[Jewelry making - Article 00157] - [Orchid] Experience working with 950 palladium

[Hratch]

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hello all

    After months of trial and errors and experimenting, I am asking
    anyone on orchid with info and experience in working palladium and
    it's alloys to give me some direction. 

    I am interested in using the 950 palladium of hoover which is very
    nice metal, in wrought goods or the castings from them. 

    Earlier on I had cast a few pieces in NYC in palladium 950 ; the
    metal was about 5 shades darker then hoovers and when i came to
    working with them the HS metal stayed bright after annealing with a
    slight pink shadow that I took off with a scotch brite pad, now the
    NY casting after annealing actually went even darker in patches and
    stayed darker I could not get it off with the abrasive wheel. the NY
    one is noticeably bluer then the Hoover and strong alloy.and I mean
    Blue that is not coming off, and i can't really abrade it too much
    since the pieces have very fine textured surfaces part of the
    design. 

    I called the caster in NY (I don't want to mention names because
    this not what I am writing for. they have been a great casting
    company for a very long time). so with the phone call they couldn't
    help. 

    I know that hoover & Strong's alloy is right on,i am just wondering
    after talking to few experts in town how much of a variable there is
    going to be with these alloys. is there the possibility of
    contamination of metal,or crucibles or??? in my mind 950 pall is the
    same color everywhere. 

    if it is like platinum 950 or 900 is most of the time the same color
    from any where, 

    my problem is that I was trying to match older cast things for a
    client to a new piece or so and the color does not match at all. the
    hoover metal almost had a slight pink/warm hue vs the other that is
    on the blue/Grey side. 

    is it possible to mix the palladium with different things and have
    it be 950. is this working the same way as the karat Golds, as in 18
    is 18 but you have as many choices in color as there are
    metallurgists ? 

    Does this mean that for consistency's sake to stay with one company
    or another??? would palladium 950 have a difference in color then
    say united metals or Ross or...?? 

    or is it that the casting houses will be using different
    methods/gases/atmosphere of casting and so the same metal comes out
    different? 

    One more thing on the palladium scene, I been using also the karat
    golds the 14 and 18 palladium on occasion and noticeably the 18k has
    been getting very dark after annealing and soldering, and the sparex
    is not taking that dark almost black discoloration off, is that
    oxide,'firescale' do i need to use a white gold acid or nickle type
    acid. 

help
sincerely 
Hratch
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