[Jewelry making - Article 00124] - Re: [Orchid] Steel soldering

[John Burgess]

========[ Invite a Friend - http://www.ganoksin.com/invite.htm  ]========


>      is it possible to solder steel? am curious because
>     rio advertised some steel cable in their catalogue and said findings
>     could be soldered to it. given all the times i've added a pick or
>     tweezers to my projects, i'm wondering how this would be done.

    G'day Susannah;  Yes you can solder steel and it isn't all that
    difficult so long as you start with surfaces completely free from
    oxide and use plenty of a good flux;  I have even silver soldered
    steel with just plain borax as a flux. Use an ordinary air propane
    torch for small work.  You can braze steel using a special brass
    brazing rod from a welding supplier,  (I used to make angle iron
    aquaria with it) and you can buy a special flux for use with it; ask
    at the shop.    I use Johnson Mattheys Easi-flo brazing flux for
    silver soldering but the other flux for brazing, but they both work
    well.  The difference between brazing and silver soldering is that
    you can build up  a thickness or filet with brazing, but you can't
    with silver solder; it flows like water as soon as it comes up to
    temperature. PS For a pick use a bit of 14 gauge titanium wire - it
    won't solder -- Cheers for now, John Burgess;   johnb AT ts.co.nz of
    Mapua Nelson NZ 

____________________________________________________________________
T h e   O r c h i d   L i s t
Open Electronic Forum for Jewelry Manufacturing Methods and Procedures
____________________________________________________________________
Orchid FAQ:
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/orchid/faq.htm
Orchid Archives:
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/orchid/archive
Orchid Galleries:
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/orchid/gallery.htm
Invite a Friend:
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/invite.htm
____________________________________________________________________
Tips From The Jeweler's Bench - Article Archive
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/borisat/tip_sear.htm
The Jeweler's Selected Bibliography List
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/jewelry-books
Buy Orchid Jewelry:
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/shop
____________________________________________________________________
-Unsubscribe:
-Email: orchid-request AT ganoksin.com Body=unsubscribe subject=blank
____________________________________________________________________