Adding pure charcoal helps outside or inside the stainless bag. I usually only put it inside, if the charcoal is very high grade. If it's charcoal I pull from one of my wood stoves, I use it outside the bag. Not as good, but seems to add some protection. Everything depends on the amount of air...
Depending upon how aggressive you wan to get, you can also use dowel rod (1/8 or 1/4") of hickory or maple dipped into diamond or carbide abrasive. The wood picks up the abrasive and you can work surfaces quite well. If you are trying to break a square edge, ceramic is the best starting place...
I think copper would be easiest, specially if you buy pure versus electric wire, which sometimes is alloyed to improve pulling strength. On the other hand, copper tarnishes quickly, and sometimes quite badly. Verdigris.
There is a lot of information out there on brass and bronze. Have you...
Generally used for lettering, using either single lip cutters or diamond drag points. Can be used for other pattern work, but you would quickly prefer a larger machine. Diamond drag points work by displacement, so the metal can't be too hard. Single lip cutters can be HHS or Carbide (several...
Usually an inclusion caused by carbides. That is why you may want to refine your metal more often. You can refine the metal in-house, but strong chemicals are needed.
Forging is omni-directional in it's deformation. The metal flows in the path of least resistance. Rolling forces the metal in one direction. The result is that forging equalizes the stresses left over from pouring the ingot. The amount of forging you do is a choice. Keeping track by using time...
I don't think a mark from a marker would be fine enough to trace the problem. When I say some metal rolled over as opposed to inward, during the first couple passes; I am talking about an imperfection that could be as small as a few ten thousandths of an inch across, but at least usually more...
Hard to say just from a picture, but it looks like your rolling mill has too high a differential in the roller speeds. Some difference in speed between the top and lower roll is normal, but if your machine doesn't have adequate mesh in the gears, then the upper roll can move to much slower than...
I assume that Steve has trademarks on many of his product names. Trademarks are separated from patents, but administered by the USPTO as well, at the federal level. There are state level trademarks as well.
As I recall, trademarks last as long as they are being used. It could be an interesting...
Steve's patent pending on the fractal vise is undecided. He may or may not get a patent. His design offers a new solution to some old problems. I will repeat this part, "new solution to some old problems." That is the essence of patent law. If you think the original vise stands on its own as the...
You can copy the original vise without issue. You can't copy Lindsey's vise without risk.
Also, I think you are looking at this too conceptually rather than objectively. Getting a patent acknowledges any previous work, but rewards new advancements. The government, by protecting design...
Lindsey's fractal jaw isn't patented yet. It is patent pending. If someone were to steal his design during the patent pending period, and he was awarded the patent, he could sue for damages. As stated in a previous post, the USPTO makes their decision on a patent free of influence, determined...
Open molds are fine. The best would be, if you can get a large split mold, it can make a small ingot, but be heavier to retain the heat. When I started silversmithing (45 years) I used the same technique you are using, with the same inconsistencies. The first correction I made was to increase my...
Your ingot mold is too cold. You need to place it on a hotplate at about 350-450 degree F. If you preheat the mold with a torch before melting the ingot, it will cool too much. The mold/ingot size you have to use for the mold to be big enough to reliably retain the preheat is closer to that used...
Yes. I am a sterling manufacturer and have contracted many engravers over the years. In silver we typically use Western style engraving. The shading line aren't v-cut, rather vertical on one side of the cut and broad and shallow on the other. We used far less shading lines than gun engravers. I...