Hey guys, I'm looking to do some inlay work with silver. How do you guys go about it. I've used the premade band but I would really like to find some stock so I can make my own. I would also like to make them thicker then pipe emporiums bands so I can do some engraving.
Thanks,
Chris
inlay materials
-
bikedoctor
- Site Supporter
- Posts: 123
- Joined: Sat Dec 20, 2008 7:46 pm
- Location: Shreveport, LA
The method would be the same however the thicker the band the more difficult it is to make a good band, its just too hard to bent properly. You might be best working a deal with a local silversmith who will have the necessary tools.Briarfox wrote:Thanks caskwith, it would be silver Bands. This probably should have went in the stummel forum.
Would the method you mentioned be the same for thicker bands? I would like to be able to get some depth with the engraving.
-
pierredekat
You might look into silver clay (AKA precious metal clay, PMC, silver art clay, etc.), which can be:
* shaped like any other clay when it's soft
* chiseled, sanded, etc., when it's "green" (dried but still unfired)
* hammered, filed, engraved, sanded, soldered, buffed, etc., after it's been fired.
Besides normal pipemaking tools, you might only need an inexpensive butane torch to fire your creations. If you snoop through some of these youtube videos, you can see how to do it.
If you're doing production numbers of a single design, you would probably want to approach a real silversmith who can cast large numbers of pieces at a reasonable price.
But if you're doing one-off stuff like we pipemakers tend to do, I think that silver clay is the way to go.
Just keep in mind that there's going to be some shrinkage, so factor that in and fit your pieces after they have been fired.
* shaped like any other clay when it's soft
* chiseled, sanded, etc., when it's "green" (dried but still unfired)
* hammered, filed, engraved, sanded, soldered, buffed, etc., after it's been fired.
Besides normal pipemaking tools, you might only need an inexpensive butane torch to fire your creations. If you snoop through some of these youtube videos, you can see how to do it.
If you're doing production numbers of a single design, you would probably want to approach a real silversmith who can cast large numbers of pieces at a reasonable price.
But if you're doing one-off stuff like we pipemakers tend to do, I think that silver clay is the way to go.
Just keep in mind that there's going to be some shrinkage, so factor that in and fit your pieces after they have been fired.
