How I make silver plate into jewelry
Wendy
First, silver plate, or anything calling itself plated is a different animal than sheet metal of any kind. It must be safe, because it is all made to have some sort of food on it at least once in its life. But each and every one of the trays turns out a bit different and is unpredictable. Silver once you figure it out, you should be able to make something again, and expect the same results, not so with silver plate! You will never get the same results twice.
I always cut down the tray to a manageable size, and use a torch to put patina on it, when I like that, then I use rubber cement to glue down a pattern and saw it out. Then I file the edges, hammer, file some more, sand, and manipulate until I am happy with the results. I bought a bench shear from Harbor Freight for less than $100 to cut down the trays, and lucky for me a neighbor gave me the stand to attach it to.
I think you are asking too much to expect the silver layer to look like sheet silver. When I first started, I used the silver plate trays I had, because I couldn't afford actual sheet silver, expecting it to be a cheap alternative, But the layer of silver reticulated, and I was alarmed. Then I realized I liked it, and worked from there, with what I had. There were enough customers who liked it too, that I could keep going.
However, not all trays are alike, they are plated differently, and will react to the torch differently. Some whatever the tray was plated with, just flakes off under the torch, some the base metal is different, and melts if you just give it a dirty look. Don't ever try to use steel, it is very difficult to work with. My best results are with trays where the base is brass, if you look at the tray in good light, you may see where the plating has rubbed off, and it will be peeking through. The older trays are my favorite, but harder to find now, and I wish I could answer the question you now have; I don't have a tried-and-true way to know how old the tray is. The earrings on the splash page are an example of the plating just flaking off.
I always cut down the tray to a manageable size, and use a torch to put patina on it, when I like that, then I use rubber cement to glue down a pattern and saw it out. Then I file the edges, hammer, file some more, sand, and manipulate until I am happy with the results. I bought a bench shear from Harbor Freight for less than $100 to cut down the trays, and lucky for me a neighbor gave me the stand to attach it to.
I think you are asking too much to expect the silver layer to look like sheet silver. When I first started, I used the silver plate trays I had, because I couldn't afford actual sheet silver, expecting it to be a cheap alternative, But the layer of silver reticulated, and I was alarmed. Then I realized I liked it, and worked from there, with what I had. There were enough customers who liked it too, that I could keep going.
However, not all trays are alike, they are plated differently, and will react to the torch differently. Some whatever the tray was plated with, just flakes off under the torch, some the base metal is different, and melts if you just give it a dirty look. Don't ever try to use steel, it is very difficult to work with. My best results are with trays where the base is brass, if you look at the tray in good light, you may see where the plating has rubbed off, and it will be peeking through. The older trays are my favorite, but harder to find now, and I wish I could answer the question you now have; I don't have a tried-and-true way to know how old the tray is. The earrings on the splash page are an example of the plating just flaking off.
