silver wire

[yip]

 need a good suppler of siver wire, also is german wire okay for inlay. silver wire is hard to find any help?

[msellers]

Try Rio Grande, they are jewelry and other suppliers. Have an easy to use website.
Mike
https://www.riogrande.com/category/metals/silver/925-sterling#t=products&sort=relevancy&layout=card&numberOfResults=12&f:categoryfilter=[Metals,Silver,925%20Sterling]

[bama]

I buy silver sheet from Rio Grande in the thickness I want then cut my ribbons the width I want. I usually buy it in 6” square sheets but they will cut the sheet the size you want. I can cut this sheet with a pair of regular scissors which is nice. The ribbon will curl up as you cut it from the sheet so you will have to straighten it out. That is done easy enough by pulling the ribbon through a sheet of folded up sand paper.

German silver is not silver but nickeled brass. It work hardens quickly and is much harder to inlay around a curved surface.

Brass is easier to install than German silver but does not come close to working with real silver.

[Blacksmoke]

Only use .999 Silver (pure) Sterling has 5-7% copper in it and tends to darken very quickly. I only use pure Silver for any inlay on my guns.
Hugh Toenjes

[yip]

never bought it in sheets, what gauge?

[smart dog]

Hi Yip,
If you are doing fine wire British and European stuff get the thinnest you can.  I think that is commonly 34 gauge but even thinner is better.  For thicker early American stuff 28-30 gauge is good.  When cutting from sheet, use sharp shears for paper and cut strips about 3/32"-1/8" wide.  As you cut it the ribbon will spiral.  Then take 2 coarse files and pinch the end of the ribbon between them, and with pliers draw the ribbon through the pinched files.  It will now be flat and have grooves filed on the sides that help hold it in place. Sterling contains more copper than fine silver and tarnishes much quicker because of the copper. In fact, if can turn almost black. However, if you file the wire a tiny bit proud of the stock rather than flush, you will be able to keep the wire inlay bright when you polish the stock.  Hugh and I prefer fine silver for inlay but one disadvantage is that it tends to smear when filed flush leaving a ragged appearance. The fix is to polish it off with very fine grit.  I also sometimes vary the metal. For example, on the English fowler below, I used sterling for the wire and fine silver for the inlays. As the wire darkens a little to gray, the inlays are highlighted because they stay bright white.  The effect over time is beautiful.



dave

[Craig Wilcox]

I don't use much, so I get a 3' roll from MBS - abt $10 IIRC.

[deepcreekdale]

I use cloissonne wire from Rio Grande. Learned about it from Mark Silver, it is what he uses. It is available in 36 and 38 ga, is .999 pure and comes in dead soft or half hard. Half hard is easier to work with. A 50 foot spool is less than $20.00. If I need something thicker Rio Grande has silver strips in any size you can imagine, or but sheets like others here suggest. Silver cuts and works very easily. German silver is only good for shimming up a wobbly drill press in your shop.

[yip]

 Dale; i hope thats your name, what size do you use and what size is  best.

[jerrywh]

 What Blacksmoke says is true but pure silver wire is very soft and some people find it ver yhard t owork wit hwhen pushing it into the cuts. Therefore I use sterling and roll mine down to .005 or .010 thick. Yes I use different thicknesses.
 .010 thick looks too thick in my opinion.  After the finish is applied to the stock over the wire the finish will protect the wire from corrosion.  I will agree that pure silver is better but as I said some people find it hard to work with.