Can you solder jewelry at home?
A torch is not a toy, it is a serious tool that should never be taken lightly. However, I assure you that soldering can be safely accomplished at home. Now, you don’t need a studio, a garage, or a jewelry bench, you can create a safe soldering space on a kitchen table with just a few items.
What solder is best for jewelry making?
Gold solders
Gold solders are generally used only for making gold jewelry while copper, brass, and bronze solders are typically used to make copper, brass, and bronze jewelry respectively.
What supplies do you need to solder jewelry?
What you need to get started soldering jewelry:
- Kiln brick, charcoal block or a ceramic honeycomb block.
- Microflame butane torch.
- Cooling cup with tweezers.
- Soldering pick.
- Silver solder paste.
- Penny Brite, pickling components.
Can you use an electric soldering iron for jewelry?
Whether you are professional jeweler or just learning the quality american-made soldering iron will help you complete repairs faster and more efficiently.
How do you solder jewelry for beginners?
The Basics of Soldering | Jewelry 101 – YouTube
How do you connect two pieces of jewelry?
How to Attach Jewelry without Soldering | Jewelry Making – YouTube
Do you need to use flux when soldering jewelry?
All About Soldering Flux for Jewelry Making – YouTube
Can I solder jewelry with a soldering iron?
You can use a soldering iron to make many jewelry repairs. A soldering iron is a tool used to heat solder, a metal-based substance used to join two or more metal components. Soldering irons are frequently used in various creative pursuits, such as jewelry making, metalsmithing and stained glass assembling.
How do you attach jewelry without soldering?
You can fuse metal together without having to solder it. By using a butane torch, you can heat your pieces of metal until they are almost but not quite melted. Once they reach this flashpoint, you can easily fuse the pieces together.
Do you have to pickle after soldering?
Every time you solder, be ready to pickle your piece as you go. Pickling is simply dissolving firescale from the top layer of your piece after it has been heated. It’s called pickling because jewelers used to remove firescale with a solution of alum, which is the same compound used to make pickles.
How do you melt jewelry together?
By using a butane torch, you can heat your pieces of metal until they are almost but not quite melted. Once they reach this flashpoint, you can easily fuse the pieces together.
Do you have to pickle silver after soldering?
It is what you put your pieces in to clean them after soldering. Metal that has been soldered produces oxidation on the outside of it. Allowing the metal to cool and then dropping it into the pickle removes the oxidation. The metal should also be pickled before the soldering process to clean it.
Can you solder without flux?
Tin-lead solder doesn’t need flux if the iron and work are clean. Usually, rosin (RO) flux is used with this type of solder. The flux core in the solder is usually more than enough. Lead-free solders are more dependent on cleanliness and it’s much more common to use a liquid or paste flux on all work.
How do you clean jewelry before soldering?
Solder won’t flow on a dirty or greasy surface. Make sure that the metal is clean before soldering. Clean your metal by giving it a quick scrub with a non-bleach cleanser like “Bar Keepers Friend”, metal cleaner like “Penny Brite” or place it in your pickle pot and let sit for a few minutes.
How do you fuse metal jewelry together?
Art Jewelry – Fusing Metal With a Torch – YouTube
How do you polish silver after soldering?
Shining Silver After Soldering Jewelry : Jewelry Designs & Care – YouTube
How do you clean jewelry after soldering?
Pickle is a liquid compound used to remove oxidation and flux from newly soldered jewelry. It is what you put your pieces in to clean them after soldering. Metal that has been soldered produces oxidation on the outside of it. Allowing the metal to cool and then dropping it into the pickle removes the oxidation.
Can you use Vaseline as flux?
Can You Use Vaseline as Flux? Yes, Vaseline works just as well as commercial flux, and you can even buy a generic brand. Petroleum jelly is primarily made from waxes and mineral oils so that it won’t corrode your components. Plus, it cleans away the gunk and eliminates metal oxides that could compromise your bond.
Why does my solder not stick?
This issue is usually caused by the soldering iron being set to an improper temperature, or the iron itself has a wattage that is too low for the solder size you are using. If you notice your solder isn’t sticking, check your solder material and compare it to the wattage of your soldering iron.
Why do you pickle after soldering?
What use to clean before soldering?
Before soldering, use alcohol and a clean cloth to remove contaminants such as grease, corrosion and oxidation from the surface to be soldered. To clean your tips, use either brass or stainless steel wool. Brass wool is softer and less abrasive, while the harder stainless steel wool has a longer life.
How do you keep solder shiny?
You can leave the solder a natural silver colour, but you should be sealing it with wax to preserve the shiny finish and prevent oxidation over time. Depending on where the piece will hang and your climate, it may oxidize of time anyway, but waxing and buffing will help it stay shiny.
What should you not do when soldering?
1) Soldering Iron Safety • Never touch the element or tip of the soldering iron. It is very hot (about 400°C) and will burn. Hold wires to be heated with tweezers, pliers or clamps to avoid receiving burns from objects that are heated. Keep the cleaning sponge wet during use.
What metal Cannot be soldered?
Of metals
Solderability | Metal |
---|---|
Fair | Carbon steel Low alloy steel Zinc Nickel |
Poor | Aluminium Aluminium bronze |
Difficult | High alloy steel Stainless steels |
Very Difficult | Cast iron Chromium Titanium Tantalum Magnesium |
What is the trick to soldering?
10 Soldering Tips to Instantly Improve Your Soldering Skills – YouTube