Jewelry Making: Work Hardening and Annealing

Here is my "quick" attempt at explaining Work Hardening and Annealing in Jewelry Making. I tried to be fairly clear. Let me know if you have any questions.
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[@lorihayden6496]

Thank you Doug! Brand new to metal work so this explains it well. I love the graphics, makes learning very simple!

[@DougNapierJewelryMonk]

Lori, welcome to the world of metalsmithing. Thank you for the comments. Enjoy.

[@daftducklin1]

Very simple and straightforward. Thanks👋

[@DougNapierJewelryMonk]

You are very welcome.

[@punx1169]

Thank you for this quick and easy video. Attempting to make a ridiculous Cuban link for myself 😁👍🍻

[@DougNapierJewelryMonk]

You are very welcome. Good Luck with your project!

[@nickkraus23]

ur the goat

[@DougNapierJewelryMonk]

[@AlwaysMetaling]

Thanks sooo much, Doug!! Very good and very simple explanation. The confusing things I’ve heard that in very unsure about is when you’re annealing a thick gauge, say 8 gauge. I’ve had such a hard time getting it malleable. I’ve heard yes that you want to make it dull pink but I don’t know if it’s getting all the way through the metal, using silver. And then I’ve heard that you should let it air cool to get it malleable, but others say no, you must quench it right away. Either way, I STILL have problems getting thick gauge silver malleable. Any help you can offer would be great. Better yet, I’d love to see a demo. 👩🏼‍🎨🌵🔨 Thanks again, Doug

[@DougNapierJewelryMonk]

Bobbi, for thicker metal, I use the same shape flame, just a little hotter. I hold it at temperature a little longer, maybe 30 seconds, then I quench. If it is pink colored at the flame tip, that temp will be throughout the thickness of the metal, since silver transfers heat very quickly. Hope this helps.

[@MisterMinniMe]

crazy so it's the other way arount relative to steel?

[@maudale]

Thank you! I have small pieces of brass 1mm thick and find it impossible to anneal! I've used the sharpie trick and extended it's time under the flame to no avail...

[@sirridok]

Now how to re-harden a spring in a box clasp without taking it apart? Loses its tension when i open it...due to soldering /quenching sections of the box.. Thanks for video!

[@thatf_inguy8220]

Hi Doug, My question is how do you go in reverse. Say you've shaped the piece of (sterling) silver and you want to get it as hard as possible so it does not deform in use. Is there a way to do this?

[@DougNapierJewelryMonk]

Usually work hardening is the best way. You might research temperature hardening, but I have never tried it.

[@123shoste]

Dear Doug, metals do not contain molecules, only atoms in closest sphere packing (like biljard balls, not like your picture of touching blue balls) in a perfect infinite array. Work hardening introduces grain many grain boundaries (domain edges), inhibiting the biljard balls to roll around each other. Yours truly, Serge

[@thatboymari6580]

The metal is the molecule

[@robertciganovic965]

Don’t it get hard when put in water. Like quenching steel

[@DougNapierJewelryMonk]

As long as you do not overheat it, it doesn't. Silver reacts different that steel.

[@robertciganovic965]

@@DougNapierJewelryMonk thank you for your responce

[@DougNapierJewelryMonk]

@@robertciganovic965 My pleasure.

[@jonsnow3513]

sir you cant misshape mollecules , you misshape the metal

[@SixStringSlinger1]

What is the metal made of? Lol.. If the metal has been misshaped, then how could the molecules NOT BE misshaped also? Lol

[@jonsnow3513]

@@SixStringSlinger1 mishsaping has various techniques, one is misshaping the latttice, fundamentals of material science