Copper and brass beadcaps

[Margram]

It's my turn to attempt making BHB beadcaps. Spent some Chrimbo money on a disc cutting set, then read that I'd need a brass hammer, so waited for that to arrive. Watched a couple of videos  and did some reading and discovered the mark your metal sheet with a sharpie then anneal with a flame method. I have a little Proxxon Microflame torch which didn't burn off the pen. Read some more and realised my copper and brass is probably too thick - 0.7mm.

Question 1: can I anneal the sheets (10cm sq) in my SC3?

Question 2: if I saw the sheets into narrow strips, will they anneal with my puny torch?

Question 3: which is preferable - a brass or a steel doming block set?

Would appreciate your advice

[mizgeorge]

0.7mm is very thick for beadcaps - you'll be able to work it into the right shapes, but they are unlikely to sit very nicely on any bead.

as for the questions:
1. yes
2. yes, but a tiresome excercise
3. steel or wood.

[flame n fuse]

Interesting to hear that you think wood doming blocks are good. Is there a particular reason?

[fionaess]

what is the best thickness George?

[Margram]

Thanks George! Another question:

Anyone got a kiln schedule for annealing metal?

[Shirley]

Something else to think about, Marg. Are you planning to saw your caps or do you have a disc cutter? Much easier with a cutter

[Margram]

Yes Shirley, got one as a Christmas present! I don't want to spoil it by trying to bash it through unannealed metal though...

[mizgeorge]

Interesting to hear that you think wood doming blocks are good. Is there a particular reason?

They're cheap and very forgiving in terms of not marking metals.

Marg - I wouldn't worry too much about annealing - I never anneal anything I'm going to disc cut unless I'm texturing it as well. Copper's soft to start with, and brass is a bugger to clean up really effectively after annealing.