Jewelry Techniques for Annealing Metal
Heating metal with a torch when making jewelry is called annealing. The annealing process ensures the metal is malleable for shaping and for soldering. Once the metal cools, it becomes hard once again, so it must be annealed at regular intervals during the jewelry-making process. Annealing requires a good eye and some finesse. Heat the metal until it melts, but do not heat it until it changes color. Hand tools can help you anneal metals evenly without melting them or creating too much fire scale or oxidization.
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Metal Temperatures
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Metals such as silver, gold and copper each must be annealed to a specific temperature, which is indicated by color. For example, sterling silver will turn a dull red color when it's annealed to the right temperature while 14-karat yellow gold and copper both turn dark red. Anneal metal in a room that's not too bright so you can see the metal change color. Hold the flame of the torch an inch or two above the metal when annealing. Move it slowly across the surface of the metal and watch the color change. If the metal becomes red hot, it's in danger of melting.
Metal Wire
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Annealing an unwieldy length of wire is tricky. Wind the wire into a loose ring, tucking the ends under and bending them slightly to ensure the looped wire doesn't unfurl. If the wire is a heavy gauge, this technique may not be effective. Instead, secure the metal coils using a piece of copper wire, much like a twist tie. If you use binding wire that's made of steel, remove the wire before placing the annealed metal in the pickle solution that is used to clean the oxidization off the metal. The steel will electroplate the metal.
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Sheet Metal
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A small sheet of metal is the basis for rings, pendants, earrings and virtually every item of jewelry you might make. Place the sheet of metal on a fire brick and hold the torch evenly over the piece, moving it back and forth slowly, until the metal turns the desired color. If the metal sheet is large, consider propping it up slightly so air and heat can circulate under the metal. Use a third arm -- a pair of tweezers that swivel on a base that can be raised or lowered -- to grip the edge of the metal and elevate it.
Tripod and Other Tools
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It can be difficult to heat a hefty piece of metal when it's sitting on a brick. Use a three-legged tripod that's topped with a flat mesh sheet that your metal sits on. Move the torch above, around and below the metal, heating it evenly. Since there is no brick, the heat and air can circulate around the large object. Paper clips, metal scraps and charcoal blocks can all be used to help prop up or hold metal items during the annealing process.
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References
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