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A short review of construction and soldering principles would be a good idea at this point. They're fairly basic. Principles of soldering (or what most of the world terms 'brazing' but jewelers call 'soldering') include: make sure that all joins are recently scraped, cleaned, sanded, or otherwise bared; that you can't see light through a join; that you use tons of flux.... (1996) Complete Story
With so many torches on the market, a first-time buyer can be quickly overwhelmed by the sheer number of decisions that have to be made. Choosing a fuel, fitting the right tips, and determining the type of flame you need are just the beginning. To make decision-making tougher, all torches look pretty much alike. They have two open-ended tubes for the attachment of two color-coded rubber hoses, conducting air to one and fuel to the other. They are either single-fuel or a combination of oxygen and fuel, which tend to be hotter. Some torches accommodate different fuels simply by changing the tip. Each gas produces a different flame. Which brings us to the burning question: which torch will produce the flame power needed to get the job done?.... (2003) Complete Story
Repair jewelers are frequently called upon to solder close in to a set gemstone. Besides the normal dangers of heating a gem in these days of glass infills and other challenges it behooves a jeweler to keep a gemstone cool during soldering if at all possible. Remember Some 'Old-time' repair goldsmiths pride themselves on their speed using a mini-torch and they hold the set gem on a ring being sized in their fingers, going in very rapidly on the shank solder join with a pinpoint flame, so fast and hot that 'if your fingers get hot you were too slow'. While this method works with the right mini-torch and has a certain macho charm it does not fit every circumstance - and may lead to singed fingers..... (2002) Complete Story
OK. You have just brought home your first acetylene tank and are ready to attach your new acetylene/air torch. This is the day you have dreamed of -- soldering at home, in your workshop -- yet there is that nagging doubt in the back of your head. You have heard horror stories of tanks, fires and explosions. Oh, why did you think you would ever be able to have a full jewelry studio at home? The instruction manual is full of hard core information that seems geared toward experienced welders -- you do not even know how to put the thing together, and even if you do figure it out, you fear you will blow up your home and the entire neighborhood.... (2007) Complete Story
While goldsmiths normally strive to have their solder flow easily, there are times you don't want it to flow, such as spilling over a decorated surface, if it 'freezes' a mechanism, or if it threatens to open a gap in a seam soldered earlier in a construction. The best way of not melting earlier seams is.... (2004) Complete Story
