[Jewelry making - Article 00028] - Re: [Orchid] [How2] Platinum inlays

[Rex & Gabrielle Merten]

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    Steve, I've been doing platinum and 18ct gold inlays in titanium
    ( and vice versa) for some years now. I've had no trouble with
    either metal cracking because of small differences in their
    coefficient of expansion. As a matter of fact I find the other
    jeweller's assertion that the platinum would crack a little
    startling. Platinum is one of the most forgiving metals I've
    ever worked with (I'm talking both pure platinum and 5% Cu alloy
    here). 

    As far as inlaying goes, I find that it's easier to work with
    the inlay metal slightly thicker than the host metal; eg. if I
    was inlaying into 1.5mm gold host, I'd make my inlay around
    1.8mm. 

    Before I inlay I file a neat chamfer on both sides of the shaped
    hole in the host, then fit my inlay piece accurately into the
    shape required. With a 4oz steel ball-pein hammer I work the edge
    of the inlay over the chamfer and finish with the flat face of
    the hammer to close the edge of the inlay tightly onto the host.
    Be careful not to whack the centre of the inlay too hard, because
    you could distort the shape of the ring. A ring is easy, because
    you have the ring mandrel to hammer against, and that takes care
    of the under side spread. I sometimes make sure of the
    inner-shank spread with my flexible shaft setting hammer-tool. 

    When the inlay is tight against the host, finish off with a file
    and emery and polish as usual. 

    I did a sphere of 18ct recently where I did all my inlays in
    titanium while the sphere was still in its two hemispheres, and
    did all my inlaying against an appropriately sized steel doming
    (dapping? - you say dapping, we say doming:)) punch. That was
    fun. 

Hope this helps, Rex from Oz

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