Mercury Amalgam Gilding

Another little project that I always wanted to pursue. I had an old "how
to" formula book that said to make a mercury copper amalgam, spatula it over
holes in old copper cookware, and then just let it set up overnight to
effect a permanent repair. It seemed absurdly simple.

Would it be possible to make a mercury copper amalgam, press it into an open
faced mold, and then heat it or just let it set up, to make a piece of
jewelry with good detail?

Then the next logical step would be to use Shakudo (copper/gold) amalgam. I
have been told that copper and Shakudo are difficult to cast. This seems
like a reasonable alternative method for making one-off's.

Any suggestions? I have no experience working with amalgams.

Don Wagner wrote:

Another little project that I always wanted to pursue. I had an old "how
to" formula book that said to make a mercury copper amalgam, spatula it over
holes in old copper cookware, and then just let it set up overnight to
effect a permanent repair. It seemed absurdly simple.

Would it be possible to make a mercury copper amalgam, press it into an open
faced mold, and then heat it or just let it set up, to make a piece of
jewelry with good detail?

Then the next logical step would be to use Shakudo (copper/gold) amalgam. I
have been told that copper and Shakudo are difficult to cast. This seems
like a reasonable alternative method for making one-off's.

Any suggestions? I have no experience working with amalgams.

If you value your health, don't gain experience working with amalgams.

If you want to die young and/or be called "mad like a hatter", try to get as
much experience as you can.

Abrasha
http://www.abrasha.com

Any suggestions?
1. Dont even attempt to experiment with any amalgams that include
mercury.
2.You will contaminate your enviroment, if your in an urban enviroment
youll contaminate your neibours as well.
3. You most probably would die a slow and unpleasnt death.
4. If you use your copper amalgam for repairing your copper cook pot
youll poison anyone that shares a meal with you. Today, you could be
sued for millions.
5. Your in serious breach of your EPA regulations .
6. Making jewellery with amalgam would work, BUT youd poison the wearer.
Are you sure you want to do this?
7. It is NOT a reasonable way to make anything.
Just a few thoughts for you to start with.

"ted.frater" wrote:

Any suggestions?
1. Dont even attempt to experiment with any amalgams that include
mercury.
2.You will contaminate your enviroment, if your in an urban enviroment
youll contaminate your neibours as well.
3. You most probably would die a slow and unpleasnt death.
4. If you use your copper amalgam for repairing your copper cook pot
youll poison anyone that shares a meal with you.

Toal rubbish!

Once the mercury has been evaporated, it is no longer dangerous. If this were
not the case many millions of people would have died because of their very
common silver and gold amalgam fillings put in their teeth by dentists around
the world.

Today, you could be
sued for millions.
5. Your in serious breach of your EPA regulations .
6. Making jewellery with amalgam would work, BUT youd poison the wearer.

Again rubbish. Once the mercury has evaporated out of the amalgam, their are no
longer poisonous consequences. Fire guilding, with the use of gold amalgams,
was commonly used to gold plate silverware from the 16 through 18th centuries,
before electroplating was invented. The danger was mostly to the people working
with the mercury, not to the people using the finished product.

Abrasha
http://www.abrasha.com

YES Abrasha,
you are correct in saying that once the mercury has evaporated the gold
or whatever is safe. Thank you for clarifying this.
BUT you do not explain that it is the process of making up, applying and
evaporating the mercury from the amalgams that is dangerous.
That is what the original poster WANTS to do!!!. and thats how I read
his posting.I clearly said "dont even attempt to experiment " etc, that
means actually USING the mercury!!
Its THAT process that has the dangers I listed. Surely you cant be
denying that? and saying my list of suggestions are rubbish?
Please explain your position further or retract it.

Hello Don;

Personally, I've always been fascinated with the idea of mercury amalgams
and how they work, but the idea of even the possibility of exposure to
mercury vapor has discouraged me from ever pursuing these interests. I just
don't think it's worth the risk. I remember seeing a documentary, I think
it was, about a Japanese fishing village whose residents were exposed to
high levels of mercury in the fish due to some industrial contamination. It
was heartbreaking and horrifying to say the least. Suppose you didn't
poison yourself, but inadvertently exposed someone else to such toxins? I
have some ideas you might pursue to accomplish volumetric forms in Copper
and Shakudo without trying to cast these metals, which are uncooperative to
casting without neutral atmosphere melting methods. Have you ever thought
of using hydraulic die forming? Or even chasing and repousse?

David L. Huffman

"Don Wagner" wrote in message
...
Would it be possible to make a mercury copper amalgam, press it into an
open
faced mold, and then heat it or just let it set up, to make a piece of
jewelry with good detail?

Don Wagner wrote:
Another little project that I always wanted to pursue. I had an old "how
to" formula book that said to make a mercury copper amalgam, spatula it over
holes in old copper cookware, and then just let it set up overnight to
effect a permanent repair. It seemed absurdly simple.

Would it be possible to make a mercury copper amalgam, press it into an open
faced mold, and then heat it or just let it set up, to make a piece of
jewelry with good detail?

Then the next logical step would be to use Shakudo (copper/gold) amalgam. I
have been told that copper and Shakudo are difficult to cast. This seems
like a reasonable alternative method for making one-off's.

Any suggestions? I have no experience working with amalgams.

With all these dire health and
ecological warnings I suppose
someone should suggest
some substitutes.

Google up Kum Boo and
non-cianide electroplating
(not absolutely safe,
but it won't destroy the city).

But, as far as I can tell,
there is nothing contemporary
that has the same look as amalgam
parcel gilt. Too bad.
--
Cheers, m at http://www.mbstevens.com
....via Tux and Ice -- 0% GatesBloat

"ted.frater" wrote:

YES Abrasha,
you are correct in saying that once the mercury has evaporated the gold
or whatever is safe. Thank you for clarifying this.
BUT you do not explain that it is the process of making up, applying and
evaporating the mercury from the amalgams that is dangerous.
That is what the original poster WANTS to do!!!. and thats how I read
his posting.I clearly said "dont even attempt to experiment " etc, that
means actually USING the mercury!!
Its THAT process that has the dangers I listed. Surely you cant be
denying that? and saying my list of suggestions are rubbish?
Please explain your position further or retract it.

I suggest you read my post I posted "before" your post again, and also reread my
post following yours more carefully.
--
Abrasha
http://www.abrasha.com

"Abrasha" wrote in message
...

Once the mercury has been evaporated, it is no longer dangerous. If this
were
not the case many millions of people would have died because of their very
common silver and gold amalgam fillings put in their teeth by dentists
around
the world.

Again rubbish. Once the mercury has evaporated out of the amalgam, their
are no
longer poisonous consequences. Fire guilding, with the use of gold
amalgams,
was commonly used to gold plate silverware from the 16 through 18th
centuries,
before electroplating was invented. The danger was mostly to the people
working
with the mercury, not to the people using the finished product.

Abrasha
http://www.abrasha.com

Let me wear my Dentist hat for this one:

I hope that I quoted Abrasha correctly above

The mercury constantly leaches out of amalgam fillings and the leakage can
be measured and quantified. It never stops until all of the amalgam is
gone. In the human body there are those who believe that as the mercury is
leached out of the amalgam, it goes elsewhere in the body where it can do
major damage over time. The last word is not yet out even among the
scientists who work in this area. suffice it to say that some countries
have banned mercury amalgams, and in the US where it is allowed, some states
have stiff regulations regarding the disposal of excess amalgam (it goes
into toxic waste containers and the human body!).
Low level constant exposure to mercury can lead to neurological
irreversible symptoms, massive exposure can lead to death. Mercury the
metal, mercury in amalgam and mercury compounds are all toxic.
I do not have a good replacement for the amalgam either in teeth or in
jewelry.

Charles Friedman DDS
Atlanta, GA moving soon to smokey LA

Don Wagner wrote:
Another little project that I always wanted to pursue...

Since the hazards of mercury amalgam gilding have already been hit upon, I
thought I'd provide just a bit more historic perspective on the process. The
technique has been used in the west for over 2000 years (Pliny described the
technique in the 1st c. AD) and was extremely popular during the middle ages.
Folks who didn't want to (or couldn't afford to) shell out for expensive and
scarce gold could often afford gilding, which used a comparatively minute
amount of the precious metal. Many items would have been prohibitively
expensive or structually unsound if made with gold, but the patron wanted the
richness of the finish. Numerous gilded copper alloy and silver artifacts still
exist (jewelry, church trappings, statuary, etc) and are available for study.
The remark was made that the process has a distinctive look that modern
techniques don't replicate, and I totally concur. However, our predecessors
understood the serious dangers of the process, and some of the first medieval
guilds were established by gilders (allied terms being gylde, gild,
guild...golden) in order to protect the secrets of the process, and to care for
the families of the craftsmen who almost invariably died prematurely from the
effects of mercury poisoning. The decorative effect of mercury gilding is
unique and beautiful, but not worth the considerable risk.