Using Silver Wire.....

[Captured Light Glass]

I tried to find a tut and couldn't and I must be doing this wrong. I have used fine silver wire (20 gauge) several times and I am finding that control is an issue.

The wire gets hot and trying to get it in the right place is a challenge. Are there any tut's available on the subject?

[Kevan]

20 gauge is kind thick. I think most of us use 26 to 30. I do.

[Captured Light Glass]

I have tried the 26 and 28 from Glass Diversions and the same thing.

[crystalflipz]

One thing that helps me is to spot heat the glass to where it is soft enough to poke the end of the wire into the glass to secure it. Then pull the bead away from the flame and wrap the wire around the bead. Bring the bead back into the flame to melt off the end and melt the silver into the bead. I use 28 and 28 ga wire, and usually have no problems with control once I get the wire secured into the glass.
Hope this helps.

[woozles]

I used 30 guage fine silver wire for my first try. The wire stayed pretty much in one piece and bonded to the glass. For the most part it did not "ball-up." It still looks cool - but since I was making pressed beads it put indentations in the sides where the wire was. Still two cool beads, but not quite what I was expecting.

I heated the second bead I tried really really hot - the glass was practically dripping! One thing, I ran out of propane the next morning and I know when I am running out of propane, my flame seems to get much cooler. I am on a hot head.

Vicki

[Carolyn M]

Michele, what are you trying to do with it? I use 30 gauge all the time to wrap my 'silver' beads.

[StephBonniwell]

Once the silver wire has melted into the bead, does too much heat cause the silver balls to get burrs? I have tried using wire a few times and the silver was really rough. I used 28 gauge, I believe. Thanks, all!

[Lee]

HA - I occasionally get burrs, as well! What causes that???

[Abacus Beads]

OK so once you get the silver on the beads melted in and anneal the bead how do you get it shiney again. mine always turn out grayish bahla?
Liz R

[VivianLampwork]

Liz, I've never had my silver turn gray except when I had silver that I feel wasn't the good stuff. If you've got a high silver content, it should stay silver.

[Captured Light Glass]

Carolyn~

I am trying to melt in some silver accents onto a bead.

I hadn't tried the wrapping method and will certainly do that and it makes complete sense. I was trying to dot and dab and well talk about burrs and burns!

I will report back after the next torch session which I hope is tonight...

[playswithfire104]

You need to use fine silver to keep the silver shiny. If you use sterling it will turn black or gray. I don't know if pickleing will help or not. I also don't know if pickleing will hurt the bead or not.

[Carolyn M]

If you use sterling it will be grey, and nothing you do will turn it shiny again! You have to use .999 fine silver.

Michele, when you are wrapping, attach the end of the silver wire to the bead, take it out of the flame, wrap a couple of times, then back into the flame to melt it in. You should get lovely trails of silver dots this way

[Kevan]

The gray sounds like sterling silver. I have never had it turn gray. Never had burrs and the only time it doesn't ball up is if I have wrapped it on to glass that was still soft. Don't do that.

Pardon my nips, but this is how it looks right out of the kiln. No polishing or etching or anything.

http://i117.photobucket.com/albums/o53/konact/R4%20goddesses/DSC_0027-7.jpg

[lunamoonshadow]

Kevan, are you flaunting & flashing your boobies again??? :lol:

[Captured Light Glass]

I got it!!!! Thank you everyone and I will take a pic tonight, I have wonderful little swirls of stars now and just what I was after.

The secret is the wrapping the wire around the glass and yes not while it is too hot.

The drawback of not having classes nearby is I have to learn on my own and I just could not figure this one out so I really appreciate the help!