[Jewelry making - Article 00083] - Re: [Orchid] Heavy Platinum Welding

[Paul D. Reilly]

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    Another tirck to aid a wide welding seam in platinum is: 

    As has been stated already, prepare the seam with "V" notches on
    either side of the split and have some fill wire (in the case of a 5
    x 3 mm band-about 20 gauge round would be appropiate) at the ready. 

    Now here's the trick: Roll out very thin (about 30 gauge) a piece of
    pure platinum, spread open your prepared seam and slip this piece
    into the seam. The piece should be sized, in this case, to be about
    1mm larger than the metal remaing after preparing the seam with the
    notching. As the weld begins, the pure platinum will melt at a very
    slightly lower temp than the platinum alloy of the ring allowing a
    weld that easily penaetrates to the center of the seam without
    notching deeply. Use a slight swirling motion of the flame's cone to
    stir the now melting metal for the weld to mix both sides of the seam
    and the pure platinum together and continue the weld uising the fill
    wire until the notches have been filled all the way around the shank;
    I always over fill the joint slightly. If you find any voids in the
    weld, fill them before finishing the surface, then use a tungsten
    carbide burnisher on the weld to comress the joint and any unseen
    voids prior to filing and sanding. Repeat the fill welding as
    necessary to eliminate and pits, low spots, etc, then go on to the
    usual finishing steps. 

    Credit for this trick goes to "Doc", United PMR's metalurgist.
    Thanks Doc, I've been using it for the past 6 or so years since you
    told me about it. 

Paul D. Reilly
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