Help with platinum
- Thread starter Lee
- Start date
Are there substitutes for silver other than platinum? How would you compare the color of the two or some other substitute. Don't laugh you are talking to a color-blind, dumb guy. What I need is a white color for some birds and I'm simply wondering what my options are. New products come out occasionally in the jewelry industry that I am not familiar with.
Chujybear
~ Elite 1000 Member ~
Platinum is a little grayer than fine silver.
Can't think of any alternatives.
Can't think of any alternatives.
atexascowboy2011
Elite Cafe Member
- Joined
- Feb 13, 2012
- Messages
- 997
Lee
Wire silver will not blend together like gold. It is best to use sheet for the body and wire for a distant wing.
Holler at Ron Smith down in Ft.Worth as he is the master at mixing metal for realistic inlay images.
Jeff
Wire silver will not blend together like gold. It is best to use sheet for the body and wire for a distant wing.
Holler at Ron Smith down in Ft.Worth as he is the master at mixing metal for realistic inlay images.
Jeff
mitch
~ Elite 1000 Member ~
- Joined
- Jul 23, 2007
- Messages
- 2,636
hi Lee-
i've done quite a bit of platinum inlay work and i only use pure platinum (NOT 95/5 or 90/10 jewelers alloys). i have to special order sheet & wire from Hoover & Strong. iirc, a couple years ago i wrote up a brief tutorial of sorts on inlaying platinum- it should be in the Tips archive somewhere...
i've done quite a bit of platinum inlay work and i only use pure platinum (NOT 95/5 or 90/10 jewelers alloys). i have to special order sheet & wire from Hoover & Strong. iirc, a couple years ago i wrote up a brief tutorial of sorts on inlaying platinum- it should be in the Tips archive somewhere...
Southern Custom
~ Elite 1000 Member ~
pure
mitch is right. Pure is your best bet. Plat iridium could work if it's all you have but it's a good deal tougher.
mitch is right. Pure is your best bet. Plat iridium could work if it's all you have but it's a good deal tougher.
Some things to keep in mind about platinum...it takes 2100 degrees to anneal it so use a propane torch as opposed to an alcohol lamp, and it work hardens at the first hit. So you want to set it on that first whack...or you may have to re-anneal to get it to set. If the item is going to be case colored the platinum will come out looking even greyer. I don't know if polishing it will bring out the lighter color as I never got the opportunity to try. However I should think it would. If you use silver, Jeff's comment is a good one about sheet, unless the area involved is small enough for one piece of wire.
i'm thinkin as long as you remain in your garage, lee-- things will work your way !
GTJC460
~ Elite 1000 Member ~
If you want white, silver is as white as you can get. Fine silver doesn't tarnish either. It works great for inlay and overlay too.
dlilazteca
~ Elite 1000 Member ~
You see I just learned something new that's why I read every thread thank you guys
Carlos De La O III
Gemsetterchris
Elite Cafe Member
Have to disagree with your first two sentences.
Marrinan
~ Elite 1000 Member ~
Well Chris what would you say is whiter?
Gemsetterchris
Elite Cafe Member
Well there is palladium..no idea about how it inlays though but most likely the same as platinum, but cheaper & whiter.
Also, I have a roll of fine silver wire that is most certainly tarnished.
Arnaud Van Tilburgh
~ Elite 1000 Member ~
Pure Palladium or a Palladium alloy for pave stone setting is quite soft and in my opinion easier for inlay than Platinum.
And it won't tarnish or oxidize.
arnaud
And it won't tarnish or oxidize.
arnaud
Thank you everyone for the feedback. My experience with fine silver is that over time it will tarnish. I think I will order both palladium and platinum. Now the question is sheet or wire. Do they cold weld as gold does which allows wire as an option.
Mitch, thank you for the advice regarding the tip archive. Excellent information and thank you for posting that in your younger years.
Mitch, thank you for the advice regarding the tip archive. Excellent information and thank you for posting that in your younger years.
Ed Westerly
~ Elite 1000 Member ~
I am intrigued by the statement that silver wire can't be used the same way gold wire is for covering areas larger than the wire width. Please don't tell that to the guns I have inlayed with silver wire! I would hate for the inlays to fail if they heard about this! For the same reason, don't tell the bumblebee about what the aeronautics engineer said about his ability to fly!
Lee, I agree with Ed Westerly that a fine silver body type inlay can achieved using wire without showing the individual lines. As can a platinum or palladium wire constructed inlay.
The students in the NRA classes all did them in flush or raised style using 16 or 20 thousandth inch fine silver. It is important to have enough inlay thickness to allow for some surface sanding refinement.
A very complete burr field and a well undercut perimeter outline are essential. Set the perimeter wire first and closely fit the field wires so that they bite the burrs but are not mashed down too hard at this stage. Fill the field completely.
Use a brass punch, start setting with firm blows around the outside and then work towards the middle, seating the wires.
Wire lines will show at this point and the upper surface of the inlay material is now work hardened and needs to be sanded off. Further pounding at this point will drive the work hardening all through the inlay making it impossible to get rid of the wire lines. The sanding will re-expose the softer material below. Now the faintly shown wire lines remaining can be removed with high pressure hand burnishing or better yet, with a 1/8 inch brass tip in an impact handpiece.
Sorry, this takes longer to write than to do. With experience wire is much faster and more economical to do than sheet and easily allows for mixed metal color inlays.
Fine silver can tarnish if one has extremely “rusty” hands but is easily restored without damage to detail or surrounding blue with a gentle rub with (nasty) cigarette or cigar ash. Best. John B.
The students in the NRA classes all did them in flush or raised style using 16 or 20 thousandth inch fine silver. It is important to have enough inlay thickness to allow for some surface sanding refinement.
A very complete burr field and a well undercut perimeter outline are essential. Set the perimeter wire first and closely fit the field wires so that they bite the burrs but are not mashed down too hard at this stage. Fill the field completely.
Use a brass punch, start setting with firm blows around the outside and then work towards the middle, seating the wires.
Wire lines will show at this point and the upper surface of the inlay material is now work hardened and needs to be sanded off. Further pounding at this point will drive the work hardening all through the inlay making it impossible to get rid of the wire lines. The sanding will re-expose the softer material below. Now the faintly shown wire lines remaining can be removed with high pressure hand burnishing or better yet, with a 1/8 inch brass tip in an impact handpiece.
Sorry, this takes longer to write than to do. With experience wire is much faster and more economical to do than sheet and easily allows for mixed metal color inlays.
Fine silver can tarnish if one has extremely “rusty” hands but is easily restored without damage to detail or surrounding blue with a gentle rub with (nasty) cigarette or cigar ash. Best. John B.
Marrinan
~ Elite 1000 Member ~
Thanks John, Another Great tip drawn form your well of knowledge. Fred
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