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Wire inlay help

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SeanKimball

32 Cal
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Dec 16, 2015
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Hi all;

I wanted to try doing some wire inlay, got the wire made some tools etc... fun stuff - time consuming though.

But here is my problem... 'getting wire',
I got some flat wire initially from Track, and just ordered a whole bunch more from some other builders supply (I forget at the moment) but what I am not finding is round wire!? (well in Canada)

So if anyone can help out:

1. where is everyone getting wire from, specifically round wire.

2. what the heck is this stuff actually made from? "german silver"? It's certainly not sterling or pure silver (not a $1/foot!!)

3. German silver is basically nickel, copper & zinc? also known as 'nickel silver'?

basically: what can be used and where can I get it?

I guess this is no fun without pics, so here is my first kick at the can - some grips for a Star Super B .... I like to practise techniques on something that will get used, I'm more likely to give it better attention than a throw away scrap... get that technique down before I go anywhere near a gun ;)

20181104_231025.jpg



Not finished yet, it has (lots of) issues, but I guess practise - practise - practise ....
20181105_014132.jpg
 
Jeweler/Jewelry supply houses sell round wire.
You have it right about "Germain Silver".
tip; if you sand that down a bit,, the wide parts of the flat tape "wire" install will go away and leave the line you want/need.
(Great looking practice by the way)
 
Hi,
Rio Grande (www.riogrande.com) is a good source for round wire and flat sheet. Muzzleloader Builders Supply also has flat brass and sterling silver wire ribbon for inlay. I assume you want round wire for pins because you don't do wire inlay with round wire. I cut my ribbon from silver sheet because I can get sheet in many thicknesses. IMO the flat wire you get from TOW and MBS is too thick. I typically use sheet 0.005-0.006" thick. Sheet can be cut easily with shears and then the strip pinched between 2 coarse files flattens it out and scores the sides. I don't use German silver any more because it was not produced commercially until the 19th century and my guns are earlier pieces that use silver and occasionally brass. Sterling silver sheet is not very expensive in the thicknesses required, however, it tarnishes quickly even turning almost black over time. It is important that your wire inlay be slightly proud of the surface of the wood so you can polish it from time to time. I usually use fine silver, which tarnishes must more slowly but I often mix sterling wire with fine silver inlays as shown on the guns below because I like the 2-tone effect (sterling is a little grayer than fine silver).

dave
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ISpp21L.jpg

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Jeweler/Jewelry supply houses sell round wire.
You have it right about "Germain Silver".
tip; if you sand that down a bit,, the wide parts of the flat tape "wire" install will go away and leave the line you want/need.
(Great looking practice by the way)

Thanks - I was looking at some supply type places up here (Canada) but really struggling with what would be the best suited material... I was not able to find any GS round wire, just sterling. (and "craft" wire)
Looks like Dave's reply has a few more pointers for me as well :)

Thanks on the compliment - it isn't sanded flush yet, so I was expecting the burrs to disappear (to a point) I need to work on the joints and little asymmetrical kinks in the flow .... actually I only started adding wire at this point because I was finding that when lines flowed into one another the already cut channel would collapse - I figured it needed the wire to be there for support before cutting the 'branch off'


I suppose there is some nomenclature to learn as well? :)
 
Hi,
Rio Grande (www.riogrande.com) is a good source for round wire and flat sheet. Muzzleloader Builders Supply also has flat brass and sterling silver wire ribbon for inlay. I assume you want round wire for pins because you don't do wire inlay with round wire. I cut my ribbon from silver sheet because I can get sheet in many thicknesses. IMO the flat wire you get from TOW and MBS is too thick. I typically use sheet 0.005-0.006" thick. Sheet can be cut easily with shears and then the strip pinched between 2 coarse files flattens it out and scores the sides. I don't use German silver any more because it was not produced commercially until the 19th century and my guns are earlier pieces that use silver and occasionally brass. Sterling silver sheet is not very expensive in the thicknesses required, however, it tarnishes quickly even turning almost black over time. It is important that your wire inlay be slightly proud of the surface of the wood so you can polish it from time to time. I usually use fine silver, which tarnishes must more slowly but I often mix sterling wire with fine silver inlays as shown on the guns below because I like the 2-tone effect (sterling is a little grayer than fine silver).

dave

Thanks Dave,

yes, specifically for pins, as I replied to necchi I was not able to find GS round wire ... nor am I too concerned about historical accuracy at this point, I consider the muzzle loader art, and anything I do will look like I did it ;) - really I liked the GS idea specifically because it shouldn't tarnish (easily)

Anyway - MBS had the flat wire in 005, 008 & 012 (or maybe 010) so I grabbed a bunch of all three because I wasn't thrilled with the one thickness of wire anyway . they had no round stock :(

So since we are looking at silver/sterling/fine etc ... what is the deal with the hardness? I see it sold as soft, dead soft, hard etc. I have no idea how that rating equates to how the wire will actually work. Does it matter? it dead soft too soft? is hard to difficult to work?

(nice work btw)
-thanks!
 
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