[Jewelry making - Article 00415] - Re: [Orchid] Do small butane soldering torches work?

[Bethkatz]

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    The small butane torches can be very successful for lots of
    soldering  operations.  One of the prime questions that has to be
    asked is what type  of solder are you using?  The solder must fit
    the job.  It will do no  good to try to solder something with a hard
    solder if you cannot bring up the  temperature of the entire piece
    to the proper temperature.  If we are  talking hard solder, you are
    looking at a temperature of 1450 F to get it to  flow.  It is much
    easier to bring a piece up to the temperature of 1310  F for Easy or
    1205 F for Extra easy. Paste solder also makes it an easier  job
    having the flux already incorporated in the solder.  In using the 
    butane torch, sometimes the liquid flux will burn off more quickly
    and if you  are using the pallions will not allow the solder to flow
    since the  flux has been dissipated. The paste solder will hold up
    with the butane  torch very successfully.  Lots of experimentation
    and successes are now  happening with the silver clay (Both PMC and
    Silver Art Clay) using the butane  torch for both firing the clay
    and then soldering using the paste solder in the  compatible
    formulas and findings. Keep in mind that you heat the piece and do 
    not direct the flame directly on to the solder until you are close
    to the flow  point. Small silver bezels are a dream to solder with
    the butane torch; very  easy to control even using the hard solder.
    It is important to know the products that are available and to also
    fit the  solder with the job being tackled.  It is not necessarily
    the torch that  has been the problem, but maybe you are not using
    the proper soldering formula  for the job at hand. 

Beth Katz
http://www.myuniquesolutions.com
Paste and Powder Solder for Jewelers and  Metalsmiths

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