Nails For inlays

[David Veith]

Making some german silver inlay nails. In the past with sterling silver I have made them like Acer. But with The german it is driving me nut. Try to get a blob for a head and no luck (Maybe not hot eough MEPs gas) try cold. I can get half a head but that is all. I quess the next step might be to dig out the oa touch to heat it up.   
David Veith

[Steve Bookout]

David, try this:  Make the nail and peen a head onto it while holding it firmly in a vice.  Slightly countersink the nail holes in the inlay, drift in the nails, peen a bit more to fill the countersink, and then file flush.  OR, you could make a "dapping" die if you wanted tall, round heads to stand proud.  Cheers,  Bookie

[hyltoto]

I bought some rod from TOW. I took a 1/2 inch steel bar and drilled a hole through it. I countersunk one side and put my ~5/8 piece of rod in it and pound it (swage?) down into the countersink. This gives me a pin with the same angle as the countersink on the inlay as a head. I annealed the rod with red heat and water quench and it seemed to help.