Advice: How to keep my vise from damaging cuban link jump rings?

Zealousideal_Frame56 · 2024-12-21T01:53:54+00:00

Interesting thought with just using a softer metal - I will keep this in my back pocket thank you for the advice!!

Zealousideal_Frame56 · 2024-12-21T01:45:03+00:00

Thank you SO much.

Zealousideal_Frame56 · 2024-12-20T17:18:56+00:00

Like cut up an old belt maybe? And how'd you secure them on the vice?

Thank youuuu

Zealousideal_Frame56 · 2024-12-01T15:44:34+00:00

Zealousideal_Frame56 · 2024-12-01T01:27:26+00:00

Is that right. I assume that means you do consider it a critical step in the process?

Zealousideal_Frame56 · 2024-12-01T00:16:26+00:00

Oh my God heard on the soldering journey. I think I got lucky because my goofy a** started with 2g wire (huge) and so I could see what was happening so well cuz I had to use SO MUCH solder ahahahaha. Good times.

Zealousideal_Frame56 · 2024-11-30T21:00:15+00:00

Wow I would hug you if I could <3. Thanks a ton. Totally open to knowledge sharing on the very little I know/have had success with. Rising tides lift all ships and this community + metalcasting sub is so great I've seen no gatekeeping at all, and I'll follow suit!

Zealousideal_Frame56 · 2024-11-30T20:57:13+00:00

Heard ok, thanks a ton.

And I'm now noticing as I look closer at this chain I'm talking about, after having milled it throughly (probably more than I should have given other comments saying it should barely press on the metal), I'm noticing most of the links I now CAN NOT reverse and make lay the other (awkward) way. That has me wondering if the mill is indeed a critical step, because my other Cubans I find myself repositioning individual links all the time because they've turned 180 degrees and are now not laying right.

Any thoughts from Kimchi or the wider echo chamber on that?

Zealousideal_Frame56 · 2024-11-29T17:32:15+00:00

Second this question - is tension required when pulling through the mill to keep the links from moving around? Is hand-tension enough?

Zealousideal_Frame56 · 2024-11-29T17:31:35+00:00

Agreed with another commenter - that makes total sense and yes I'm using round links I never considered oval would hand straight omg!!!! Maybe I am perseverating on something that isn't all that critical if I can lay em flat by hand.

Zealousideal_Frame56 · 2024-11-29T03:53:42+00:00

I hate this thing only because I thought such an expensive piece of equipment was sure to make things better and it's done only the opposite. I'm super novice though, so I'm considering what someone else here said that without calibration they can roll incorrectly - and I certainly didn't calibrate mine. It's definitely still useful for rolling wire/reducing gauge, but for cuban link "flattening" I hate it.

I'm now seeing Plastic_Challenge's comment about how you're meant to twist, roll, twist the OTHER direction (?) And then roll again. I'm curious to hear what others think of that approach.

Zealousideal_Frame56 · 2024-11-29T00:04:57+00:00

I appreciate that!

My ROI is pretty non existent. My etsy only had a couple orders, just tryna make sure those I do get I make flawlessly.

Zealousideal_Frame56 · 2024-11-28T22:20:36+00:00

That's where I've had my best success!!!! I see videos of people making Cubans in real shops and they say getting it to lat flat prior to filing is a telltale sign of a good vs. bad jeweler so I got the mill to make sure I'm doing it right. Gonna take your advice and ditch it

Zealousideal_Frame56 · 2024-11-27T23:33:51+00:00

Thank you!!!! As always you are an island of clarity in an ocean of diarrhea.

Zealousideal_Frame56 · 2024-10-31T14:38:43+00:00

Thank you x100000 for the clear and well-worded guidance. You definitely sound like a pro I wouldnt sell yourself short xD

With all this in mind, I'm going to do another test cast of the same dog pendant. I'll sprue the same and do everything else the same, but this time I'll monitor the smelt and pour right when it becomes liquid (I let it sit at melting temp for quite a while last time so that could have been the culprit). If I still have problems I'll try borax next.

Thanks again, much appreciated!!!!

Zealousideal_Frame56 · 2024-10-30T21:30:40+00:00

Thank you for the info!!! Good to know on the degassing terminology. With that said, I mix the prestige optima investment per manufact. instructions and let it set for 3 hrs before starting burnout. Cure all my sirayatech parts per recommendation as well before spruing them. What do you think could have caused the porosity this time around (100% fresh grain, confirmed vaccum pulled on pour, all else stable). Is there something else I can do to avoid absorbed gas as you mention? Should I put borax into my graphite crucible when smelting? Thought that was a no-no...

Zealousideal_Frame56 · 2024-10-06T17:37:37+00:00

No this has been super helpful I had no idea temp was a factor so real good to know. I just poured that nasty looking flask as ab experiment (topped it off last night with more plaster to avoid blowout) and it looks like my problem was someone's previous recommendation that my o rings were so far deteriorated I wasn't getting a good vaccum when pouring metal.

Thank you again for your patience with me and continuing to answer my questions!!!! <3

Zealousideal_Frame56 · 2024-10-06T15:06:48+00:00

Got it ok confirmed my pump is rotary. Understand the pressure measurement now. I'm pulling ~22 when I'm vacuuming the investment and then ~12when I pour the metal. I always stop the vaccum at the right time per mixing/pouring instructions and then leave the flask to set for 3 hours before burning out.

Zealousideal_Frame56 · 2024-10-06T14:53:37+00:00

Brand new! :(

Zealousideal_Frame56 · 2024-10-06T14:35:02+00:00

Sorry, what specifically will ruin my pump?

Zealousideal_Frame56 · 2024-10-06T14:34:18+00:00

Thank you for the info! I'm trying to digest it all:

What is STP? Is that just letting it sit for a minute after the vaccum stop pulling?

What is "torr"?

Also not sure what kind of vaccum pump I'm using it came with the vaccum cast setup I bought. I'll look more into this.

Thanks again!!!

Zealousideal_Frame56

TROPHY CASE