Working with Nickel silver

[paulford]

Hi, im considering experimenting with Nickel Silver sheet(1-1.2mm thicknesses).Im new to metalworking so would appreciate any advice to how this metal will lend itself to cold forming, working with hammers.I would also appreciate any info on how it reacts to heat.

Many thanks

Paul

[ThomasPowers]

I hope you are making good use of a book on jewelry making techniques. In the USA I'd suggest you ILL (Inter Library Loan) "Jewelry Making: Techniques for Metal (ISBN: 0486440435 / 0-486-44043-5) McCreight, Tim" at your local public library?---Don't know if Australia has a similar service. A book like that should cover annealing and soldering of nickle silver which will be what you are interested in.

Nickle silver is hard to hot work as it will go from good to molten in a blink.

When I worked for a swordmaker we made a lot of scabbard parts from nickle silver sheet making chapes in halves and then soldering them together with silver solder.

[Bentiron1946]

I used to make some jewelry long ago out of it but quit after so many of the ladies broke out in a rash where it contacted the skin. A lot of folk seem to develop an allergic reaction to nickle after awhile. I haven't tried hot working it but in most respects it cold works much like brass. Anneal often as it does tend to work harden a bit faster than yellow brass in my experience so it did develop stress cracks in the thin sheet I was working with. Shines up nice with polishing. I did cast up some of it for knife parts and it did pour well but you can't use the crucible for any other metal of course, you don't want cross contamination.

[paulford]

Many thanks to both of you, ill look into that book as soon as i can.. I dont intend to make jewellery but im sure there will be some good info for me.