentium at all (though it can actually be done in a domestic oven rather than kiln if that's easier). I do find that the tarnish resistance is better once pieces have been heated (whether soldered or fused) as I understand the heat brings the germanium layer to the surface, but it's certainly not a requirement.

Is there a particular reason you're using only argentium rather than sterling? Other than for fused pieces, I have to admit I haven't found a great deal to make me pay the (in our case significant) extra for it.