[Jewelry making - Article 00452] - Re: [Orchid] Annealing and Cold Work

[Alastair]

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Hi Allan,

I think we can change the subject heading - lets see if this works!

    Work hardening happens when the metal is deformed in some way, the
    more the metal is deformed the more it is work hardened. Hammering
    with a mallet does not deform the metal much, it will smooth out
    kinks which is the same as doing a little bending, and this does only
    a little work hardening. If you manage to actually hammer the metal
    thinner with a mallet, then the metal is work hardened more. 

    My rules of thumb for gold and silver: 

    -for heavy reduction (eg rolling an ingot) anneal after deforming the
    metal by 50%. 

    -delicate bending/forming when fabricating, anneal before forming
    even if the metal is only slightly hard. -a sharp bend of 90 degrees
    = more than 50% deformation at the bend. 

    The final product can be more serviceable with a certain hardness
    left in it. Eg an open bangle that will be bent by the owner to put
    on the wrist should be finished fully annealed; a closed bangle can
    be left hardened so that it is stronger and keeps its shape. 

Alastair
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