Inlay beginner post follow-up

showidaho · Feb 27, 2015

Apparently, I'm not technologically as savvy as I thought since I can't for the life of me figure out how to upload photos into an existing thread. My apologies. So...these are the photos that go with my gold inlay thread. Thanks to all who are bearing with me on this.

Mike Bissell · Feb 27, 2015

What is the metal that you are trying to inlay into the brass/copper plate ?

showidaho · Feb 27, 2015

Copper wire into a brass, I think, plate.

Brian Marshall · Feb 27, 2015

While it can be done, those are not the best combination to be starting out with.

Try putting the copper wire into steel at first.

There are way too many kinds of brass, and some can be equal or close in softness to copper.

You need a harder metal as your base when learning.

Brian

showidaho · Feb 27, 2015

Brain,
You are EXACTLY right. I tried on a steel plate and voila! Thank you soon much!

Beathard · Feb 27, 2015

Silver and gold wire is so inexpensive. Why learn on the hard stuff?

atexascowboy2011 · Feb 27, 2015

Beathard, I'll take 50' of each in 20 ga.
I'll send you copper wire in it's place.
Thanks !

Beathard · Feb 27, 2015

Lol... 26 guage .999 fine silver is 34 cents a foot. Thats less than 3 cents an inch. Why work in harder materials?

showidaho · Feb 27, 2015

Beathard said:
Silver and gold wire is so inexpensive. Why learn on the hard stuff?

What gauge would you suggest and do you have a supplier that you would recommend? The hard stuff is just that, hard....and I don't think it's doing me any favors.

Beathard · Feb 27, 2015

24k gold is less than $3 an inch. So a practice plate border will run less than $24 I. Gold and less than 24 cents in silver. Plus as an added bonus customers usually wont pay for inlaid copper.

Beathard · Feb 27, 2015

Rio Grande... I'd start moving towards 24 and 26 guage as quickly as you can. 18 and 20 guage gold inlay is expensive...

showidaho · Feb 27, 2015

Beathard said:
Rio Grande... I'd start moving towards 24 and 26 guage as quickly as you can. 18 and 20 guage gold inlay is expensive...

Okay. Great. My smallest flat graver is a 37 is that too wide for those gauges?

Lonestarr · Feb 27, 2015

Snow I had the same problem on uploading.......Hit the ( go advanced ) button on right side of screen....

Bob

showidaho · Feb 27, 2015

Lonestarr said:
Snow I had the same problem on uploading.......Hit the ( go advanced ) button on right side of screen....

Bob

Thank you!

KCSteve · Feb 27, 2015

A) With my current finances I can't afford to spend $24 on a practice plate.
B) Gold is around $3 / inch but copper is much cheaper.
C) If you can do it in copper than gold is easy.

So for practice copper is great. Beyond practice the only reason to use copper instead of gold is because you have an artistic reason to use copper.

TallGary · Feb 27, 2015

showidaho said:
Okay. Great. My smallest flat graver is a 37 is that too wide for those gauges?

Show, a standard 37 flat graver has a 0.40mm width at the bottom, matches up well with 26 gauge wire ( also 0.40 ). A 38 flat is 0.60mm which is close to 22 gauge wire at 0.64mm. You need to be careful not to go too deep with the flats because he sides are not parallel - the top is wider than the bottom and the cut can be a little wider than the stated graver width.

Good luck with the inlay.

Regards,
Gary

Inlay beginner post follow-up

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