multi color inlay

malleus

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Jan 4, 2010
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Hello
I am new on this site, great site. I have inlaid pure gold, it is a very malleable metal. Pure silver or copper will tarnish. Sterling silver I am not sure how it will age on a gun.
Now,I am looking for to do color inlay in steel, guns. White, yellow, red, green...
I have tried some metal really too hard. It is alloys of gold, platinium, palladium,nickel,copper... It is frustrating to buy expensive metal too hard to inlay !
Could you help me to find some not so hard and malleable metal.
Thank you
 

SamW

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Malleus, the only ones I have experience with in your list are pure gold, silver, copper and platinum. It takes something like 2100 degrees to anneal platinum so if you are using an alcohol lamp it won't get soft. And then, when you punch it to set it, it work hardens right off so the first lick is the one that counts. If you don't get it to set with the first one, addition licks won't do any good other than shape or deform the metal. For the others, I can set pure gold wire with the pneumatic hammer but find a chasing hammer and punch necessary for the others. The work piece must be set in something solid so there is NO bounce or you will have difficulties with any of the metals. Properly supported, inlaying iron wire and sheet works just as well as the rest.

PS...the white in the inlay of my avatar is platinum.
 
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KCSteve

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Hopefully Phil Coggan will chance by this thread - he does a lot of multi-color work. Of course, we've also seen exquisite stuff from many others - right now I'm thinking of Ron Smith's masterpiece with the 'checkerboard' inlay... :eek:
 

Ron Smith

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Hi Malleus,

Any work hardening metal needs a slightly different approach. The undercutting must be sufficient that the material sets with the first whack like Sam said. If it doesn't, pull it out and recut the undercutting. Shallow undercuts will fold on you and sometimes even the deeper ones will do that on soft steel.

there are a lot of judgment calls doing this type of inlay work, but the secret is in the value of the undercutting. 24k is a piece of cake compared to other metals.

Annealing the metals is important.

Copper and pure silver work alright. Anything else is more difficult. Red gold, green gold require more effort and don't over work them.

Hope this helps.

Ron S
 

KCSteve

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John B.

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Malleus.
I would use pure .999 silver, not Sterling for inlay.
Sterling work hardens very quickly and also tarnishes badly.
It is much harder to inlay and there is little or no cost saving.
 
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Ron Smith

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Very good point John,

I neglected to mention it should be pure silver.

Let me tell you, John is right! Sterling silver definitely tried my patience in one of the classes I taught when I was unaware that it was sterling.(I ordered and it should have been pure silver).

Every one in class pulled it off too, which surprised me, but then I was teaching an advanced class. Colored metals are a good way to expand your creativity, but a whole new ball game. The impact is terrific as you can see from what others are doing with it.

Flesh tone metal is difficult also. That is silver and copper mixed together to make a pink alloy for portraits etc. You can see some of this type of stuff in my book.

Pure silver will turn a little color, but you can wipe it off with your fingers and is only surface color. Regular cleaning will keep the pure silver inlays white.

Got it (sterling silver) done, but won't do it again.

Ron S
 

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