[Jewelry making - Article 00716] - [Orchid] Soldering 18K & Sterling Your expert advice

[Mary Ann Archer]

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    Hi All, I have a project which requires soldering cast 18K pieces
    onto a sterling silver sheet. 

    It's tricky soldering, and in the past, when soldering lightweight
    parts, I've had the misfortune of the gold melting into the silver
    right before my eyes! and I definetly want to avoid this happening
    again. Since the silver sheet is more massive than the gold part
    would you recommend using gold or silver solder? Is it the silver
    solder that eats up the gold? ( so to speak) or does the gold solder
    eat at the silver?? 

    One of the projects, and the one which concerns me the most, is one
    of those BiiiiiiiiG Oval Cowboy Western Belt Buckles. The kind G.W.
    Bush wears!! The center will have a detailed18K cast piece soldered 
    in the center and this guy wants 18K ROPE wire on the edge. Since no
    one sells rope wire in 18K, I'll have to make it....in approx 8
    -10ga. I'm not certain how to calculate how much I need for the
    twisting??? Is there some formula? AND.......it's going to use a TON
    of solder to nail it down to the surface of the Sterling sheet. 

    I was also thinking I could make the rope edge trim from Sterling
    stock, shape and solder it,  file the underside flat,  have a mold
    made and cast it in 18K and then solder it in place. Does this seem
    like I'm loosing it? Is there some simple new technical way I can
    make this in both metals in a simpler way? I see all these bimetal
    rings etc that are cast, but I am not familiar with the technology. 

    Can anyone help or offer advice? 

Thanks,
Mary Ann Archer


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