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Thread: Annealing Gold Advice

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Oct 2015
    Posts
    47

    Default Annealing Gold Advice

    Hello all,
    So, I’m having a go (with some trepidation/excitement) at making some rings in gold for the first time…
    I have some 1.5mm 18ct yellow & some 1.5mm 9ct white and wondering if anyone has any advice about annealing with a Smiths Little (oxy-propane) torch? i.e. which size tip you would recommend using?
    As I’ve only been working with silver am aware things need to get hotter for gold but terrified of melting!
    Thanks very much in advance,
    Elizabeth

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Aug 2010
    Location
    England
    Posts
    1,902

    Default

    Hello Elizabeth, I also use the Smiths little torch with Oxy/propane, for annealing gold, first fit the largest tip to the torch and set a soft flame on your torch, heat the gold gently all over, moving the torch as you do. I tend to anneal with my bench light off so that I can see the metal's colour change when heating. I heat the gold up to a blackish dull red and then let it cool off a bit on my firebrick before placing it on a steel block to cool quicker.
    Some will tell you that it needs to be quenched when quite hot, but I never do and after over 50 years of working with golds I have never had any problems with annealing.

    When cool I will pickle the gold before starting work.

    James
    James Miller FIPG.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Oct 2015
    Posts
    47

    Default

    Thanks so much James, that is really helpful.

    Sorry if this is a very basic question, but when you say a soft flame does that essentially mean using more propane than oxygen?
    I've found it tricky to get a soft flame on the torch as when I add any oxygen it seems to get quite fierce and pointy fairly quickly, but perhaps that's been due to using a smaller tip?

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Aug 2010
    Location
    England
    Posts
    1,902

    Default

    Elizabeth, I just took this photo of my torch fitted with the largest tip, to show you what I call a soft flame.

    It's easier to show than try and explain.

    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	482 largest flame on torch.jpg 
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    James

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Oct 2015
    Posts
    47

    Default

    James that's great. Thanks so much, feeling more confident about it all now.

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