[Jewelry making - Article 01032] - Re: [Orchid] Copper carbonate for granulation

[William Denayer]

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>     Dear Orchidians, I am just returning to gold granulation after a
>     lapse of many years and have read of the use of copper carbonate
>     as an additive to the hide glue, distilled water and flux mix. The
>     problem is that I can't find any formulas to tell me how much
>     copper carbonate to add to this mixture. Anyone out ther e know and
>     would care to share? I would be very grateful for any help. Thanks
>     so much! all the best from finally Spring-like Long Island! Mark
>     SannE9 AurE9a Jewels aureajewels AT aol.com 16 Mcguirk St. East
>     Hampton, NY, 11937 

    I tried out granulation on reticulation silver - I was experimenting.
    I took a good amount (soup bowl) of ammonia and dropped copper in it
    (use a lid). After a couple of hours the ammonia will turn into a
    deep blue color. Since I was not in a hurry, I dropped more copper in
    it, (I have no idea about the saturation point). I made my ring from
    the sheet of reticulated silver, soldered it with hard solder, then
    took a texturing wheel and textured where I wanted the granules to
    be. To make the granules, I used a bur to make holes in a charcoal
    block and made jump rings of several sizes so has to have 'big' as
    well as tiny granules. I tried it out with the big granules first. I
    mixed the blue ammonia with gum arabic till the consistency was like
    handy flux (very pasty-like), cleaned my ring with alcohol, 'painted'
    the substance to the ring (with a toothpick) and put the granules on
    the ring. After drying, I heated the ring from the inside, using the
    hottest flame I could get (heating the whole construction very
    rapidly - it takes something like 15 seconds). When the ring turned
    red (just two fractions more than dull red), I took the flame away
    and, not sure of the result, went over the granules a couple of times
    (very quickly, with a reducing flame). I pickled in Sparex.
    Technically, the result was very good, but after that, when I tried
    to do exactly the same, but this time with big as well as tiny
    granules, everything went wrong a couple of times. I guess it is a
    question of experience. Also, it is strange that I can make
    granulation but that I cannot fuse gold snippets to a silver shank:
    everything on the surface melted and now I have a nice silver ring
    with gold tears (sigh). Best, Will 


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