Hi
Not sure if this is the right place, but here goes.....
As I have a thing about really not liking glued on bails to glass pendants (even though I have found a glue that appears to be stuck fast, I am still going to worry that it will go "off" in six months, or that the end user might be able to simply push the bail backward - so far, I have a lot that passes the tug test, but still nothing can pass the push backwards test)
Anyway - I am trying to fuse a tube top bail into a pendant -
(Have a finished cab, and I have applied a layer of clear thin to the back,seems to have worked, other than I probably should take it a bit higher temperature, as its only tack fused in)
- I used a 925 silver bail - and at the moment its a dull blackish grey - any suggestions as how to get it back up to shiney silver - don't want to use the wrong thing.
I'd like it to come back up the original polished shiny appearance.
I think I am gonna stop making pendants, it does my head in!!
Thanks for help anybody.
Hi Dawn,
you can polish it up with your dremel and polishing tools, or put in pickle (there is a thread on here on "friendly" pickles, you have to search for it). If you pickle it it goes grey and it needs to be burnished or tumbled afterwards.
It's a good idea to work the silver in a tumbler, as 925 silver goes brittle when used with fused glass. Tumbling will strengthen it again.
Do I make sense? Not quite myself this morning, and rather busy....
HI Julie
Thanks for that info - I thought pickle gave it that frosted effect? Thats not the right word. My brain is pickled this week (too many late nights trying to get stuff ready for a stall at a carnival tomorrow) - erm, I can't think of the word. Not shiny....
Won't tumbling affect the glass pendant too??
I know nothing about tumbling!
What causes the silver to go brittle - is it the heating process? That's a bummer, I thought I had all my problems solved...... so now, the bail won't come off, but it might break - ARRGGGGHHHH!!!
Dip it in slightly warm Cillit Bang for a few hours. It will clean up the black caused by the heat and will look a dull grey - but it will be a uniform colour. Then you can just polish it with a proprietory metal polish back to shiny.
Quote from: zeldazog on June 20, 2008, 09:57:01 AM
Won't tumbling affect the glass pendant too??
I know nothing about tumbling!
Nope - I've been putting my siver cored beads in the tumbler for a couple of hours with no ill effects. Why don't you put a couple of test pieces in and run it for a while to check.
Quote from: dinah46 on June 20, 2008, 12:45:30 PM
Why don't you put a couple of test pieces in and run it for a while to check.
Cos I haven't got a tumbler! I haven't had need for one, as my only use of silver so far is cord ends and bails.
I've just experimented with leaving it in silver dip for a while, it seems to have brought a lot of the shine back up with a bit of working - but I am concerned about what Julie said about brittleness.
Quote from: zeldazog on June 20, 2008, 01:14:54 PM
I've just experimented with leaving it in silver dip for a while, it seems to have brought a lot of the shine back up with a bit of working - but I am concerned about what Julie said about brittleness.
Sorry to worry you, Dawn!! I cannot quite remember why the sterling gets brittle, but I am sure I have read that it is so. If you work it, it doesn't have to be in the tumbler, it strengthens it again. Try with a dremel and polishing pad or maybe a burnisher. I have used sterling silver wire loops fused in earrings before, with no ill effects. :)
oh, okay, thanks for that Julie
I will have a play - not sure how much work is going to be involved in doing it this way - will have to weigh that up - I often end up firing twice anyway (things often come out not *quite* what I want, I am a bit of a perfectionist, so they often get reshaped on the linisher at Uni) - so, in that respect, it might not be too much more work involved. Will have to plan more carefully with respect to shape and thickness.
But, all that taken into account, if I can feel more comfortable that a bail isn't going to pop off after someone has had one of my pendants, then it would be worth it. Glueing is a hassle, I seem to end up getting in a mess anyway!
Thanks for your help everyone, any more suggestions gratefully received!