I used to skip annealing on small projects, but a cracked bracket proved me wrong.

For a long time, I figured annealing was only for big, complex shapes. After ruining a few pieces by working them too hard, I learned that even simple items need that slow cool down. How do you all handle annealing in your daily work?

3 comments

3 Comments

seanc731d ago

Nothing says 'learning experience' like a bracket snapping in half. Metal doesn't care how small your project is when it decides to crack. Now I anneal everything, even if it feels like silly extra work.

fiona_garcia1d ago

Yeah, metal really doesn't care about size. I work with copper a lot (for small jewelry bits) and I finally started annealing after every few rounds of hammering, even on tiny jump rings. It feels like a pause, but it totally stopped those little stress cracks from showing up.

jades111d ago

Last Tuesday, I watched a delicate wire twist crack right before soldering, all because I skipped the anneal. It was so frustrating, lol. @fiona_garcia is totally right about copper needing those breaks, I see the same with silver now. I anneal after every two or three bends, even on the smallest pieces. It adds a bit of time, but nothing beats the relief when a project finishes without splits. That cracked bracket lesson is real, and I'm not taking chances anymore.