turning old silverware into kitchen pull handles

I'm doing something similar at a beachside condo apt remodel, but with hunks of coral scavenged from the beach, and cut on a wet tile saw.
Rather than try to bond female hardware onto them, I plan to just drill a thru-hole and have a brass screw head showing outside, with a nut inside the door. Plastic spacers to get them to stand off from the front of the cabinet door.
Would also be cool to cast your own knobs out of old silverware melted down in a coffee-can foundry. Then you could just drill and tap them.

thanks for the suggestion, unfortunately, the boss wants to not see the attaching hardware, so I neet to bond the stand-off to the Underside of the silverware.
ANY ideas out there? thanks! terry
> terry writes: > > > She wants to silver solder two barrels (with internal > > threads) to each piece and use them. > > I'm doing something similar at a beachside condo apt remodel, but with > hunks of coral scavenged from the beach, and cut on a wet tile saw. > > Rather than try to bond female hardware onto them, I plan to just drill a > thru-hole and have a brass screw head showing outside, with a nut inside > the door. Plastic spacers to get them to stand off from the front of the > cabinet door. > > Would also be cool to cast your own knobs out of old silverware melted down > in a coffee-can foundry. Then you could just drill and tap them.

You might want to consider finding some brass drawer pulls and cutting off the threaded portion. I say brass because it's easy to solder. The threads are typically 8-32. There are many choices of silver solder, or solder that has silver content. In jewelry they often refer to soft, medium, and hard, each with ascending melting temperatures. I have seen silver solder sold at a local hardware store, such as "Ace". Not typically at Home Depot or Menards. J&L Industrial supply carries it, as does MSD.

My wife is building a new kitchen, is totally underwhelmed by the selection of kitchen cabinet pull handles and overwhelmed by the pricing.
She has dozens of silverware that is better made and nicer, and will never be used. She wants to silver solder two barrels (with internal threads) to each piece and use them. I like the idea, but am clueless to start. Questions, info/comments to snipped-for-privacy@sterkel.org 1. what is that "internally threaded barrel called?" 2. where can I get it? 3. is silver soldering the correct method 4. is a specific type of solder the best? 5. any dimensions I need to be aware of? 6. anything I am too clueless to ask? thanks, all answers to snipped-for-privacy@sterkel.org

snipped-for-privacy@sterkel.org (terry) wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@posting.google.com:
1/2 of a binding screw (also called a Chicago bolt).
You can find them at any good hardware store, even Home Depot. Make sure you don't get aluminum -- you will have serious problems soldering it.
Yes
One with a low melting point, or you will have problems with accidentally melting your silverware. Ask at a jewelry supply house for "easy 45" or "soft" solder. Don't forget to buy some soldering flux.
Dimensions of what? Buy a binding screw of the right length for your cupboard door thickness.
I have no idea.
Now why would I email you any answers? If it was important enough to post in a newsgroup, then there probably other people interested in the answers.

snipped-for-privacy@sterkel.org (terry) wrote in message > You can get brass internally-threaded "standoffs" from just about any electronics or surplus supplier. They are listed in the Mouser catalog, for one.
You can use silver solder, or use the lower-temp "silver-bearing" solder (like StayBrite) you can find in the hardware store. Real silver solder is a brazing technique, and will require acid pickling and polishing afterwards to clean up the metal. The lower temp stuff requires much less cleanup afterwards, and will be strong enough for your use.
Is the silverware you intend to use silver-plated? Or maybe stainless steel? If plated, you probably need to replate after soldering. Stainless can be a bit difficult to solder to, check with the local welding store for correct solder and fluxes.
Plating: you'll want to plate the standoffs in any case, and maybe replate the whole piece once assembled and polished. You could use a silver electroplating outfit, but there is another approach that works ok for this kind of thing -- use an "instant plate" solution like those made by Jax. Their silver dip-plating solution works very well. Just remember the plated surface reflects the prep -- polish well first, then clean spotlessly, then plate.
Sounds like a fun project.
Regards,
Bob

In an electronics parts supplier, look for "threaded standoffs" You can find them in a variety of materials with no threads or almost any combination of male and/or female threads in a variety of sizes and lengths.
Norm

||> all answers to snipped-for-privacy@sterkel.org || ||Now why would I email you any answers? If it was important enough to post ||in a newsgroup, then there probably other people interested in the answers.
Hear, hear! Email request is selfishness Texas Parts Guy

Also you need the right torch. MAPP works fine. Propane doesn't put out enough heat to overcome heat conduction away from the joint.
Buy a small jar of Sparex (tm) pickle. Nothing else will as safely remove the hardened flux residue (aka "flux glass") once the joint cools.

In the electronics industry they are called "threaded standoffs". Shapes are usual;ly hexagonal or round with lenghts from about 1/8" up to several inches. Threads typically range from 4-32 through 1/4-20. Look at digikey (digikey.com?) or other electronic supplies for bulk pricing. Material varies from plastic (nylon), aluminum, zinc plated brass, and plain brass. Solder will not stick to aluminum but should work fine with the brass and plated brass.

A number of things, including "internally threaded barrel". You might look for brass spacers (threaded). Such spacers are commonly used in the electronics industry, but they're usually aluminum. You'll want brass, and to have yours silver plated (and be ready for the plating to wear off on the insides where your hands wear on them).
Check Small Parts, I don't know if they have them, but it's a place to work. If you're determined you may want to have something made, but you may spend more $$ than you would on door pulls. You may also do well getting brass rod, then drilling and tapping the ends for screws. This would be difficult, but with a steady hand you should be able to do this with a hacksaw, a vice and a hand drill.
Soldering should work very well. If done correctly on real silverware a soldered joint should last until your grandchildren are old. If it's just silver plated flatware you'll solder onto the plating, and your joint will only be as strong as the adhesion between the plate and the parent material.
You want something that will tend to acquire the same patina as your silverware. There are specific solders used by jewelers, you should probably check with a jewelery supply house (they may have your barrels, for that matter).
For strength you probably want to use 8-32 screws, and 3/8 inch barrels -- but the barrel size is an aesthetic choice as well, and you can get an 8-32 thread inside a 1/4 inch barrel.
Undoubtedly, but I'm too clueless to know what they are.

If the pieces you want to use are sterling or silver plate on brass or steel, you could machine and internally thread the standoffs. I would suggest brass since it is easy to machine and easy to plate. Silver solder the barrels to the silverware, clean thoroughly to remove _all_ flux residues and silver plate the pieces.
If you don't have plating gear, check out "brush plating" at plating is the most efficient technique for small stuff and/or infrequent use. I still have perfectly useable solutions I made up in the 60's.
Ted