[Jewelry making - Article 01053] - Re: [Orchid] Magnesia soldering block

[Beth Rosengard]

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    Thanks to all who replied to my post about soft soldering surfaces. 
    While there were a variety of suggestions (which I will try out),
    firebricks seem to be the most popular.  Before I go out and look for
    them, I have one more question.  Everyone mentions that you can stick
    a pin in firebrick without a problem, but can you stick a long-ish
    fingernail into the surface easily without bending or stressing the
    nail?  That would be a much better indication as to whether the
    firebrick will work for me or not. 

    To Donald Allen:  I tried the graphite blocks you mentioned a year
    ago and they are absolutely perfect in terms of softness but, as you
    mentioned, they act as a heat sink.  I had to use a huge flame in
    order to solder tiny pieces of gold, and the block got so hot it
    burned a hole in the surface below it (not to speak of my hand when I
    went to move it)!  I came up with a few other substances from Rhode
    Island manufacturers as well, but none did the trick (and one was
    highly toxic at high temperatures). 

    To those who mentioned pumice blocks, will they pass the fingernail
    test? The pumice tools I've seen for scraping away dead skin are not
    soft at all. And do you have any idea where to get them (I'm in Los
    Angeles)?  Searching on the web has turned up a few sources in the UK
    in particular, but they're for pumice blocks to be used in
    construction which can't possibly be soft enough for my needs, can
    they? 

    To whoever mentioned the material that solidifies when a special
    liquid is applied (sorry, I forgot who you are):  It's called
    Impressionite and is so far the best I've found for my purposes.  The
    drawback is that it's very fibrous and rubbery so that when you push
    a bezel cup into it, the material partially pushes it back out again!
     But it's what I will have to eventually use if I can't find anything
    more suitable. 

    Anyway, I'm still open to suggestions and thanks to all! 

Beth 



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