If you want to remove the taper that comes from forming it on the mandrel, you can size up that last size by hammering it on a socket instead of a mandrel. The trick is to have the ring a smidge smaller than the socket and then hammer the socket through the inside of the ring. The chamfer on the socket and the taper inside the ring make this operation possible. Then hold the socket in a vise with the ring around it and hammer to size just as you'd do with a mandrel.
Using the "base" metal (in this case: 24k gold) is the only way to "fuse". Using a lower karat gold, which probably has a lower melting point, is technically a solder, because the base metal now has a lower karat solder in-between the two sides. A real "fused joint" requires the base metal to melt and solidify with only the base metal. I use 24k dust and chips to add extra metal to the joint but I technically don't need to. I could just let the two ends melt and solidify. Using the beneficial melting properties of a lower karat gold is cheating if advertised as a "fused joint"
GIVEN: My understanding of flux is that it is used to quell the formation of oxidation and other atmospheric gases interactions with metals that are being heated. When the heated flux shields the metal, it prevents these contaminations that would otherwise jeopardize the structural integrity of the "joint". GIVEN: Gold doesn't interact with any atmospheric gases, even in the liquid phase. THEREFORE: No need to use a flux with fusing 24k gold.
Charcoal block. Theoretically... pure carbon. Low coefficient of thermal conductivity. Wet with water to prevent combustion. Re-wet after every flame. I dug a hole to allow the gold to sit in without risking a mess!
I also found that fusing is a butt-clencher for sure 😆, though far preferable than using solder and 'contaminating' a pure piece imo!! EDIT: BTW I found that sticking a wad of ceramic-wool through the middle of the ring makes it 'safer' to heat from the outside, gives it support so it doesn't collapse
I'm happy to hear that fusing is universally terrifying. Good trick with the ceramic; do you find that it clings to the metal after melting? I would hate to foul gold for the sake of easy fusing. I would prefer some carbon based material, like a piece of jewlers charcoal cut-to-fit, but thats a pain in the rear-end to manufacture.
@@mustachemetalworks only time it clings slightly (like literal tiny fibers on the surface) to the gold/silver is when it’s completely melted (or if borax is used, naturally), and is very easily removed as simple as being able to be rubbed off by hand once it cools, or pickling for ~15sec (even including borax). No problem at all if annealing or fusing 👍
That is frigging awesome I absolutely love it. I had no way you could melt down those single ingots. I have a powerful butane torch wirh small flame outlet. I have seen other jewellers use it. Do you think it would work? 24k is soft as can be. I can't get over how you made that. It is so impressive. From a local jewellers here £900 easy for a single 5gram 24kbgold ingot £300 what a saving
