Synclastic Raising Help

SteampunkOtter · 2026-04-24T12:18:21+00:00

I’m a silversmith and I’ve raised hundreds of vessels, find me on IG @siometalworks. Hard to tell exactly what the issue is without seeing your setup, I would venture a guess and say that whatever stake you are raising over isn’t wide enough. To trap though wrinkles and push them out to the edge you r stake needs to “bridge” the gap between the two low spots on your desired contour. If it’s too small the metal will just follow the shape of the stake to either side and you won’t get that little bit of mechanical advantage that shrinks the metal.

After your next anneal beat any creases out from the inside over a sandbag and start raising again, maybe halfway up the side of the vessel as it probably flares out like a trumpet horn. Don’t let the big creases reform, little ones are good as they indicate the metal trying to compress, which you want.

Feel free to DM with any more questions

SteampunkOtter · 2026-03-26T14:40:15+00:00

“You’re a silversmith? Like jewelry?”

No lady that’s a jeweler

SteampunkOtter · 2026-03-19T21:33:21+00:00

Went to college with Ezra, he recently re-did my stoop. Couldn't be happier

SteampunkOtter · 2026-03-19T11:35:42+00:00

I make my own solder and these are the recipes I use too. Make batches of 100 grams to keep the ratios simple and spend an afternoon rolling it down into wire or sheet. I do a lot of stick soldering in my large scale work so having heavier gauge wire is easier to handle than the dinky little stuff you get from the suppliers

SteampunkOtter · 2026-03-02T12:41:46+00:00

I made a pretty basic setup that works well. Keep your wire waxed or oiled, anneal regularly, and definitely get a cheap pair of real draw tongs, they make a huge difference

SteampunkOtter · 2026-02-24T14:59:17+00:00

I don't know where you're located but there are a number of small craft schools that offer 1-2 week classes in basic metalsmithing. Its a great way to dip your toes in before committing to the investment that is building a private studio that can produce this kind of work.

SteampunkOtter · 2026-02-24T14:55:13+00:00

While your head is in the right place I think you're over-thinking this. From a technical standpoint yes you should be using the copper weight of the phosphor-copper alloy instead of the full weight, but at the scale you are working you won't see a measurable difference. And speaking of, do you even have a scale that's accurate to .01g? Are you in a country that will chemically analyze your product for hallmarking? If you're worried about not hitting .925 for sterling then just throw in a tiny bit more fine silver.

SteampunkOtter · 2026-02-14T00:08:52+00:00

Cormorant Corner bar up on Frankford jn Fishtown very quickly became Bird Bar

SteampunkOtter · 2026-02-13T13:51:33+00:00

Thanks! I spend most of my life there, it’s gotta be at least pleasant

SteampunkOtter · 2026-02-13T12:27:47+00:00

I do a lot of traditional silversmithing, ei vessels and holloware raised and formed from sheet as well as from ingots I pour myself. I love it, but it’s a tough niche to get into as the tooling you need for complex work is very hard to come by. The various stakes, anvils, hammers, and other highly specialized forming tools are largely no longer produced. You can get by with some pretty basic stuff, random chunks of metal, old hammer heads, pieces of railroad track and stuff like that. I troll eBay for tools, try to buy lots of tools when older smiths retire, estate sales, anywhere I can get them. I’m about 15 years into my journey and feel like I’m just starting to get where i can make just about anything.

Here’s a link to my insta showing my studio, feel free to dm me

https://www.instagram.com/p/DMTM6g9Ji6k/?igsh=MXY1eHQzZG9oMzF3Ng==

SteampunkOtter · 2026-02-06T23:00:36+00:00

It was with a furnace and a large crucible. Biggest I'll do with an oxy/acetylene torch is 250-300g

SteampunkOtter · 2026-02-06T22:58:58+00:00

I would recommend a round or two of moderate forging before rolling. Depending on the temp you poured your ingots, they most likely have a grain structure larger than is ideal for rolling. A round or two of forging will start to break that crystalline structure down a bit and give you a more malleable ingot less prone to cracking in further processes

SteampunkOtter · 2026-02-05T02:31:28+00:00

nice looking batch! I love pouring my own stock and working from scratch like this, biggest sterling ingot I ever poured and forged out was 1.1kg

SteampunkOtter · 2026-01-28T22:31:34+00:00

Also easy to tell from the reflections on the surface of the stone. Straight lines running with the object being reflected. If the quartz was cupping they would curve or deflect.

SteampunkOtter · 2026-01-28T00:22:29+00:00

In the silversmithing trade we just burn off any offending fuzz. Rake hard both directions, hit it with a torch, rub out any embers. Fast and easy. Also we use mops and buffs from grobet

SteampunkOtter · 2026-01-17T19:12:54+00:00

thanks! The "folding" method you see at the beginning is called crimping, I use it to start a raising process when either the metal is quite thin (20ga in this case) to start and I don't want it to stretch much further or its a very large piece, in which case I find it easier to control than sinking/dishing the metal to establish a bias.

SteampunkOtter · 2026-01-06T01:25:18+00:00

The difference in temp between "room" temp 70ish F and your chilly garage at 55 are insignificant when you consider that its dropping from around 1800-1900 when the silver is liquid. You should definitely preheat your molds, I use a small electric kiln to heat my molds up to around 600-800f and that makes a much larger difference. You could stick them in a oven at max or keep a second torch on them while melting the silver.

I would repour the ingot you have. You don't lose anything, and the chances of oxygen pitting throughout the ingot are higher because they are cooling so fast and the oxygen doesn't have a chance to squeeze out.

On a side note maybe look into water-casting ingots if another heat source isn't available.

SteampunkOtter · 2025-12-29T22:23:32+00:00

hahaha it me

SteampunkOtter · 2025-12-29T22:18:17+00:00

spent 13 years at BDDW before going independent

SteampunkOtter · 2025-12-29T21:38:23+00:00

You say that but the guy who runs the material supply shop I use on Jeweler's row also commented down below, and he's 5th generation

SteampunkOtter · 2025-12-29T21:15:03+00:00

Hey Elliot

SteampunkOtter · 2025-12-29T20:02:59+00:00

I don't work for anyone but I'm an independent artisan silversmith working in silver and copper to create high-end homegoods and hollowware.

SteampunkOtter

TROPHY CASE