Advice needed for making silver tube

[Keia]

I'm hoping to make some hoop earrings with hinged earwires & one of the ways I'd like to try this is with silver tubes, meaning I can have the earwires going into the hollow tube making the connection secure while being worn.
I was planning on making my own silver tube for this. Does anyone know how to make it properly using a rolling mill please?

[Dennis]

Hi Sian,

Silver tube is made by forming an oblong piece of sheet in a swage block until it is a channel shape and then pulling it through a large drawplate to close the edges. This is quite a hassle considering you can buy all sizes of seamless tube, ready made.

The next problem is to form it into a hoop, which I have not attempted either, because you would have to fill it with something such as sand or wax to stop it collapsing and then bend it around a mandrel. It would take several attempts to get this right.

There is also a method for using stiff wire and drawing it out, leaving the hoop intact, but I have forgotten the detail.

If I had to do this, I would use solid wire, which is easy to form, and add sufficient tubing at one end for your needs. I hope I have not misread your question, Dennis.

[Keia]

No you didn't misread it, that's exactly the advice I was needing, thankyou!
I think I'll try the solid wire with a small bit of tubing on the end to accept the earwire & take it from there, many thanks =D

[Exsecratio]

For bending fine bore small tube Cerrobend is excellent, melts at 158 F (so much lower than water boils) and stops crushing and collapse without the danger of voids that can come with using sand or salt.

It's a child product of Cerrocast that was originally used for making chamber casts in the firearms world (it doesn't shrink when cooling, it expands by 0.002%) but if it is poured then dropped into water it becomes very malleable for bending fine wall tubes.

It will allow bending of plated tubes as well without the peeling you sometimes get

best wishes

Dave

[Dennis]

Sian, if you go that route your added tubing will still need a gentle curve. You can do that easily by fitting in a piece of copper wire (maybe from old electrical cable) and then bending it around a mandrel, or using those pliers with one stepped beak, used for making loops.

Afterwards the wire is withdrawn by pulling it through a hole on the flat side of a draw plate, or a hole in a stout piece of metal, small enough to hold back the tubing. Alternatively, you can give up and just use an ear post and scroll.

Dave, I was quite excited about your suggestion, until I realised that Cerrobend is a low melting alloy of bismuth, lead, tin and cadmium. This would be a big No No in a jewelery workshop as even traces remaining would contaminate silver, particularly if a soldering operation follows.

These metals are potentially allergenic and around a piercing could cause swelling weeping and scabbing which could take weeks to resolve. Once sensitised a person would begin to notice an unpleasant sensation in their fingers for example when touching a metal key pad, or reddening from a metal backed watch.

Dennis.

[ps_bond]

Fields metal is another low melting point alloy - but lacking in lead & cadmium. http://www.mindsetsonline.co.uk sell it.

(Just seen the price of the stuff...! I bought mine before the price of indium went through the roof)

[Exsecratio]

These metals are potentially allergenic and around a piercing could cause swelling weeping and scabbing which could take weeks to resolve. Once sensitised a person would begin to notice an unpleasant sensation in their fingers for example when touching a metal key pad, or reddening from a metal backed watch.

oooerr, that's not good thanks for the heads up Dennis

best wishes

Dave

[medusa]

recently reading this forum is a bit like reading potential storylines for CSI

[Dennis]

Fields metal is another low melting point alloy - but lacking in lead & cadmium. http://www.mindsetsonline.co.uk sell it.

(Just seen the price of the stuff...! I bought mine before the price of indium went through the roof)

Well, if someone can recruit ten people to share Peter, I'm in. I was also wondering how you would fill a silver tube with the stuff. Maybe fit a clear plastic tube and suck? Dennis.

[mizgeorge]

Well, if someone can recruit ten people to share Peter, I'm in. I was also wondering how you would fill a silver tube with the stuff. Maybe fit a clear plastic tube and suck? Dennis.

I'd be up for that Dennis Just eight more then....