[Jewelry making - Article 01034] - Re: [Orchid] I must be getting too old for this

[Bruce Holmgrain]

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Jeff,

>       They may not solder well, but they fuse nicely! 

    In fact, the really weird part is that this last ring didn't even
    want to fuse. The metal would melt like aluminum around the slice or
    crack where I was working, but wouldn't close as if it was full of
    rouge or some other contaminant. 

>        I gave up on working on silicon based alloys years ago 

    I am opening up a retail location on the 25th of this month. I'm
    running very scared at the moment and don't want top give up any work
    right now. Trade work has been crappy in recent years, but I think I
    have reached my limits. 

    David, 

>        You don't mention if these are silver or gold rings 

    These are yellow gold rings. I have been running into this more and
    more. I assumed that I had dirty fingers for a while and was getting
    rouge into the joints or something. That's the way that these rings
    are behaving 

    I had a client that was selling weird platinum alloys a couple of
    years ago and I was running into some of these same types of
    problems. Strange oxides or other contaminants and lower melting
    points. I no longer do these peoples work so it is not presently an
    issue. 

    I also avoid cobalt alloys whenever possible. 

    Mark, 

    We share a number of methods. I see nothing controversial about
    quenching a ring sizing while hot. I was taught to hold the ring in
    my fingers to avoid overheating the stone. As for flux, I've been
    trying more and less flux. Batterns seem to have no effect. 

    Jon, 

>         I have experienced many of the same problems you mentioned,
>     particularly in new, "discounted" pieces coming from the discount
>     retailers (i.e. Kmart, Walmart, etc.), and I am no longer taking
>     them in for sizing. 

    That's a good thing to hear. In my new shop, I will have to develop
    a policy pretty quickly. 

    Jim, 

>        You are probably working on alloys containing silicon. The
>     silicon when heated forms a silicon dioxide layer on the surfaces
>     of the metal and is resistant to wetting by the solder. 

    This sounds right. It is a good description of what is happening. I
    have been using Batterns flux, which I understood to contain florides
    ... ooops! I just took a look at my bottle of Batterns only to
    discover that my Batterns is in fact Griffiths floride free flux.
    This may be key to my solution. I'll quick get some real flux. I
    wasn't avoiding florides in flux from a fear of HF as some may. It
    was just ah ... sloth ... I'll have to take care to read the bottle
    next time that I make a purchase. If it doesn't work better, I'm
    afraid I'll be telling people where to cram their junk jewelry. 

    Tanx all 

    Bruce D. Holmgrain
    JA Certified Master Bench Jeweler
    http://www.goldwerx.com




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