Tamper base suggestions

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Ironpenny
Posts: 62
Joined: Mon Apr 09, 2012 12:11 pm

Tamper base suggestions

Post by Ironpenny »

Looking for some ideas on flat tamper base stock. All the metals, but a nice sterling base is what I'm really looking for. Don't tell your trade secrets if you don't want to though!

Chris
“The value of tobacco is best understood when it is the last you possess and there is no chance of getting more.”
Kenny
Posts: 81
Joined: Mon Apr 30, 2012 1:58 am

Re: Tamper base suggestions

Post by Kenny »

Have you ever tried metal spinning? I've never tried it with silver, but it should work just fine.

You could make a template the diameter you'd like the tamper base to be, spin the silver over it and form a cup, then epoxy that onto the tamper base. Or, if the tamper itself can be chucked into the lathe, you could "crimp" the cup right onto the tamper.

Penn State Industries sells some basic metal spinning products at fair prices. You can spin metal on most any lathe, wood or metal, though I think it may be easier on a wood lathe as you would need to figure out how to mount a tool rest on a metal lathe. But either way, it would work just fine.

Or, as another option if you're not into metal spinning or don't want to get involved in it, is to use the "Silver Clay" sold by CoolTools.com ( http://www.cooltools.us/PMC-STERLING-St ... s/1623.htm )

It's a clay that you can form into whatever shape you like, or you could make a mold to a specific shape and form it that way (they also sell mold kits) and one you have it shaped, you simply fire it. You can fire smaller items with a butane torch, or if you have a kiln or furnace, you can use that. (I would imagine most would simply use a torch, as a kiln is a bit of an investment)
Once fired, you are left with pure silver in whatever grade you purchased, .900, .925 or .999.

I made my girlfriend a pendant using .925 silver clay, and it worked out very well. You do need to clean and polish the piece after firing, but it's not that hard. I'm pretty sure most anyone on the board could handle it.

They also have brass, bronze, copper and gold clay available.

I'm sure there are other ways to do this as well, but this is what I know. I'm not saying it's the best way, or even the right way, only that it will work and give good results.

I guess if you have a metal lathe you could always just turn the ends from solid silver stock, though I think that would get expensive in a hurry! And seeing all those metal chips floating away like little dollar signs would probably be hard to handle. I know I wouldn't like it.

There is always stainless steel. It's not silver, not by far! But it's a lot cheaper and easily worked on a metal lathe.

And as a last option (at least what I know of), you could always go with silver plating! Caswell Electroplating sells "do-it-yourself" plating kits, and offer a Silver "Brush-Plating Kit" for about $50. It's (according to their site) all you need to plate small items in silver. ( http://www.caswellplating.com/plug-n-pl ... g-kit.html )
They also offer many other options and different types of plating systems.
I have their Nickel brush plating kit, and it works pretty well for what it is. I've used it several times restoring old hand-planes, and the results are good.

Good luck!
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