Tips for using Silver Foil Please?

[mothergoose]

Okay I just can't stand it anymore! I need to start pulling silvered stringers!!!
I just want to know what I should do and what to use before starting. I did a search but I couldn't come up with "a lot" of specifics.

1-- What type of silver foil do I use?
2-- Where is the best place to find it?
3-- Is this a good price or even what I should buy?
One (1) Book of Swift Pure Silver Leaf - (Surface Gilding)
This Silver Leaf is loose on tissue.
One Book consists of 25 leaves, 3-3/4" X 3-3/4".
Purer than sterling, this is a superior grade of fine silver leaf. -- $6.00

RESPIRATORS-

What type of respirator should I use?
There are paper respirators and mask type, which one should I be using, what do all of you use?

Thanks for the help I really appreciate it!! :) :)

Kim

[beachbeads]

I'm a loyal Frantz Art Glass fan, I use the silver leaf and silver foil. Leaf is hard to work with as it is SO fine so at first I would recommend foil.
www.frantzartglass.com

Where in the world are you getting a price of $6.00?
And I don't use a respirator to just roll a bead on silver foil and make SIS and apply silver to a bead. I think it is pretty safe/ Some may think I'm wrong here and should wear a respirator. I use the respirator from Thampson Enamel web page for frits and enamels. I don't fume metals on glass.. Sheila

[mothergoose]

I'm a loyal Frantz Art Glass fan, I use the silver leaf and silver foil. Leaf is hard to work with as it is SO fine so at first I would recommend foil.
www.frantzartglass.com

Where in the world are you getting a price of $6.00?
And I don't use a respirator to just roll a bead on silver foil and make SIS and apply silver to a bead. I think it is pretty safe/ Some may think I'm wrong here and should wear a respirator. I use the respirator from Thampson Enamel web page for frits and enamels. I don't fume metals on glass.. Sheila

Okay I KNOW I am going to end up regretting this :eek: but here
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=16508&item=2373918294

He has a good feedback so Ithought it was worth a try.

Kim

[GinnyHampton]

Well, Sheila wrote what I was going to say pretty much word for word!!!

I only buy from Frantz too and I have the thick silver foil and silver leaf. If you can, try both because they give you different looks. Oh, and don't breathe and hope that a gnat doesn't fly by when you're working with the leaf.

And I don't wear a respirator either for making silvered stringers or wrapping a bead in foil or leaf.

Have fun :)

[PolychromeBeads]

The leaf in the auction for which you provided a link is extremely thin. It will work, but it is harder to work with than the leaf you'd get from Frantz or Arrow Springs. It works fine for silvered ivory, where it's not real important to get it on perfectly even. Very hard to cut, just tear it with tweezers.


Aimee
http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/30-Dec-2003/18777-cats.jpg

[mothergoose]

The leaf in the auction for which you provided a link is extremely thin. It will work, but it is harder to work with than the leaf you'd get from Frantz or Arrow Springs. It works fine for silvered ivory, where it's not real important to get it on perfectly even. Very hard to cut, just tear it with tweezers.


Aimee
http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/30-Dec-2003/18777-cats.jpg


Thanks Aimee! :)

I appreciate the info. I just want to try it out. We'll see what happens.
So I take it most people use Silver Foil?

Thanks again!
Kim

[Zooziis]

I just got some fabulous foil from Val Cox. It is so easy to work with and cut. I can even cut it outside of the thin paper it comes in. She's at www.glasspoet.com

[ValorieCox]

Tip 1: less is more (if using foil, cut small pieces)
Tip 2: burnish well before you burn your silver off
Tip 3: thin stringers will give better results

Good luck! Val

[saucy]

I've only purchased silver foil from Val. Great service and I love the foil. The foil that I got at the local bead shop was $3.25 a sheet and wasn't as nice. Val's shipping is free and FAST!

[tluvs2create]

I use a respirator when making my stringer and when wrapping a bead. I don't usually use it when I am applying my stringer to a bead. I got a respirator at Home Depot. Its the mask kind with filters. It was only $35. It is a MSA p/n815300. I choose that one after reading some other posts here on the topic, talking to the guy at the store and it was the one my local lampwork store had.

[Molten Mike]

You should wear a p100 respirator when melting silver. Just because you are not using the "fumming" tech doesn't mean you are not making fumes. You are melting metal, and not just any metal but silver which has a high vapor preasure which means when it's molten it releases vapor and particles at very high speeds, faster than your ventilation can suck. If you are not using a respirator you are breathing in silver particles and and nasty vapors, but I wouldn't worry about it, the worst thing that could happen is you die, the lesser effects are your skin turns this really cool grey-blue color, and it never goes away. You could be singing the grey-blues till you die, which may not be long if you keep breathing in that silver. ;)

[PattyK]

Blue gray huh? :(

Well I'm convinced .. I just ordered a p100 respirator from these folks (http://www.ccrane.com/). The mask was only $9.95 and included free shipping. Heck of a deal I think. :)

No more silver for me til it arrives. :p

[mothergoose]

WOW VAll Thanks!! That is a PERFECT demonstration!!
Thanks so much.
I ended up buying the leaves - so- should I double or triple the thickness to get the foil thickness?

Thanks for the help!
:clap: :clap:

Kim


Tip 1: less is more (if using foil, cut small pieces)
Tip 2: burnish well before you burn your silver off
Tip 3: thin stringers will give better results

Good luck! Val

[Molten Mike]

http://www.emedicine.com/derm/topic595.htm

[Joellen]

Patty, that sounds like a good price for that mask. I just bought a similar one, N100 instead of P100, at Drugstore.com for $11.99 (they didn't carry the P100). As far as I can tell, the protection level is the same, except the N100 isn't for oil-based fumes or vapors. Mike, is this true? Will either of these work well for lampworking with silver?

I also have a half-face mask respirator with P100 cartridges, but it's uncomfortable to wear in that it puts a lot of pressure on the bridge of my nose. However, the seal looks like it might be tighter than this little 3M one I just bought. I'll have to try it on and see, I guess.

I haven't worked with silver yet, but I will definitely wear the respirator when I do. I first heard about that skin-turning-gray thing when I talked to Henry Grimmett of Glass Alchemy on the phone about ventilation a while back. I'll wear it when working with the boro colors that contain silver, too.

- Jo

[magic rats]

Hello,

Does anybody know what imitation gilding leaf is made out of? I had some lying around and tried to use it for silvered ivory (an interesting attempt!). It was OK, but I suspect pure silver leaf will be much better/different.

Jennifer

[baroness]

Hello,

Does anybody know what imitation gilding leaf is made out of? I had some lying around and tried to use it for silvered ivory (an interesting attempt!). It was OK, but I suspect pure silver leaf will be much better/different.

Jennifer
Imitation leaf is usually aluminum.

[beachbeads]

Thanks Mike, I always wondered about the fumes of silver and now I will wear my respirator. Sheila

[Katiefl]

Whenever I try the silver leaf, it seems to leave nothing but burnt residue on my glass, am I doing something wrong, or maybe its my leaf. It doesnt melt...just burns to dusty soot.

[AlexM]

Katie,

It sounds as though you have the imitation silver leaf, otherwise known as composition silver leaf. Did you get this in a craft store? Composition leaf is usually mostly aluminum and doesn't work with glass. You'll have to the the "fine" silver leaf, usually from one of the glass suppliers.

[Katiefl]

Probably right, Alex, I got it at Michaels...
Trying to save a penny you know. It doesnt work at all. So to all who were gonna buy your silver leaf at a craft store...save your money.