[Jewelry making - Article 00390] - Re: [Orchid] Annealing stainless steel

[David Huffman]

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Hi Peg;

    You must have time on your hands. An accomplished metalsmith could
    pull that off in about 1/2 hour, including finishing out the nicks
    and polishing, if he/she had the right equipment (a set of graduated
    grit unified wheels, spoon stakes, planishing hammers, craytex
    wheels for the fordom to do the inside of the bowl, etc.). That would
    make that spoon worth about $25 in my shop. Stainless is steel, a
    ferrous metal, so annealing it is a different procedure than with
    silver, gold, brass, etc. You need to get it to a visible orange
    color and let it cool down slowly. It's probably not going to get any
    softer than it is presently. I'd get an alumina block, or charcoal,
    and heat up the surface of it with a very large torch, like a
    hardware store propane torch or a prestolite, or a Smith with a big
    tip, or a rosebud tip on your Little Torch. This will "bank" a little
    extra heat to slow cooling. Once the block is pre-heated, put the
    spoon on it and get it up to a good visible red/orange color. If
    you've got some fiberfrax, cover it, otherwise, just leave it alone
    until it's cool enough to pick up. Never mind about re-hardening,
    it's going to be to stiff to distort unless you use if for a pry bar.
    I've done a lot of work in stainless, and I've usually worked it
    while it's bright orange. To polish it, you'll have to get down to at
    least a 400 grit, preferably 600 unless you've got a 6 inch stitched
    muslin buff and some GreyStar. Good luck. 

David L. Huffman
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