Question: Money clips; argentium or stirling silver?

[Marcus Hunt]

Hi guys, this might seem like a dumb question to those fabricating jewellers amongst you but I'm only an engraver. I'm looking to get hold of and engrave some decent silver money clips but when I looked into the price of them I figured it couldn't be that difficult to make some myself.....could it? Any advice on how to make them will be very gratefully received.

Okay, so here are my questions. Firstly, is the silver difficult to bend whilst keeping the long flat side flat?

Secondly, how do you go about hardening the bend so it springs back and grips the folded bills? The only thing I can think of is hitting it with a rawhide/nylon mallet to try and work harden it.

Thirdly, have any of you used argentium silver to make money clips? Apparently it doesn't tarnish and can be hardened in an oven. When hardened, how does it compare to steel? Or is stirling silver best/better to use?

Last question, what sequence is best to use? Polish, engrave, bend, harden or polish, bend, harden, engrave or polish, bend, engrave, harden?????

As I said, any advice on the process whatsoever will be very gratefully received.

 

[JJ Roberts]

Marcus, Crazy Horse is the one to get advice from, he makes & engraves his own. hope he see thred. J.J. Roberts

 

[jack]

Argentium Silver

Learn all about Argentium silver at www.cynthiacid.com/argentium. I really like this metal and work with it every day. Jack

 

[KCSteve]

Marcus

If you click here you'll get everything I know about the subject.

It's the info I got from Cowboy Silversmith about how to form and temper one in regular silver.

Basically he said to start from a straight strip, make a little wooden bending jig, and bake it when done. I tried it and it worked so I documented it to make it easier to pass along. As usual with one of my tutorials like this, be sure to click on the first of the thumbnail images and go through the 'frame-by-frame' version. You get larger pictures plus the detailed information.

 

[Marcus Hunt]

Steve, that's a great tutorial, thanks. It really helps a lot. One thing, I noticed you said you over tightened the vise on it so didn't end up with a totally flat back. This is exactly what I imagined happening to the clip when I asked the question. Do you, or anyone else, know how to keep the back totally flat???? Also, is there anything else apart from a small kiln that you can use to temper the silver? Unfortunately, unlike you I don't have an ever indulgent wife!

 

[silverchip]

money clips

I have made money clips for over 30 yrs. When Argentium came on the market I researched like so many others and found the attributes to be very interesting and beneficial too.My money clips use a hinge in them and for the most part are constructed of 16 ga. material. Argentium and sterling can be heat treated with similar results. The only benefit in this case is that Argentium silver is less prone to tarnish.
So,if you have a request or desire for your piece to remain bright silver, maybe Argentium is worth the extra effort.

 

[KCSteve]

Marcus

I think a combination of a little more care and possibly a slight change in techinique would have handled bending the back.

As for tempering, my oven might get hot enough but I wasn't sure. Actually, the self-cleaning cycle definitely gets hot enough but I think it goes to about 800F. A small kiln seemed safer and they're really not horribly expensive. Having one gives you some options too - you can do enamel, among other things.

 

[Yvan]

Steve, thank you for the great tutorial.

Yvan

 

[KCSteve]

Steve, thank you for the great tutorial.

Yvan

Thank the folks here - I just did that to record / pass along what they told me.

While I'm still working on my Engraving skills, I'm reasonably good with a camera, computer, and documenting things so I contribute how I can.

 

[eastslope]

Here is a poor mans bending jig that is based off one that Leonard Haraga has. All you need is the two vice grips, two metal spacers (washers in this case), and a 5/16 or 3/8 inch punch. Works great. You stick it in and bend the little upturn at the end, then flip it around and turn over to do the other major bend. Make sure your engraved side is protected by masking tape. Finish off the squeeze by putting it into the vice with some leather to protect it.

This money clip that I posted the other day is argentium. I work hardened it before I bent it by flexing it a couple hundred times one way and doing the same with the other side. Here is something copy and pasted from that money clip post a couple of weeks ago:

I just flex it in my hands almost to the point of bending about 200 times one way, and then flip over and do a 200 times the other way. This is by hand, and it really helps to work harden it, then I bend it. I then squeeze it into a vice with cardboard in the jaws to get the final crimp.

One way they fatigue test different metals is they put a sample into a machine that flexes the metal without bending it over and over until the metal fails. I am just copying that principal with a few thousand less times to work harden it. Seth
__________________

 

[Crazy Horse]

Marcus, the method I use is to polish the material (Sterling or German silver) up to 600 or 1K grit paper. I then engrave the piece complete. Next I hand saw out the outline and file to layout line, then sand the edges smooth.

Years ago when I first started making clips I bent them between a block and hardened dowl pins, but the flat areas would not stay flat. And trying to keep things straight in a vice while trying to tighten did not allow uniformity... to say the least.

At that time being a machinist I made a simple bending jig (very crude for a machinist, but I had to work fast so the boss wouldn't catch me) which allows me to keep the face of the clip flat while allowing me to advance the clip at the bend 2 or three times. This worlk hardens the the clip in the area of the bend. I then hand polish the clip with a flat piece of felt and different grades of rouge.

I engrave my name and the date on the inside befor bending..obviously.

You can see on the right end of the block a "Stop." I move it and adjust acordingly, also using the copper shim if I need a little extra to close the clip tight.
Also I had to machine a slot to accomidate the ellipse, whereas a straight clip would not need the slot.

It holds hundred dollar bills nicely (whenever my wife allows me to hold them. [...for her.]).

If you have any questions, fire away.

 

[Crazy Horse]

I forgot these two pictures.

 

[Keith]

John,
Thanks for showing the jig. I tried bending a clip myself in a vise with terrible results after seeing the nice money clips you had at Ken Hursts house.
I have engraved the pre made nickel silver clips but want to try one like you make with the oval shape.
Later,
Keith

 

[Crazy Horse]

I'm not sure if I can make it to Mr. Ken's place this year but will try. I'll know in a couple of weeks. If I come down I'll bring my jig and demonstrate how to make a bend. So engrave your clip but don't bend it just yet.
I'm working up a leaping Bass and will not bend it until later.

 

[FANCYGUN]

Someone should manufactor a money clip bending jig like that one.....hint........hint...hint

Real nice jig and pictures

 

[Crazy Horse]

Maybe I should sell the plans to Steve...;~)

 

[JJ Roberts]

John, That is a neat bending jig thank for sharing,hope you can come to the engrave-in.J.J. Roberts

 

[Keith]

John,
I hope you can make it too had a great time last year. I've got the days off from work already (you know gov't job). Dont know if I will get anything engraved before Ken's but will try. Rumor has it JJ is getting the presidential suite at the Days inn To fit all of us for the after party.....
Thanks,
Keith

 

[eastslope]

Crazy Horse, any chance you can take a picture from straight above the bender. I think it would be fun to make one like that if I could muster up a spare moment or two.

 

[Marcus Hunt]

Thanks for your help and replies guys. That is a super bit of kit you have there Crazy Horse and kind of how I envisaged bending a clip without bending the face. However, I don't have access to the machinery nor do I have the skills to make something like this in metal; do you think a wooden jig would surfice?