[Jewelry making - Article 00299] - Re: [Orchid] Rolling out 14K

[John Bowling]

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Aimee,

    Lots of suggestions rolling in. I had a similar situation last year
    where a colleague asked me to make a name bracelet for him using a
    lot of scrap gold(14K) that he had collected from various relatives -
    old earrings and the like. I am still a novice, so very quickly ran
    into the very problems you are facing. I tried and tried but every
    time I got the gold rolled out not almost where I wanted it, cracks
    would form, and once, I actually got the thickness needed but when I
    tried to bend it.... bing.... it snapped in half. So, I consulted my
    mentor who suggested the following steps to "clean" the gold. First,
    melt it down and throw in a pinch of potassium nitrate followed by a
    pinch of sulphur (yellow sulphur - do this in a well ventilated
    place!), when the "slag" forms, lift it out with a graphite rod.
    Pour the ingot as usual. Try rolling out again but use the alcohol
    quenching method that has already been described to you. I tried
    this and it got easier but did not fix the problem. I went through
    the process three times and ended up with an ingot which was very
    well behaved and allowed me to complete the project. I'm no chemist
    and have no clue how this process works, only that it did for me. 

    Whatever you try - good luck as I know how frustrating those little
    cracks can be.... 

John Bowling
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