[Jewelry making - Article 00711] - Re: [Orchid] To quench or not to quench, that is the question

[James Binnion]

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    Quenching introduces huge stresses in the metal during the quench
    due to the very rapid shrinkage of the metal while cooling. Varying
    thicknesses cool at different rates and this compounds the problem.
    And sometimes we don't get the whole piece in the water at the same
    time also making for uneven stress. It is not surprising that this
    can occasionally cause problems. 

    What metals are you working with? Sterling is "hot short" meaning
    that at high temperatures it is brittle if you quench it at above
    1100F you run the risk of cracking it. So let it cool to a black
    heat. The hotter it is when quenched the greater the likelihood of
    cracking it. Other metals like 18k red gold will crack if you don't
    quench. White golds are worse in that some need to be quenched and
    some don't. 

James Binnion
jbin AT mokume-gane.com
James Binnion Metal Arts
http://www.mokume-gane.com
360-756-6550
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