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FUSING ARGENTIUM SILVER - By Cynthia Eid
Argentium Sterling is wonderfully easy to fuse. My understanding of why AS is easier to fuse than Fine Silver is that because FS is a pure metal, it has a very short temperature range at which it melts and fuses. Alloys have wider ranges of melting temperatures, and AS has a very wide range of temperatures at which it melts and fuses. The large temperature range makes AS fairly "forgiving" for fusing, compared to most other silver alloys. Here is a summary of how to fuse AS. Though this should help get you started on fusing Argentium Silver, I strongly recommend Ronda Coryell's DVDs on this topic.
Summary Of How To Fuse Argentium Silver:
- Prepare the joint so that the metal is clean, and meets well.
- Flux the joint.
- My favorite flux for this is Rio Grande's My-T-Flux, but Battern's works too, and when I taught in England last summer, I thought that Auflux worked fine.
- Though it is possible to fuse dirty metal that does not touch well, without flux, those are not ideal conditions for consistent success.
- Use a heat-reflective soldering surface.
- My favorite is solderite; Ronda’s favorite is charcoal. Honeycomb blocks and firebricks are also quite heat reflective, but the rough surfaces they have may have an effect on the surface of the AS.
- It is best to use a block that is used only for AS, to avoid contaminating the surface, thus preserving the tarnish-resistance.
- Do what is necessary for you to see the joint well when it flows.
- I like to set things up so that the joint will be near my eye level. I do this by raising the soldering surface, or lowering the chair, or both.
- I like to wear a magnifier so that I can see the joint well.
- I like lots of light, but Ronda likes to dim the lights. What is right for you is what works best for you.
- Heat the areas adjacent to the joint.
- Be sure to use a large enough flame. I find that it is better to use a larger flame quickly than a too-small flame for too long.
- Watch the flux—it is a good indicator of temperature.
- Here is something I learned from Ronda Coryell: When the flux separates into tiny droplets, then you know that the metal is almost at fusing temperature.
- When the metal fuses, the joint looks to me like it has been soldered---I see a “fillet” of molten metal at the joint. That is what I watch for, whether I am fusing a joint in a ring, or a granule to sheet. The surface of the silver often melts and looks liquid. Some people say it looks like mercury.
- Do not be afraid to bring it back to fusing temperature, in order to be sure that you have a good joint. It is also perfectly ok to re-do the whole thing after pickling and rinsing well, if the joint did not fuse well.
- Remember that AS is fragile when red-hot.
- Allow it to cool to at least black-hot before touching it with tweezers.
- Both quenching and air-cooling are okay.
- If you quench, it is okay if the metal sizzles when it hits the water. If there is a more explosive reaction, then the metal was too hot, which may make the metal more brittle.
- Fully air-cooled silver is not much harder than silver that has been quenched at black heat, in my opinion. Therefore, I recommend patience before quenching.
- Pickle, rinse well, and finish the piece.
- (See other articles for finishing tips to maximize tarnish-resistance.)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ULTIMATE SPICULUM HAMMER
  Betty Helen Longhi and Cynthia Eid have teamed up with Bill Fretz to design and produce the Ultimate Spiculum Hammer. The Ultimate Spiculum Hammer has the elegant lines and exquisitely comfortable handle that are trademarks of Fretz hammers. The hammers are identified with the Longhi and Eid logos on the handle, and the traditional Fretz logo on the hammer-head. Around 1980, Betty designed and made a hammer that was based on one that she had watched Heikki Seppa use to make spiculums. Lee Marshall of Bonny Doon Engineering produced a commercial version for Allcraft for many years. Since Lee’s retirement, Betty has been searching for a new maker, so Cynthia approached Bill Fretz about making the spiculum hammer. The new proportions and weight of the Ultimate Spiculum Hammer afford exquisite control and exceptional accuracy for both the beginner and experienced metalsmith. Thrilled with this hammer, Longhi, Eid, and Fretz have designed additional hammers to make a set of shell forming hammers, which is currently in development. The Ultimate Spiculum Hammer is now available from Allcraft Tools, in New York, 1-800-645-7124.
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