SOLDERING:

Two or more pieces of metal can be joined by flowing a small amount of metal with a lower melting temperature between them. Prior to soldering the metals must be: 1. Clean 2. Close fitting joint 3. Fluxed Solder can be bought in either solid pallions, as rods, or in syringe/paste form.

Even the best jewellers dont always get it right first time. If it doesnt work just clean it work and try again until you get it right. Think where you could have gone wrong.

YOU WILL NEED Hard, Easy & Extra Easy Solder (in syringe or pallion form) Flux. Borax cone & dish (for silver), or liquid AU flux (for gold) Fine paint brush Insulated tweezers Charcoal or soldering block Plastic or brass tongs (for pickle) Binding wire (possibly) Water Pickle Gas supply/torch Pallion tweezers May, 2010

Imogen Waitt

FLUX Flux is a chemical that acts like glass. It flows over the surface and seals it from the atmosphere, providing a coating on which the solder can flow without oxidisation. When working with silver it is appropriate to use Borax flux which is ground down with a small amount of water. When we begin to work with gold we would normally use a solution such as AUFlux that has a much higher burn off temperature. If we used Borax on gold it would burn off before the solder had run.

SOLDERS: Solder flows only on: Clean, fluxed joints Solder flows towards: Towards the heat of the torch Solder flows with: Gravity Solder that is heated too high or too long becomes pitted and has to be filed or cut out. Always use the minimum amount of solder you think you can get away with, as it will save you time filing it off later.

Solder pallions can be cut and applied cold to the joints before soldering, or can be fed as a wire onto hot seam for larger items.

Sweat Soldering is a technique normally used when two fairly large sheets of metal are to be joined. Solder and flux are applied to the bottom sheet and heated until the solder just starts to run. The other sheet of metal is prepared with flux only and when temperature is reached, this upper sheet is flipped onto the bottom sheet. There are a number of variations of techniques that can be used when soldering in Imogen Waitt May, 2010

this way. It helps oxygen travel to the centre of the work. The process is sometimes called Tinning. Solder Grades: We begin with solder that has the highest melting point (known as Hard). Next we move to Easy solder. Finally Extra Easy solder is used. A proficient Metalsmith will often be able to make several joints on one item before moving down a grade and will only use extra easy for repairs or to correct an earlier mistake, unless the work is very delicate. There is a specialist solder created especially for use in enamelling work, that has the highest melting point of all.

When you are new to metalsmithing, it is advisable to construct your piece so that you need to make only three joints.

METHOD 1. 2. 3. 4. Pick a work area away from other tools, equipment or chemicals. The area must be well ventilated. Make sure the work area is clean. Arrange all the equipment in an orderly fashion so it can reach for it with ease. 5. Apply binding wire now if you need to. Try to avoid binding wire if you can because the wire could cut down into your work if you accidentally over heat. 6. To mix up the borax, put a small quantity of water into the dish and grind the borax cone to form a paste, in a circular motion. The consistency should somewhere between single and double cream. 7. Dip the fine paintbrush into the paste you have just made and apply it to the joints to be soldered. Imogen Waitt May, 2010

8.

Take some Hard Solder. If using solder in pallion form, cut it into tiny squares.

9.

Put a dap of flux paste onto the pallions of solder.

10. Using your paintbrush or pallion tweezers, pick up the solder squares one by one and apply around the joint you are about to make. If soldering a ring, place a pallion at the bottom of the joint and sit the ring on top of it, with maybe another small pallion balanced on top of the joint. 11. If you are going to apply Argotech, then do so now.

12. Light your blow torch and adjust to get a gentle flame. 13. begin to apply the heat to your work as gently as possible. 14. The flux (and Argotech, if used) will start to bubble up and pieces of solder can become dislodged. Use your fine tweezers to pick them up and replace them. 15. You must get the whole piece of work up to temperature or the solder will simply ball up and refuse to run. 16. Eventually your work will become a cherry red colour. Somewhere around this heat point you will see the solder suddenly run in a shiny line. 17. Remove heat source immediately. 18. Allow to cool down for a couple of minutes. 19. Using Insulated tweezers, pick up the item and immerse in water. 20. Remove any binding wire now. 21. Once cool, use plastic tweezers to place your work into the pickle. 22. Once the oxides have dissolved from your work use your plastic tweezers to lift it out. Rinse in clean cold water and dry. 23. If you are going to make other joints, use Easy Solder next, then Extra Easy Solder. As you increase in proficiency and confidence Imogen Waitt May, 2010

you will be able to make several joints using the same grade of solder.

If you are soldering large joints it is often easier to take a whole strip of the solder, hold it with the insulated tweezers and run it directly into the joint, following just behind the point at which the flame is touching the work, once you reach the solders melting temperature.

Drop Soldering This is a process we use when soldering very small items (earring posts, brooch pins etc.) Apply flux and solder onto the largest item. Hold the smaller item in your insulated tweezers Apply a small amount of flux only to the smaller item. Heat the larger item until the solder starts to run. Quickly hold the smaller item onto the larger one. Hold gently but firmly, dont push. Keep your heat constant until the solder runs between the two items Immediately remove heat source. Cool, quench, pickle, wash and dry. If it hasnt worked this time just take a deep breath, quench your work and give it a good soak in the pickle, then a rinse and try, try, try again. Hard: 775c Medium: 750c Easy: 725c Extra Easy:705c

Imogen Waitt

May, 2010