![\"Clockwork_Trilobite_Pendant_13a\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sterlingsculptures.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/Clockwork_Trilobite_Pendant_13a.jpg\")
<\/a>\nAbove are the two trilobite pieces sawn from my two silver plates.\u00a0 On the left is the top half of the trilobite (and the thickest part) and on the right is the bottom part (the thinner plate).<\/p>\n
As you can see, there\u2019s a fair amount of scrap that isn\u2019t useable for much of anything else.\u00a0 The largest scrap part of the thinner plate (on the right) is still useful, and perhaps the next smaller might eventually find a use, but the small half-moon is only good for silver reclamation without a lot of additional work. \u00a0One day, years from now when I have several pounds of scrap, I can send it back to a refiner for the scrap value.\u00a0 Remelting at this point would remove so much of the alloying copper as oxide scale, slag and pickling depletion, that I couldn\u2019t ethically (or legally\u2026) claim it to be sterling silver without assaying the silver and correcting the alloy.\u00a0 I doubt I\u2019ll ever find use for the scraps of the thicker (on the left), they\u2019re just too small, but that is the nature of this endeavor. \u00a0They may eventually find their way into a little shibuichi (I occasionally alloy and roll my own).<\/p>\n
Now to cut out the gears.\u00a0 The client has requested copper gears for a contrasting color, but in a fortunate turn of events, I discovered a small piece of shibuichi in the scrap drawer.\u00a0 Shibuichi is a Japanese art alloy consisting of copper and silver, usually one fourth silver (shibuichi means one fourth in Japanese).\u00a0 This happens to be 25% shibuichi, the standard alloy, and was a test piece for this knife: Here\u2019s what I tell clients about maintaining the gear color on the trilobite: \u00a0Both copper and shibuichi (and bronze, for that matter) will rapidly oxidize to a dark color from the more\u00a0desirable\u00a0coppery color. \u00a0There isn’t any coating known to man that will stop this for long, and things like lacquer will just chip and break down leaving that mottled, nasty look after a few years. \u00a0So, eventually when the gears turn darker than you like, your mission is to use a “Pink Pearl” pencil eraser and gently rub the dark areas to remove the oxides and restore the coppery color. \u00a0I’m sure you remember sitting in history or math class and making an old penny go back to shiny copper with a pencil eraser? \u00a0Do this gently – you don’t want to remove so much that the gears look like new copper (or shibuichi in this case), so stop when it gets back to looking good – we need the dark in the recesses to see the lighter coppery color. \u00a0Of course, if you remove too much, a month or so will self-heal the problem. \u00a0“Pink Pearl” is a brand name for the common pink colored eraser that almost all pencils have, so a new pencil eraser will work fine, just be careful not to let the metal rim scratch the shibuichi. \u00a0Don’t use an ink eraser, that is way too abrasive.<\/p>\n Next, I have to flatten the mating surfaces of the top and bottom plates, and then carve out the undercutting recess for the gears in the top plate, all before silver soldering everything together.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Today was just a lot of sawing.\u00a0 A lot\u2026I had forgotten how gummy and resisting sterling silver could be, especially in thicker pieces.\u00a0 Now I remember why I much prefer sawing, engraving and carving in steel\u2026 Above are the two … Continue reading <\/a>
\nThe knife scales are patinated shibuichi, which normally turns a dark grey, where copper would more often be blacker.\u00a0 Shibuichi is a much more exciting metal than copper, so will lend additional interest to the piece.\u00a0 Shibuichi when freshly polished has a loverly pinky\/coppery color, but like copper rapidly oxidizes darker.\u00a0 So, I\u2019ll cut the gears from the shibuichi.<\/p>\n<\/a>
\nAbove is a closeup of the little knife box, for Dori. \u00a0Hope this helps, Dori!<\/p>\n<\/a>
\nAbove is the paper pattern glued to the shibuichi.\u00a0 I will cut it a little large on the left side, as I intend to undercut the silver top to make the gears appear as if they disappear inside the trilobite.<\/p>\n<\/a>
\nSo, after several broken jeweler\u2019s saw blades (I was something of a klutz today), and a few bad words, you can see all the parts above (minus one\u00a0 other small gear).\u00a0 As a technical note, I used 5\/0 for the shibuichi and thinner silver plate, and 2\/0s for the thicker.<\/p>\n