[Jewelry making - Article 01000] - Re: [Orchid] Firescale, frips, prips huh?

[Trevor F]

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Hello Tracey,

    I know what you mean about having all this flux stuff make your head
    spin.  My advice would be to lay your hands on a copy of Erhard
    Brepohl's "The Theory and Practice of Goldsmithing" and read both the
    section on reducing fluxes in Chapter Four (pp. 122-4) and especially
    section 8.1.2 "Fluxes" in Chapter Eight (pp. 295-300).  Those pages
    will bring a lot of clarity to this important but confusing topic. 

    That said let me offer a few words in answer to your specific
    questions: 

>     1. Does one need both boric acid and Borax to make prips? 

    If you are following the "traditional" formula, yes, because they are
    both ingredients. But I think things are getting a bit mixed up
    because Pripp's is intended as a firescale protectant not a soldering
    flux. It'll work as a soldering flux but not as well as straight
    Borax or, better yet, Borax + Boric Acid in a 3:1 ratio (I work in
    sterling so this is my preferred soldering flux). 

>     2. Does one need to use another flux in conjunction with a prips
>     flux? A paste flux for example. 

    Since Pripp's is a firescale protectant then yes, Pripp's to beat the
    firescale and the soldering flux of your choice for the actual solder
    joint. 

>     3. If TSP is hard to get ahold of ... Do you really need it can you
>     just use denatured alcohol and borax.... 

    As above: Pripp's for firescale and soldering flux (such as Borax in
    alcohol) for the solder joint. 

>     Any text that deals with this subject in depth? 

    I'm totally self-taught so I've invested quite a bit in books and
    texts. IMHO you can't do better than the Brephol text I quoted above

<edit>

  Theory and Practice of Goldsmithing
  By Erhard Brepohl , Charles Lewton-Brain , Tim McCreight

  Price: $70.00
  http://www.ganoksin.com/jewelry-books/us/product/0961598492.htm

  This Publication is a Ganoksin Content Partner 
  http://www.ganoksin.com/borisat/directory/library/source/15/337/intro/1

  Media: Hardcover
  Manufacturer : Brynmorgen Press
  Release data : 11 October, 2001

</edit>

    He gives you pretty much all the theory, temperature charts,
    chemistry, diagrams and formulas that you need to bring you up to
    speed and then to do it all yourself. For example, I use one of his
    formulations for firescale protection and for my money it beats the
    pants off of Pripp's but, as always, your mileage may differ. 

    You might also want to check out this page on Pripp's from the
    un-official Orchid living legend Peter Rowe,
    http://users.lmi.net/~drewid/PWR_Pripps.html 

    As to the fear of getting reported for buying a bunch of weird stuff
    I know that I turned a corner on this the day I bought a gallon of
    lab grade ethanol. They wanted a copy of every piece of ID I had and
    then some. And they told me that the police would be sent a copy of
    the invoice with a copy of all my documents. Once I got over that I
    never really looked back. And I never did hear from the cops. I guess
    what I'm saying is "who cares, let 'em come if they want to". If we
    hide what we do then we _must_ be doing something wrong. If we just go
    ahead and do it then we'll see what we see. That said I do try and
    spread my chemical purchases around a bit, just in case. ;) 

    Good luck. Email me off-list if you'd like more details or whatever. 

Cheers,
Trevor F.

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