Sterling silver working

C

CDH

Joined
Jun 8, 2007
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Sorry for the slightly OT thread but I know there are a few who work with silver and the information could just as easily be applicable to knifemaking...

I need to repair a mangled sterling silver baby spoon. It lost a fight with the sink dispos-all. It was a gift from my grandmother to my firstborn...:grumpy:

I think I can use a heavy leather pad on a steel plate for an anvil, and a leather tipped curved brass rod for a punch to restore the spoon shape, but what is the best way to forge it. Does it need to be worked hot, periodically annealed, etc. to keep it from breaking? The handle was folded over about 90 degrees in 2 places along with a bunch of scrapes and dents...but I think it can be restored to decent shape. I also have a thin loop at the end of the handle that was broken off at one end that will need to be soldered back if possible.

HELP! My wife is very upset over this, and even though it isn't my fault I would like to try and fix it.

Thanks in advance!
 
Heat the spoon with a propane torch until it turns black, just before it turns red. Cool in water then begin straightening it out.

Grind out a couple of hardwood punches with round ends and one with a flat end slightly chamfered.

Take a block of wood for an anvil and gently tap the spoon back into shape. It will go quickly at first then it will become more difficult as the silver work hardens so be prepared to re anneal a couple of times.

The broken area can be worked after being silver soldered and annealed.

Take it easy and it will go well.
 
Just remember, do NOT hot forge it! Silver is hot short, meaning it will crumble on you if you hammer on it while it's hot.
 
Pictures would be helpful, but it sounds like you will need to do some forming`, possibly also some chasing/repousse if the pattern was damaged.

As Jared said, DO NOT WORK SILVER HOT
annealing is heating it up to a dull glow barel visable in dim light and water quenching it. You can make an anti-firescale flux by dissolving boric acid (not Borax, you can get boric acid in the pharmacy, the use it for foot fungus or some such) in denatured alcohol until saturated. dip the silver object in the boric/alcohol mix, take it out, close the lid on the boric mix so that will not ignite, and light he silver item on fire. it will burn with a green flame. when that flame has subsided you can anneal your silver and start working. If you heat sterling up to anneal temps without a firescale coating the copper will rise to the surface and oxidise giving you a blackish firescale that is a pain to polish out.

-Page (yes I play with silver professionally)
 
Here is the mess I have to work with...

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I figure the deep scratches will be permanent but maybe minimized...straightening it is my main objective.
 
the torn handle will need to be hard soldered, that will be a little tricky if you have never dealt with sterling silver before, the rest looks like basic forming for the shape, use maple tools and a rawhide mallet for the basic shape. You may get some cracking at the 90 degree bends if you don't anneal first. Work gently, pad any pliers you use with leather or urethane because silver, especially annealed is soft and scratches and dents super easy.You will probably have to chase details back in once the spoon is straightened and soldered. This is not simple repair work, straighten it and dap the dents out of the bowl, then rephotograph it, and I'll try to coach you to the next step if you wish. Stacy may also be able to help you, of course that first piece of advice should probably have been: find a good local silversmith, but failing that . . .if you have the courage to try this, and your wife will forgive you if it doesnt survive the repair (BTW since it is not my hands operating the tools, I accept no liability on this one, this is pretty complicated repair work for someone who doesn't do this all of the time, and not really simple even for a pro due to the amount and type of damage)

-Page
 
I avoided answering this thread, because I though the general answer would be:
" If it is a valued heirloom, get it professionally repaired."
Just because you probably could do it, would you take your kids tonsils out?

I totally agree with Page - I would go see a local jeweler/silversmith with this and let him take a look. If you are not familiar with the tools, techniques, and procedures, you will most likely ruin it. Done properly, you may not be able to tell it was ever damaged. After the smith takes a look let us know what he said. The repair looks like a difficult one.
Stacy

BTW: $20-50 is really a cheap price to get back in your wifes good graces.If she stays mad, it may cost you more than that.
 
Thanks for the tips. I have been asking around to find out who does good work (has a good reputation) in this town and have had zero luck... I am about ready to just walk in some of the bigger independent shops around town that advertise "Custom Jewelry" and see what they say, feel them out and go from there.

I had a mental limit of $100 for fixing this...anything more and I'd have to wait until finances were a little more forgiving. I will be fixing this one way or the other...in asking my Mom she believes this was the spoon used to feed my grandmother. Since she is 87 now, well, it isn't a question of IF it gets fixed but when and how.

Fortunately I didn't leave it in the sink, one of the kids (probably my 2 year old) did, but still, peace in the household is worth the cost. ;)

Thanks guys!
 
I agree with Stacy and Page as well. Save the tinkering and online advice for personal projects - not for heirlooms. Every time I look at my own work, all I see are the flaws. I wouldn't want to have that sensation in a piece that actually meant something.
 
$100 is insane. It should cost 1/4 to 1/2 of that. If you get dead ends, send me an email.
Stacy
 
Clayton sent me the spoon. It was pretty messed up. The handle is bent at 90 degrees, and the flowers at the top are torn through. The entire bowl is really chewed up. I annealed it, reworked the bowl on a set of spoon mandrels, straightened the handle and re-welded the top and a couple other tears.It look pretty darn good now.
Stacy
 

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Nice work Stacy, very clean.
welded,? you must have a laserwelder, I miss the one where I used to work!

-Page
 
That's really cool, Stacy! We're you able to save the flowers or did you have to re-chase them?
 
I welded it with a torch. The flowers were mostly saved and just re-cut where the welds are. Annealed silver is very malleable and can be moved around a lot.
Stacy
 
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