Tips & Tricks
Soldering Made Simple
20
May
May
SOLDERING STEPS:
- Before you start soldering any piece of jewellery, make sure that the piece is clean. No grime, grease, tarnish or any other residue should be present on the piece of jewellery.
- Pre-heat large pieces. That the whole piece and then move the flame to the piece where you will be soldering.
- Use small pieces of solder.
- Use flux when soldering gold, silver, brass or copper to avoid oxidization.
- Remember to heat the metal that is going to be soldered and not the solder itself. The metal needs to reach a temperature which will made the solder melt. The heat will transfer to the solder which will make the solder melt and the solder will flow clearly.
- For a tight join, the pieces being soldered together needs to join perfectly in order for the solder to flow directly into the join when the solder melts.
- To get the perfect join on a ring, saw through the join directly.
- Remember to calculate the heat according to the size and weight of the item to be soldered.
- When the piece that needs to be soldered needs to be held with tweezers, a third-hand and soldering screens, be careful that it doesn’t transmit the heat away from the piece to be soldered. If the piece needs to be held with tweezers, hold the tweezers as far away enough from the solder join.
- Take time to prepare as this will ensure that all equipment and materials needed is in reach. This will help make the soldering process go smoothly.
