Gyrogami Blog - Precious Metals, Jewelry, Artwork

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Precious metals are great to work with. When it comes to welding and soldering, they are a dream. Fine silver and select other silver alloys can be flame welded in open air. Ditto for platinum and some gold. Worst case, they can be soldered with minimal fuss.

It's all about their physical properties. Most can withstand high heat without oxidizing - oxides are quickly removed with a pickle solution. If not, a quick dip in flux will protect the surfaces as they are heated. The flux also helps solder flow properly.

There's a group of metals called refractory metals that can withstand high heat, primarily due to their insane melting temperatures. The main five are tungsten, molybdenum, tantalum, niobium, and rhenium though there are others that are referenced as such (zirconium, for instance). Just because they can withstand high heat doesn't mean they come out unscathed.

Some can be attacked by air well below their melting temperature. Nothing aside from an inert gas atmosphere will protect them. Argon is the best all around but sometimes nitrogen or a mix works. Or a complete vacuum.

Soldering refractory metals is not possible in a jewelry workshop. Welding is usually done in a vacuum chamber with lasers or other high-tech welding processes. TIG welding works provided it is in a sealed chamber full of argon. It's not practical to melt refractory metals unless it's your business, i.e. ridiculously expensive furnaces. TIG should do small amounts.

My tantalum and zirconium rings start as tubes or bars that I machine and forge into shape. That leaves me at the mercy of finding appropriate sizes, which limits my production capabilities and creates much waste. While expensive to purchase in tubes or bars, the scrap isn't that valuable.

To ensure I can make any size ring of any thickness and width without using tubes and bars, I need to start with a sheet, cut a strip, machine it to specs, and weld the ends together.

Which brings me to the point. I'm not spending thousands on a vacuum chamber or furnace, commercial purge box, or new welder. If I start selling refractory jewelry like hotcakes then I can revisit the $3k question. Until then, a simple desktop design may do the trick.

A removable, perforated platform keeps the stainless shot from filling the whole box if needed. The shot acts as the ground and helps support the workpiece. I will probably need carbon or other dowels to elevate the workpiece since stainless melts at a far lower temperature and will contaminate the weld.

Argon floods the box prior to and during welding and comes out of the torch head so, fingers crossed, it will create an inert atmosphere. I doubt it will be as easy as it sounds on paper but one video blogger has been successful.

The second goal is annealing. Again, they need an inert atmosphere and super-high heat. Flames are unacceptable because the gas will ruin the metal. My TIG welder might be up to the challenge. Anything larger than a cuff bracelet might be off limits. Won't know until I try.

Posted by M: June 2, 2026

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