This tutorial will teach you in precise detail and easy to follow steps and shows you how to:
- - Control heat when fusing metal
- - Fuse silver and gold rings
- - Discuss setting gems in fused metal
- This tutorial can be made in a standard smithing workshop. You will need:
- - Metal : silver or gold or other
This project on making a fused ring forms part of an in-depth technical fusing metal tutorial aimed at all skill levels of goldsmithing. In addition you will use this free Rotary Burnishing Tools Tutorial showing you how to make your own, which comes in handy when working on fused metal.
A very popular and often requested technique is how to fuse metal. Customers will sometimes refer to it as an organic ring with a raw or rustic texture. Others call it the molten metal look. This technique ensures that the results are always unique and natural lending to it a handmade feel.
The fusing technique is all about the type of flame and how it is controlled. More oxygen causes the outside metal to 'freeze' because of the oxide layer and with more gas, a reducing flame causes the metal to run and flow on the outside. A bit like the skin on boiled milk. This is the flame I reticulate with, set with plenty of oxygen.
Notice how the silver starts becoming 'crishy'. This is just before it melts, but since the flame is set with too much oxygen, the surface forms an oxide layer and the silver melts and moves under this layer, causing the typical wrinkles of reticulated work. With some experience a large measure of control can be exercised making the end result anything but random.
Completed project - one silver and one gold fused ring