[Jewelry making - Article 00076] - Re: [Orchid] Hard Soldering - Nickel silver question

[Kate Wolf]

========[ Invite a Friend - http://www.ganoksin.com/invite.htm  ]========


>        For production models I highly recommend nickel silver models
>     and gold solder.  The reaction that sterling models have to the
>     sulfur in the natural rubber molds cause all kinds of production
>     defects as more and more molds are made.  The silver solder pits,
>     the silver surface gets rougher and rougher, and the typical
>     production mold cutter doesn't stop to clean them up. 

    I make my master models in sterling because I find it a much easier
    metal to work with. (I don't like to draw down nickel for tubing and
    it is not as easy to burnish.) To avoid the problem that Tyler
    mentions above, the vendors that mass produce from my models rhodium
    plate them before molding when they are using conventional vulcanized
    mold rubber. I know rhodium plating is pricey (especially if you are
    plating thousands of models)- but it keeps the surface nice and
    avoids that weird sulfur skin that you get with silver and vulcanized
    rubber. When they are using vulcanized silicone molds it isnB9t
    necessary to plate the models. I use a curved blade to cut my molds-
    it reduces marring the models by about 90 percent- as the sharp part
    of the blade is on the inside curve. Just my 2 cents (I love this
    forum and the diverse opinions expressed. 

Thank
you Hanuman and Ton!)
Best Regards,
Kate Wolf, Portland, Maine- jewelers heaven if you don't mind veeeeeeeery
long winters (summer is on August 18!).
<http://www.katewolfdesigns.com>



____________________________________________________________________
T h e   O r c h i d   L i s t
Open Electronic Forum for Jewelry Manufacturing Methods and Procedures
____________________________________________________________________
Orchid FAQ:
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/orchid/faq.htm
Orchid Archives:
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/orchid/archive
Orchid Galleries:
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/orchid/gallery.htm
Invite a Friend:
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/invite.htm
____________________________________________________________________
Tips From The Jeweler's Bench - Article Archive
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/borisat/tip_sear.htm
The Jeweler's Selected Bibliography List
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/jewelry-books
Buy Orchid Jewelry:
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/shop
____________________________________________________________________
-Unsubscribe:
-Email: orchid-request AT ganoksin.com Body=unsubscribe subject=blank
____________________________________________________________________