[TheForge] Smallest anvil...

[Andy Vida]

Bruce Freeman wrote:
> 
> You don't need a #80 drill.  Just make a spade bit from a needle or
> (wire) cat whisker.

	I sank the hardy hole last night.  It's about 0.010" square.
	Did it with a reground needle; all my square jewelers files
	were too big, and most of them are pretty small.

	I may forego the pritchel as the heel cracked doing the
	hardy, so I may not want to tempt fate that my welding job
	was good enough.
> 
> So you gonna cast these little jobs in solid gold and solder them to
> silver buttons to wear at ABANA 2004?

	The tiniest one I will do in palladium white gold, methinks.
	The rest in sterling.  The metals are far too costly now.  I
	recently finished an engagement ring for a client in SF; 15%
	iridium alloy of platinum - 17 dwt. cost me over $700!  Plat.
	was going over $900/ozt. that day.  a couple months ago it
	was at $400 and change.  Oddly, iridium has gone from about
	$1K/ozt. to about $80, back where it was about 10 years ago.