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Tips, Techniques, and Questions -- Technical questions or tips |
2012-12-01, 2:35pm
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Senior Member
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Join Date: Sep 14, 2005
Location: Woodburn, OR
Posts: 1,854
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I need advice
I have wanted to make some etched beads that has the silver dots and streaks you get when you use SS wire on the bead. All I ever get is a bunch of fried looking stuff. When I purchase the SS wire I'm told it is 99.5% pure SS. What the heck am I doing wrong? I see other artist have used SS on the beads & it turns out all shiney and pretty. Any advice
Liz R
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2012-12-01, 2:50pm
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Senior Member
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Join Date: Jul 18, 2007
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You say "SS," which I take to mean "sterling silver," which is an alloy, not pure silver. What you want is 99.9% pure silver.
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2012-12-01, 2:55pm
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Senior Member
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Dusty
thanks for the reply, OK so where do I get the pure silver? any suggestions
Liz R
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2012-12-01, 2:59pm
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Experimentalist
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Join Date: Nov 15, 2005
Location: Penryn, California
Posts: 6,758
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You can google "fine silver wire" or "pure silver wire" or "0.999 silver wire".
I buy mine at Metalliferous or Halstead or Monsterslayer.
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2012-12-01, 3:14pm
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Heart of Flame
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Join Date: Apr 28, 2010
Location: Ontario, Canada
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But maybe you are using the right stuff in the wrong way? If it is 99.5%, that sounds right. Do you trust your supplier to have sent pure silver?
Can you tell us your process or what your torch is? And maybe a picture will help?
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Darryle
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2012-12-01, 3:45pm
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Senior Member
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OK My torch is a Baracudda, hooked to 2 oxycons. I make the bead and then grab a wire and try to "melt" it onto the bead in the flame. As to the supplier I don't remember who I purchased it from it was over 5 years ago but it does say 99.5 silver on the small tag
Liz R
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2012-12-01, 3:50pm
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Sheila Davis Designs
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Join Date: May 23, 2009
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Yes, it should be Fine Silver. I get mine from Rio Grande. Once you get the wire attached to the bead pull it away from the flame and wind it around, making sure your bead is pretty warm. Then heat real hot and fast to get the droplets or heat slow and cool to melt in a line. Hope that helps!
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2012-12-01, 4:16pm
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Senior Member
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Join Date: Sep 14, 2005
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Thanks All for the help. All I can think of is that the wire must not be "as advertised" and is in face an alloy. Off to hunt up some pure sillver wire
Liz R
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2012-12-01, 5:46pm
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Alaska Boro
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Join Date: Dec 10, 2009
Location: Anchorage, Alaska
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Abacus Beads
All I can think of is that the wire must not be "as advertised" and is in face an alloy.
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Sterling silver is generally 92.5 percent pure silver but can be higher. Without seeing the actual product listing it would be hard to determine the "as advertised" percents.
As previously indicated, you are looking for fine silver that should be listed as .999 which will not be listed as Sterling.
Indian Jewelry Supply is another source for fine silver wire.
www.ijsinc.com
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2012-12-01, 6:01pm
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Senior Member
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Join Date: May 27, 2008
Location: Albion NY
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Theringlord.com is another source. Prices are good but shipping can take a bit.
Thought two weeks or so is not that bad.
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2012-12-01, 6:35pm
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Loving learning
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2012-12-01, 10:13pm
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FireBeads
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Join Date: Jun 10, 2005
Location: Running Springs, CA
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What color glass are you using? Silver doesn't play well with every color. Also, try heating a spot on the bead to apply the silver. Let the silver adhere to the hot bead, not the bead to hot silver. What gauge silver are you using? Generally I use 28 or 30 - very fine.
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2012-12-02, 12:46am
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I speak Murrini!
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Join Date: Oct 12, 2006
Location: In a Glass House, CA
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Also, if you are etching your bead, you may need to take a jeweler's rouge cloth and buff up the silver dots a bit - which may bring them back to shiny! Then soak your bead in a little windex or some water/dish detergent solution for a while and give it a good scrubbing with a toothbrush if you have a little residual "rouge" on the bead. It should come off cleanly.
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2012-12-02, 8:49am
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Senior Member
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Join Date: Sep 14, 2005
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Thanks everyone, This is one reason I LOVE LE.
Liz R
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2012-12-02, 12:28pm
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Heart of Flame
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Join Date: Apr 28, 2010
Location: Ontario, Canada
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Do you have a picture of one of your tries? That might help too.
DeAnne, thanks for that tip - I didn't know that!
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Darryle
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2012-12-02, 12:54pm
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I like to melt things
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Join Date: Jul 22, 2008
Location: British Columbia
Posts: 2,163
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Instead of melting the silver onto your bead, try heating the glass until the surface is molten and wind the silver onto the sticky hot glass. I put the wire on my marver, heat the glass hot enough that it will stick, and then pick up the silver from my marver with the glass and then use tweezers/marker to get the silver wire placed before the bead cools down.. Then I put it in the flame only briefly to make sure it's all stuck together and the silver won't pop off later.
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Melanie
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