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Casting a Silver Ring!

Heyo

Veteran Member
A lady neighbour has a silver wedding ring and hardly ever takes it off, so I suppose it's all to do with acid levels on skin surfaces, maybe?
And enzymes. Acids are very basic and vary only slightly between persons but enzymes/proteins can be quite different. Fish and egg proteins can blacken silver faster than any acid. (Useful if you have fine engraving in your silverwork. Just put it in egg yolk and polish over.)
 

oldbadger

Skanky Old Mongrel!
One thing some folk have done, re: jewelry, is coat them with wax or even polyurethane varnish.

One should, obviously, experiment with some pieces that are not cherished. Either the wax or the poly should, until it wears off, protect the skin from the metal.

I am like your wife, and don't wear any jewelry of any sort, having learned the hard way with a class ring, back in the 1970's. I used to wear watches a lot (cell phones have replaced my watches-- automatic, never needs winding or setting, gives the weather too...).

But I have tried the coating method, and it works for me-- although you have to strip the coating off and re-apply every so often. I used acetone, which works quite well on most. Orange based paint strippers also work beautifully -- it literally smells of oranges... (still toxic, though--use plenty of water).
My wife has tried nail varnish on silver and other coatings, but because gold is absolutely safe for her she just sticks to that now.

I don't have trouble with silver or wrist watches but I prefer not to use watch bracelets, nylon or canvas straps suit me best.
 

Bob the Unbeliever

Well-Known Member
My wife has tried nail varnish on silver and other coatings, but because gold is absolutely safe for her she just sticks to that now.

I don't have trouble with silver or wrist watches but I prefer not to use watch bracelets, nylon or canvas straps suit me best.

Yeah, but nail varnish isn't nearly as durable as quality polyurethane. I know, because I've used both as protective coatings for electronics. Nail varnish is far softer, and much easier to wear off.

Whereas poly-U is used on floors... :)
 

oldbadger

Skanky Old Mongrel!
Yeah, but nail varnish isn't nearly as durable as quality polyurethane. I know, because I've used both as protective coatings for electronics. Nail varnish is far softer, and much easier to wear off.

Whereas poly-U is used on floors... :)

I feel sure that you are right.
The thing is, that ladies who are sensitive to silver usually just stay away from it, and where they do want to wear a special piece of silver jewelry they are most likely to reach out for a tiny vial of nail polish rather than keep a litre of polyurethane or other commercial product.
Nail varnish is very good for such a job because it is a very hard finish which needs acetone for removal, and it's right there on the make-up table. It easily lasts for the day.

Today I am making a hardwood blank of a ring for forming another mold, one to take a nice opal stone on the finished item. Then , if by any chance I fail at first casting attempt I can re-use it over and over.

I can't wait to get that new torch........ :)
 

Bob the Unbeliever

Well-Known Member
I feel sure that you are right.
The thing is, that ladies who are sensitive to silver usually just stay away from it, and where they do want to wear a special piece of silver jewelry they are most likely to reach out for a tiny vial of nail polish rather than keep a litre of polyurethane or other commercial product.
Nail varnish is very good for such a job because it is a very hard finish which needs acetone for removal, and it's right there on the make-up table. It easily lasts for the day.

Today I am making a hardwood blank of a ring for forming another mold, one to take a nice opal stone on the finished item. Then , if by any chance I fail at first casting attempt I can re-use it over and over.

I can't wait to get that new torch........ :)

Be sure to post photos of the finished opal ring. We all want to SEE, having enjoyed your first project.

I thought of another thing you might want to get: Some thick welding gloves, and perhaps a welding apron too-- that way, if you splash or knock over your melted metal, you'll have some serious protection.

And? If you are going to do this a lot, you need some infra-red protection on your trusty old eyeballs. Not necessarily dark lenses, just ones that block infra-red, heat, from your vulnerable corneas. Look into glass blowing-- they use these all the time. It's one thing to heat up to braze or solder metals, but it's quite another to heat to melting, some high quality silver and/or gold alloys.
 

oldbadger

Skanky Old Mongrel!
Be sure to post photos of the finished opal ring. We all want to SEE, having enjoyed your first project.

I thought of another thing you might want to get: Some thick welding gloves, and perhaps a welding apron too-- that way, if you splash or knock over your melted metal, you'll have some serious protection.

And? If you are going to do this a lot, you need some infra-red protection on your trusty old eyeballs. Not necessarily dark lenses, just ones that block infra-red, heat, from your vulnerable corneas. Look into glass blowing-- they use these all the time. It's one thing to heat up to braze or solder metals, but it's quite another to heat to melting, some high quality silver and/or gold alloys.
Thanks for the warning about infra red rays, and of course the advice about safety wear.

I made a wood ring to hold an opal out of Chinese hardwood today, prepared and impressed a cuttlefish bone and cast a ring from it. It came out just fine. I also refined both rings to a rough finish. I have a full pic history to post up this evening.

And now I can make as many impressions as I wish of either rings.

The first ring weighs 15gms and the opal ring 12.5 gms. I'll post all later this evening.
 

oldbadger

Skanky Old Mongrel!
@Bob the Unbeliever

Casting a ring to take an opal
Making the 'blank' in a Chinese hardwood.

1. Cut a 22mm (size X) hole in the block and then cut out the blank square.
2. Fit the blank on to a working handle and form a rough shape with an angle grinder with sanding disc.
3. Finish the blank with dremel sanding and grinding heads and 600 wetndry paper.
4. impress blank in to prepared cuttlefish bone.
P1020424.JPG

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oldbadger

Skanky Old Mongrel!
Casting the 2nd silver ring.

1. Bind mold halves together and mount in a vice.
2. Melt and pout silver in to mold.
3. When cool, open mold.
4. Remove and check cast ring. Cut off spigot and finish with dremel tools and 600 wetndry paper.
5.The finished rings beside their blanks.

The Lab created opal stone will be set with waterproof cement.

P1020441.JPG

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Bob the Unbeliever

Well-Known Member
Casting the 2nd silver ring.

1. Bind mold halves together and mount in a vice.
2. Melt and pout silver in to mold.
3. When cool, open mold.
4. Remove and check cast ring. Cut off spigot and finish with dremel tools and 600 wetndry paper.
5.The finished rings beside their blanks.

The Lab created opal stone will be set with waterproof cement.

View attachment 36248
View attachment 36249
View attachment 36250
View attachment 36251

That's incredible! How do you attach the opal to the silver, in the end? Some high grade epoxy, or perhaps cyanoacrylate?
 

oldbadger

Skanky Old Mongrel!
That's incredible! How do you attach the opal to the silver, in the end? Some high grade epoxy, or perhaps cyanoacrylate?

Thankyou, Bob. Kind words.
Over here the adhesive is called Unibond and also 'Gorilla Glue'. The description if this glue is two twenty letter words starting in Tri and Bi. I cannot read the tiny writing! : I would simply describe it as 'sticking like sh-t to a blanket'.
 

Bob the Unbeliever

Well-Known Member
Thankyou, Bob. Kind words.
Over here the adhesive is called Unibond and also 'Gorilla Glue'. The description if this glue is two twenty letter words starting in Tri and Bi. I cannot read the tiny writing! : I would simply describe it as 'sticking like sh-t to a blanket'.

Polyurethane, then. Good stuff! I once made what was to be a temporary platform for my old cat, who had discovered the bricks just outside my bedroom window (it was a brick house). These were narrow, and he'd sometimes fall asleep and roll off-- so. I drilled a few holes in the mortar, 3? I think. Inserted wooden dowels, and used Gorilla Glue to hold them in, and stuck some bricks onto the dowels, more glue between them and the house bricks ... I must have used more than 3 dowels. Anyway, it cured out nicely. I had leaned a step ladder to hold the bricks until it cured out. I expected it to last a season or at most, two. 6 years later? When my kitty had passed, and my new one was not permitted outside? I went out to remove them-- they were still quite firmly attached, so there they remained. Still there as far as I know.... (I've moved elsewhere since).
 

oldbadger

Skanky Old Mongrel!
@Revoltingest
@Heyo
@Saint Frankenstein
@ChristineM
@Bob the Unbeliever
@ADigitalArtist
@Dan From Smithville
@Hockeycowboy

To all who showed interest in casting silver, thank you for your input. :)
After 7 days of successes and failures, all of the 7oz of silver that my wife removed from her jewelry box is gone!

It was an amazing week of new experience and fun, and my wife loves the little shellfish items which were once her bangles and necklaces. She wants to sort through her gold jewelry next but I will be casting new items just for her with that.

I guess that one just never knows when new interests will surface at any age. I'll be looking for old silver items when the boot fairs start up in the spring!

Thank you all again.

P1020448.JPG
 

ChristineM

"Be strong", I whispered to my coffee.
Premium Member
@Revoltingest
@Heyo
@Saint Frankenstein
@ChristineM
@Bob the Unbeliever
@ADigitalArtist
@Dan From Smithville
@Hockeycowboy

To all who showed interest in casting silver, thank you for your input. :)
After 7 days of successes and failures, all of the 7oz of silver that my wife removed from her jewelry box is gone!

It was an amazing week of new experience and fun, and my wife loves the little shellfish items which were once her bangles and necklaces. She wants to sort through her gold jewelry next but I will be casting new items just for her with that.

I guess that one just never knows when new interests will surface at any age. I'll be looking for old silver items when the boot fairs start up in the spring!

Thank you all again.

View attachment 36369

Not half bad for an amateur, ever though of selling them?
 

Bob the Unbeliever

Well-Known Member
@Revoltingest
@Heyo
@Saint Frankenstein
@ChristineM
@Bob the Unbeliever
@ADigitalArtist
@Dan From Smithville
@Hockeycowboy

To all who showed interest in casting silver, thank you for your input. :)
After 7 days of successes and failures, all of the 7oz of silver that my wife removed from her jewelry box is gone!

It was an amazing week of new experience and fun, and my wife loves the little shellfish items which were once her bangles and necklaces. She wants to sort through her gold jewelry next but I will be casting new items just for her with that.

I guess that one just never knows when new interests will surface at any age. I'll be looking for old silver items when the boot fairs start up in the spring!

Thank you all again.

View attachment 36369

Well done! Those are beautiful.
 

oldbadger

Skanky Old Mongrel!
@chinu .....
Several items in one photo.
The oyster and other shells were some of my first attempts at casting in clay molds. The gold sheels are the real shells from whch the molds were made. I used pewter for these because it melts and casts very easily.
The badger broach is caste in rose electrum, that is 25% silver 25% gold and 50% copper and the mld was made in clay (delft clay) from the silver one. The dog broaches were all caste in the same way as the badger broach but in silver. They are held in place on the coat with two neyodemium magnets held apart on a bar.
The silver, rose silver, rose gold and gold rings are all caste in cuttlesfish bone in the shape of the same agate ring. The other rings are silver and rose silver..... much higer temperatures are needed to melt the copper alloy.
The ingots are how I store scrap silver and pewter, marked in 800, 925 silver and the shiniest bars are pewter.
Many years ago I found three pearls together in one oyster, the only time I've ever found pearls. The large rose silver ring has one of those pearls in it.
P1020592 - Copy.JPG
 
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