i really want to start making sterling silver jewelry at home. i want it to be sort of rough and original, not perfect. i’ve looked into sterling silver wire, sheets, and PMC (precious metal clay). i’m not sure what’s best to use. i don’t have a kiln though and i’m not sure if i can afford one (if you have one to recommend that would be great). i have a 70 watt old hand-held torch and an old 100 watt hand-held. they both just plug into the wall (not quite sure how they work). but i thought that i might be able to use that to melt PMC and solder/ melt things together using that. i need help deciding what materials and/or what additional tools or torches i need to get. also, any good sources for wire, sheets, and PMC. i wish to be able to melt down metal into shapes using molds and such, but i’m not sure if i’m ready for that, so i figured shaping and melting PMC might be my best option. ANY help or advice is welcome! Thanks!
Great advice!! thanks so much! any suggestions on brands of torches i should get? there’s so many varieties and options. i’ve looked at 8-in-1 gas soldering iron and torch combo. thought this might be a good option but im really not sure what will get hot enough….
Okay, for a torch, you need something that actually makes fire. If it plugs into the wall, it’s probably not going to get hot enough. You’ll want a gas torch to do it right. You’ll also want one with a small tip for soldering so you can have some degree of precision. I use an acetylene air system, which is pretty hardcore for the beginner, but quite reliable. Supposedly you can torch fire PMC, so you don’t have to have a kiln. I strongly advise taking a class or three in jewelry/metalsmithing, as there is a lot of room for error in soldering and casting and mistakes get very expensive very fast. I would practice using copper or bronze first. PMC isn’t as prone to dangerous issues (at least to my knowledge), so it’s a fairly safe starting place if you lack money or a place to take classes. Rio Grande is probably the easiest source (they have everything you need), but they do supply only to the industry, so you may have a bit of trouble. Of course, if you’re a student or jewelry professional (and I think you’d be the former) there shouldn’t be a problem. Other sources: Hoover and Strong (metals), Contenti (tools)
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thejanith
2010 Mar 01 1I work with sterling wire. The place where I get my wire also deals in PMC and casting alloys and such. Santa Fe Jewelers Supply (www.sfjssantafe.com) has excellent prices. They sell supplies for both hobbyists and professionals. They are a smaller company, so you can email or phone them directly and communicate with a real human on the first try! I’ve been dealing with them for several years now, and plan to continue doing so. On the rare occasion that there is a mistake made on an order of mine, it has been very quickly fixed to my complete satisfaction. (I once ordered from a big beading company with good prices, and it took them over a month to fix their problem with my order. Oooops! I like this little company.)
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spunk113
2010 Mar 01 2Okay, for a torch, you need something that actually makes fire. If it plugs into the wall, it’s probably not going to get hot enough. You’ll want a gas torch to do it right. You’ll also want one with a small tip for soldering so you can have some degree of precision. I use an acetylene air system, which is pretty hardcore for the beginner, but quite reliable. Supposedly you can torch fire PMC, so you don’t have to have a kiln. I strongly advise taking a class or three in jewelry/metalsmithing, as there is a lot of room for error in soldering and casting and mistakes get very expensive very fast. I would practice using copper or bronze first. PMC isn’t as prone to dangerous issues (at least to my knowledge), so it’s a fairly safe starting place if you lack money or a place to take classes. Rio Grande is probably the easiest source (they have everything you need), but they do supply only to the industry, so you may have a bit of trouble. Of course, if you’re a student or jewelry professional (and I think you’d be the former) there shouldn’t be a problem. Other sources: Hoover and Strong (metals), Contenti (tools)
References :
BFA in jewelry and metalsmithing
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