Silver Bee

Silver Bee practices what she preaches!

Last Friday evening I took a class on the basics of tension settings. It is one of those techniques whose mystery I had yet to solve. As you can imagine I was very excited about taking another class. It turns out it was just what I needed to sit back down at my bench and create for the sheer joy of creating. Well almost. What I should have said was it was an opportunity to sit at my bench and practice what I learned. As with most new things I often end up with a few "fails". I prefer to think of them as opportunities to swear learn.

After the silver is shaped and work hardened you need a bur to create a seat for the stone. Sounds easy and it may be for some. However, I found this the biggest challenge. I had difficulty aiming the drill to the exact spot I had marked, and preventing the bur from running away on me. To be fair to myself I had forgotten my Optivisor and so my eyesight was challenged by such precise work. After many attempts and filing away the mistakes Kelly Allanson, our instructor, came to my rescue and helped me finish the ring. I managed to create the seat on one side of the ring and then Kelly matched it on the other side. I was tickled with the result and couldn't wait to try it in the comfort of my home at my bench with my tools and of course my Optivisor.

As already mentioned there were some fails during the first few attempts. Not one to be discouraged by that I kept on trying. I eventually made a small ring of which I was proud but I knew I wanted to make more. I needed to practice maintaining control of the bur on the silver. So using a piece of 14 gauge copper (what I had available) I practiced with the hart bur again and again until I felt like I understood what I was doing wrong. But that bit of insight didn't happen while practicing with the bur. 

I was supposed to be teaching the gypsy setting to someone yesterday but due to a mix up in communication it didn't happen. Instead of being upset thinking my time was wasted setting everything up I admitted to myself that I was actually pleased it didn't take place. I'm always anxious when I agree to teach this technique because I'm not entirely confident that I could translate the knowledge in my head into good instructions for the student. So there I was sitting with all the tools I needed to just sit and figure that out. So I practiced and 16 settings later I finally figured out what I had been doing wrong with the bur for the tension setting. I love how that works. I also figured out how I would teach the gypsy setting as well. I felt more confident in passing on the information. It's not even something that I've perfected but I feel that I know enough to teach the skills I do have so that someone can practice until they find their grove with the technique. Of course I always disclose that I'm not the expert.

The whole point of this post, the moral of the story, is that practice doesn't always make perfect but it does teach you many ways of how not to do something. Which eventually leads the path to perfect...or so I've heard. 

P.S. I'm taking another class this weekend to learn more about "Surface Techniques". Same wonderful instructor!

Silver Bee tries liver of sulphur gel.

I recently read a review of Liver of Sulphur Extended Life Gel (LOS) in the January 2010 issue of Art Jewelry. In the past I had used Jax Silver Black for creating a darkened or black patina on silver. I resisted using the lump form of LOS because of the smell but upon reading the review I thought it was time to give it a go.

I followed the suggestions I read and made a weak solution of the LOS and added ammonia to it. Well the smell didn't get any better but the results were spectacular. The greens, purples, blues and reds were amazing. I soon had as many silver items that I could find lined up for dipping. It didn't matter that shiny silver is still my favourite look I wanted to experiment with this new 'toy'. I discovered that the trick to getting the great patinas is the water must be hot and the hotter the better. I had fun and as you can see by the photo the results are colourful. I also discovered that if you don't like the patina then you can heat the piece with your torch, pickle and of course re-tumble for the shine. You can also just decrease the depth of patina by using fine steel wool or a polishing pad.

The first time I wanted to blacken something I bought the lumps of LOS but it turned out it was past its best before date and wouldn't work. This won't happen with the gel. The review stated that even after being left open for a year the results were just as good as when the jar was first opened. That's impressive but why anyone would want to leave a jar open of something that smells like rotten eggs is beyond me. 

So if you have been using the lumps of LOS you might enjoy the gel. Just make sure to stir it carefully so that you mix in the thick stuff at the bottom of the jar. I used an old chopstick for this. I've been using this during the Monday evening class and everyone who has tried it really liked the results. I know there are ways of preserving the patina you've created but I've yet to try that. As soon as I do of course I'll let you know.

Stay safe, use ventilation and gloves. If you have have any questions or anything to add about using this product I would love to hear from you.

Silver Bee fights bloom - part two

Welcome back! I know I’m a bad bee for taking so long to write Part 2: “All about polishing”. No excuses. Instead, back to that blooming firestain and how to rid your silver of it. 

In the previous post I wrote about finding firestain/scale on a ring already set with a stone. The stone, an aquamarine, will crack if I try to use depletion gilding to remove the firestain/scale. I had set the ring aside with other projects that hadn’t quite worked out. It would have sat there for some time, except that someone asked about removing firestain/scale after a stone was already set. How serendipitous that I had a ring with that same problem! Is it weird to be excited? I felt compelled to find a solution.

While researching for a solution I discovered much more than just the answer to removing firestain/scale. I found out that not all cutting or polishing compounds are made equal. Manufacturers’ recipes differ so it’s not a simple matter of choosing a colour for the compound.

I decided to try bobbing compound first. I had read and heard it was excellent for removing firestain/scale. But it didn’t work which had me puzzled until I read about the variations of different formulas among what looked like similar types of compounds. The bobbing compound I used was yellow while the compound I heard about is more of a mustard/ochre colour.

Undeterred I tried another compound called XXX White Diamond with a yellow chemkote  (treated muslin) buff. It worked! I then used bristle brushes to get into the area around the bezel setting. Regardless of how much firestain/scale you are dealing with patience is key here. It works but it takes time.

Be mindful of the stone. Cover it with masking tape or a waxy type lubricant. If the silver starts to get warm back off a little. Heat is not a stone’s best friend unless you are trying to change the colour. But that is another subject.

The ring did look good but could it look better? Not really knowing the answer, another  experiment was in order. Using a muslin brush I tried rouge next. It was still looking good. But I had to keep testing having had such success with removing the firestain/scale. Using a chamois brush I tried ZAM, another final polish safe for most stones. The shine was even better.

One thing I noticed during this process were the fine lines left behind by the last sanding of the ring shank. No matter how fine the sandpaper, the fine lines wouldn’t disappear. Asking my instructor, Bryan Taylor, about it brought to light that it doesn’t matter how many times you try to finish the surface, if you keep using the same direction you are only polishing the fine lines rather than removing them. His suggestion was to hold the ring at a 45 degree angle to the brush, polish the entire shank, turn it and continue to polish the shank again. The result was amazing! The fine lines were gone and the ring was left with a jewellery store polish.

This concludes the saga of firestain and the ring. Make sure to wear protection for your eyes and a mask while polishing. Compounds create a lot of dust and you need to keep your lungs safe.

Happy polishing and as always, stay safe!

Silver Bee fights bloom - part one

I took my first soldering class a few years ago. It excited me, and it has become one of the things I love to explore. (I've already mentioned its possibilities several times in previous posts.) The instructor for that first class taught the basics of soldering and concluded with a demonstration of polishing machine technique. The machine was large and intimidating (I was new at it all) so I never took the opportunity to use it. Many times  since I've wished I'd had asked more questions. 

My next instructor, Barrie Edwards, doesn't use polishing compounds as a rule -- "too  messy" -- so I didn't use them either. Everything went into the tumbler. Much of Barrie's jewellery is textured and what isn't...well, she has the touch because it seems to come out just fine and nicely polished. She also has 16 years of experience compared to which I'm a newbie.

Not long ago I was making a ring using a beautiful faceted aquamarine. I had finished setting a stone into the completed ring and felt quite good about it...until the next morning when, under natural light and with rested eyes, I saw firestain on the band. Because I didn't know how to remove firestain from a ring with a stone already set I left it sitting on my bench for a couple of weeks...and weeks.

A bit of explanation: Firestain/firescale is sometimes described as a "reddish purple-toned bloom". Odd description for something that is also referred to as the bain of silversmithing. You might also have heard it described as a light grey or purplish stain. Sterling silver, a copper bearing alloy, oxidizes when heated in the presence of oxygen. If you sustain the  heat for too long after the solder flows you risk turning the oxidation into firestain, not to mention melting the piece. This is why it is important to remove the flame quickly when the solder flows. It is also advisable to flux the entire piece so it will attract oxygen. The flux will get spent if you continue to heat the piece and that's when firestain can happen. However, in my experience if you're making a quick join like a chain link or jump ring total fluxing is not necessary.

Depletion gilding is way of dealing with firestain. Heat the piece to bring the oxides to the surface and then pickle it. Do this several times taking care not to overheat it. Eventually you are left with a thin coating of fine silver on the surface, and as long as you don't vigorously file and polish it the firestain will be taken care of. I have now used this process before and it works well. My discovery of polishing compounds has changed the way I deal with the "bloom". 

This is a serial post. Stay tuned for Part 2: "All about polishing" in a couple of days. I promise. :)

If you have questions I would love to see them posted in the comments. Then we all get to share the answers.

Happy soldering, and stay safe!