Silver rings and lovely things - Made on playa

[bm_cricket]

Does anyone out there have experience with making silver jewelry? I intend to make a lost-wax silver engagement/wedding ring. My fiancee and I are the types who make everything ourselves. We make things for Burning Man. We make things for each other, our friends, total strangers.. Anyway, I'm not an expert in making silver jewelry but I expect someone out there is. Does anyone want to share any hints? I intend to be in the Gerlach area for about a month before burning man and a little part of me is tempted to make the ring out there (I'll do all the wax cutting back home first). Has anyone tried smelting silver on the playa? I haven't held a torch in my hand in over a decade and I think I'd need someone to walk me though it. Any volunteers in helping me make a very simple but very important band of silver?

Thoughts?

Goathead!! I hope you'll read this. I'm one of the brewers from Camp ATL. I know you read these forums and we spent some time together last year on the playa. I believe you met Jes, my girlfriend, fiancee, some-day wife. I wonder if you have any experience with this kind of thing considering your playa dust melting interests. I hope all is well on your side of the default world and I look forward to our second-annual all-playa brew fest! I intend to make a special batch for inclusion in our brewing competition this year since last year since last year it was only right that our massive on tap selection not be included. And I'm planning to take your advice on the non-alcoholic selection too and make a few sodas for the kids and DMV approved drivers. I also hope to put a little bit of my brew in the Golden Cafe project. What are your plans for this year?

[ibdave]

very cool, I hope someone can help you out...

[motskyroonmatick]

I wonder if you could use playa mud as the surrounding material for the wax. I might have to research this a little.

Edit: I guess it is fairly complex. The investment material (the stuff that surrounds the wax) is pretty specific although I assume available in most any reasonable size city. A vacuum chamber is needed. And there are times and weights to deal with. It seems very doable though with the proper planning and equipment.

[TomServo]

Check with the Crucible, in Oakland,CA. A few of them are burners.

[Ugly Dougly]

You won't be smelting, I think, that's from the raw ore.

Melting, more like. You can probably do this with some kind of blow-torch.

Plenty of time to learn up.

The wax may melt in the desert heat.

[AKAparttime]

Does anyone out there have experience with making silver jewelry? I intend to make a lost-wax silver engagement/wedding ring. My fiancee and I are the types who make everything ourselves. We make things for Burning Man. We make things for each other, our friends, total strangers.. Anyway, I'm not an expert in making silver jewelry but I expect someone out there is. Does anyone want to share any hints? I intend to be in the Gerlach area for about a month before burning man and a little part of me is tempted to make the ring out there (I'll do all the wax cutting back home first). Has anyone tried smelting silver on the playa? I haven't held a torch in my hand in over a decade and I think I'd need someone to walk me though it. Any volunteers in helping me make a very simple but very important band of silver?

Thoughts?

Hey cricket
Haveing been a silver smith for 30+ year's I admire your resolve.
There mite be some one out in Gerlack or BRC who can cast your ring
for you but a better coarse would be to cast the ring before going and do the finishing in camp.
As for the Gypsum as an investment,(as in the black rock kind) it would be poor, thermal shock would likely crack it.
Hope this helps


Goathead!! I hope you'll read this. I'm one of the brewers from Camp ATL. I know you read these forums and we spent some time together last year on the playa. I believe you met Jes, my girlfriend, fiancee, some-day wife. I wonder if you have any experience with this kind of thing considering your playa dust melting interests. I hope all is well on your side of the default world and I look forward to our second-annual all-playa brew fest! I intend to make a special batch for inclusion in our brewing competition this year since last year since last year it was only right that our massive on tap selection not be included. And I'm planning to take your advice on the non-alcoholic selection too and make a few sodas for the kids and DMV approved drivers. I also hope to put a little bit of my brew in the Golden Cafe project. What are your plans for this year?

[bm_cricket]

You won't be smelting, I think, that's from the raw ore.

Melting, more like. You can probably do this with some kind of blow-torch.

Plenty of time to learn up.

The wax may melt in the desert heat.

Melting, yes. And I was planning to have everything ready and already in a plaster mold by the time I get out there. The biggest thing I'm lacking is a torch and the ability to use one with out burning down the house and/or neighborhood.

[bm_cricket]

Check with the Crucible, in Oakland,CA. A few of them are burners.

This looks great! I'm in Santa Cruz so I could potentially make the trip up there a few times to learn the basics. I was really wishing to figure something out that didn't cost.. *cough*.. a lot of money. I'm sure that the $300 for a 5 session class on introductory lost wax silver jewelry is a great deal but... It sure sounds like exactly the sort of thing I'm looking for.. Does anyone on this forum happen to live in Santa Cruz, CA; have experience with lost wax or jewelry making; and feel like giving a nice kid a lesson in making something beautiful?

[Ugly Dougly]

There's other stuff to cast that *cough* doesn't cost as much as silver.

It's a great thing to share on the playa.

Check out what Goathead did:
http://eplaya.burningman.org/viewtopic.php?t=29481

[TomServo]

Check with the Crucible, in Oakland,CA. A few of them are burners.

This looks great! I'm in Santa Cruz so I could potentially make the trip up there a few times to learn the basics. I was really wishing to figure something out that didn't cost.. *cough*.. a lot of money. I'm sure that the $300 for a 5 session class on introductory lost wax silver jewelry is a great deal but... It sure sounds like exactly the sort of thing I'm looking for.. Does anyone on this forum happen to live in Santa Cruz, CA; have experience with lost wax or jewelry making; and feel like giving a nice kid a lesson in making something beautiful?

http://www.backyardmetalcasting.com/book_fp.html

[theCryptofishist]

Do it beforehand. Don't load too much onto your trip. What happens if you lose a couple of days and you never get far enough ahead to catch up? Weddings are stressful enough without taking on quixotic tasks as well.

[Boijoy]

Remember when hammering silverware into jewelry was popular in the 70's ?? something like that may be kewell.

[barry14]

have your thought about pewter? your can melt it with a propane torch. it's soft enough to work with a jewelers file and/or sandpaper (dremel tool)