Wow! I didn't realise that it had been that long since I last posted!
I've decided to share a few hints and tips on occasion. Just little things I've picked up over the years. There will be no rhyme or reason to the order of them, but a friends need a little while back reminded me that not everyone knows this.
Improve you accuracy when testing the specific gravity of drilled beads with liquids:
Insert a needle through the drill hole of the bead, lower the needle and bead partially into the liquid and slide the bead off the end. This helps to avoid getting air bubbles in the drill hole and gives a better result.
Brushed finishes on metals made easy:
Satinising mops are very expensive and can leave an uneven finish unless they are the expensive "radial lap" type. For a cheaper, more reliable and easy alternative, buy a pack of nylon pan scourers. The green matting type. When these are dry they are very hard and sharp. Gently wipe across the surface in one direction in slow steady strokes to build up a brushed finish. Practice makes perfect with this. A jobbing jeweller I shared this with recently said it was a better finish than his polisher produces for a £20 charge!
Fitting a new screw in an old setting;
If you have to put a new shiny screw in an old clock, watch or even building, you can blacken it with relative ease. If you warm a little safety pickle or sulphuric acid (observing ALL the precautions as you should) and dip the head of the screw or bolt in it, it should start to fizz and go black. Take it out and rinse it thoroughly. Only immerse the head as this is a corrosive process and will affect the thread, causing binding. If this is for an outside use, you could also boil the parts up in water and oak bark pieces. The tannins colour the metal and also impart a rust inhibiting property.
That's all for this time.
Take care,
D
Posts
