Sterling Silver Heavy Wall Tubing, Hard

Item Number: 100430

Heavy-wall tubing is ideal for creating custom tube settings. Fits a 5.5mm stone. This sterling silver tubing is packaged in pre-cut 12" lengths. Minimum purchase is one piece.

Metal type: Sterling silver
Hardness: Hard
Form: Tubing
Dimensions: 6.0mm OD x .635mm wall
Inside dimension: .186" (4.9mm)
Wall thickness: .025" (.635mm)
Length per weight: .99 ft./ozt.
Weight per length: 1.01 ozt./ft.
Catalog page: 2013 Gems and Findings & Display and Packaging Catalog p.809
Country of origin: USA
Outside dimension: .236" (6mm)

How To

Annealing Sterling Silver

Learn how to anneal sterling silver, recovering metal that has become work-hardened and leaving the metal more workable.

Step 1
Anneal the sterling silver between 1000°F and 1200°F (537°C and 648°C).

Step 2
Heat the sterling at temperature for 30 to 60 minutes to achieve a Vickers hardness of 66–76dph.

Step 3
Please Note: During annealing, protect the metal against exposure to oxygen by surrounding it with nitrogen, argon or forming gas. If this isn’t possible, protect the metal by covering it with flux contained in a stainless steel pan.

Create Gemstone Settings From Tubing

Learn how to create quick and simple tube settings for round gemstones using heavy-wall tubing. Tubing is ideal for effectively creating custom tube settings, and the settings are easy to close, too, using stone setting tool sets.

Step 1
Carefully measure your gemstone.

Step 2
Choose a section of tubing with an outside diameter about .5mm larger than your stone. Please Note: The inside diameter of the tubing must be smaller than the stone.

Step 3
Cut a length of tubing long enough to contain the depth of the stone.

Step 4
File the cut edges of the tubing so they are smooth. Shape the bottom edge as needed to be in contact with your design all the way around the edge.

Step 5
Solder the setting in place on your design.

Step 6
Select a hart or setting bur the same size as (or slightly smaller than) the stone and cut a level seat into the tubing just deep enough to hold the stone.

Step 7
Set the stone into the seat, leaving a short rim of metal above the stone.

Step 8
Secure the stone by burnishing the metal in a circular motion with a highly polished punch.

How To Bend Tubing

See how to bend tubing smoothly and easily without kinks to use in a variety of jewelry designs.

Step 1
Anneal metal tubing so it bends more easily.

Step 2
Lubricate a wire that is no more than 2/3 the inside diameter of the tube to be bent so it will be easier to remove after bending.

Step 3
Insert the wire through the tubing to act as an arbor.

Step 4
Gently wrap the tubing around a mandrel or other form to create the bends you want.

Step 5
Allow the arbor wire to bend as the tubing bends; this will prevent the tubing from kinking.

Charts

Annealing Sterling Silver

We recommend annealing sterling silver at 1200°F (649°C) to give it the best ductility and grain structure; this applies to both quenched and air-cooled annealing.
Annealing Temperature	Quenched		Air-Cooled
Annealing Temperature	Scleroscope	Rockwell Hardness	Scleroscope	Rockwell Hardness
700°F/371°C	23	47	22.5	47
1000°F/538°C	16	42	16	28
1200°F/649°C	14	21	15	24
1300°F/704°C	13*	19*	18	33
1400°F/760°C	12*	18*	20	48
*Quenching is not recommended when annealing at temperatures of 1300°F and above; at such temperatures thermal shock might crack the metal.

Comparing Silver Hardnesses


	Vickers Hardness (dph)
Common Term	Fine	Sterling	Argentium
Soft (annealed)	54	66-76	50-70
1/4-hard	62-71	78-88	90-105
1/2-hard	77-89	90-100	106-120
3/4-hard	84-94	102-114	121-135
Hard	89-103	116-130	136-148
Spring	103-108	132-148	150-160
Age-hardened	-	100-120	100-120

Measure Hardness

	Hardness (dph)	Rockwell (15T)	Tensile (PSI)
Annealed	50–90	65–71	40,000
1/4-hard	91–100	72–78	40,000
1/2-hard	101–115	79–82	60,000
3/4-hard	116–130	83–85	70,000
Full-hard	131–150	86–88	75,000
Spring hard	175–195	89–93	90,000

Brown & Sharpe Gauge Thicknesses

Use this handy guide to quickly, easily and accurately convert gauge sizes into inches or millimeters—or vice versa.
Gauge	Inches	Millimeters
0	.325	8.26
2	.257	6.54
4	.204	5.19
6	.162	4.12
8	.128	3.26
10	.102	2.59
12	.081	2.05
13	.072	1.83
14	.064	1.63
15	.057	1.45
16	.051	1.29
18	.040	1.02
19	.036	.912
20	.032	.812
21	.028	.723
22	.025	.644
23	.023	.573
24	.020	.511
25	.018	.455
26	.016	.405
27	.014	.360
28	.013	.321
29	.011	.286
30	.010	.255
32	.0080	.2019
34	.0063	.1600

Common Conversions

WEIGHT (MASS) COMPARISON	LINEAR MEASURE COMPARISON	VOLUME (MEASURE) COMPARISON
Troy to Metric	Metric to English	Metric to English
1 grain = 0.0648 grams	1 millimeter = 0.03937 inches	1 cubic centimeter = 0.06102 cubic inches
1 pennyweight = 1.5552 grams	1 centimeter = 0.3937 inches	1 cubic meter = 35.315 cubic feet
1 troy ounce = 31.1035 grams	1 meter = 39.37 inches	English to Metric
1 troy pound = 373.24 grams	1 kilometer = 0.621 miles	1 cubic inch = 16.387 cubic centimeters
Carat to Metric	English to Metric	1 cubic foot = 0.0283 cubic meters
1 grain = 0.0648 grams	1 mil = 0.0254 millimeters	1 cubic yard = 0.7646 cubic meters
1 carat = 200 milligrams	1 inch = 2.54 centimeters	1 cord foot = 0.453 cubic meters
1 point = 2 milligrams	1 foot = 0.3048 meters	1 cord = 3.625 cubic meters
Avoirdupois to Troy	1 yard = 0.9144 meters	CAPACITY MEASURE COMPARISON
1 grain= 1 grain	1 rod = 5.029 meters	Metric to English
1 ounce Avoir. = 0.91145 troy ounces	1 mile = 1.6093 kilometers	1 milliliter = 0.338 fluid ounces
1 pound Avoir. = 14.5833 troy ounces	SURFACE AREA COMPARISON	1 liter = 1.057 liquid quarts or 0.9081 dry quarts
Avoirdupois to Metric	Metric to English	1 kiloliter = 264.17 gallons or 28.38 bushels
1 grain = 0.0648 grams	1 sq. centimeter = 0.15499 sq. inches	English to Metric (Liquid)
1 ounce Avoir = 28.3495 grams	1 sq. meter = 1.196 sq. yards	1 fluid ounce = 0.0296 liter
1 pound Avoir = 453.59 grams	1 sq. kilometer = 0.386 sq. miles	1 gill = 0.1183 liters
22 pounds Avoir = 1 kilogram	English to Metric	1 cup = 0.2366 liters
1 short ton = 907.18 kilograms	1 sq. inch = 6.452 sq. centimeters	1 pint = 0.4732 liters
1 short ton = 0.90718 metric tons	1 sq. foot = 929.03 sq. centimeters	1 quart = 0.9464 liters 1 gallon = 3.7854 liters
Carat to Avoirdupois	1 sq. yard = 0.8361 sq. meters	English to Metric (Dry)
1 carat = 0.007 ounces Avoirdupois	1 sq. rod = 25.293 meters	1 pint = 0.5506 liters
		1 quart = 1.1012 liters
		1 peck = 8.8098 liters
		1 bushel = 35.2390 liters