[Jewelry making - Article 01267] - Re: [Orchid] Chain mail - to solder or not to solder?

[Dave Arens]

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Hi R.R.

>        I am wondering what the convention is for chain mail used in
>     items of jewellery - whether it should be soldered or if its okay
>     to just close the jump rings tightly and leave it at that.  I had
>     assumed that the only really correct way was to solder every single
>     link. 

    I make a lot of chain in many different patterns. Probably 75% of it
    soldered. 

    Whether the links need to be soldered or not depends to a certain
    extent on the size & material the links are made of. It also depends
    on the pattern of the chain & if the chain will be subjected to
    other operations after assembly like, drawing, rolling, filing, etc.
    Then there's always the question of safety, how resistant to opening
    do you want the chain to be? 

    If by chain maille, you mean the pattern usually seen as medieval
    armor, the answer is the links probably don't need to be soldered if
    the gauge of the wire used is heavy enough (above 22 ga aprox) & the
    chain wide enough (at least 5 or 6 rows). 

    Even if it is desired to solder the links, soldering chain isn't
    that difficult. For most patterns 1/2 the links can be soldered
    before chain assembly is started. Then, again depending on the
    pattern, the remaining links can be soldered as they are assembled
    into the chain or assembled into shorter subassemblies that are
    soldered & then assembled into the complete chain with final
    soldering. 

    For the most part, paste solder is the best to use for soldering
    chain. It has the flux mixed in the paste. Paste solder is usually
    sold in hypodermic type syringes with changeable needles. Using the
    appropriate sized needle, it's quite easy to apply the correct
    amount of solder to the joint. One of the nice things about paste
    solder is that it stays where it's put. Paste solder is available in
    sterling silver & all kts of gold in hard, medium, easy & extra easy
    from many suppliers. 

    Applying the solder to the inside of the link & applying the heat
    from the outside makes for a neat joint. The heat draws the solder
    through the properly closed joint & any excess solder tends to
    remain on the inside of the link where it's less noticeable. 

    When applying the heat for soldering, a small tip on the torch or a
    butane fueled torch work well. If you use too large a flame, you may
    find that you melt some of the rings into tiny balls. 

    If you elect to use solder chips, the way that works easiest for me
    is to lay the chip on a fire brick & lay the joint in the link over
    the chip. 

    When soldering the 1st 1/2 the links, lay each in a row on a fire
    brick as it's closed. Lay them close to each other but not touching.
    Place the links so that all the joints are at 12 o'clock. When one
    row of links has been placed on the fire brick, begin a 2nd row
    leaving about 1" between rows. Continue closing links & placing them
    on the brick until the surface is covered or all the links are
    closed. 

    After the brick has been covered with links, begin applying the
    paste solder. Apply the solder so it contacts both sides of the
    joint on the top, inside quadrant of the link. A ball of solder
    about the diameter of the wire is sufficient. After solder has been
    applied to all the links, Turn the brick around so all the joints
    are now at 6 o'clock. 

    The links are now ready to be soldered. Light the torch & adjust the
    flame. Begin at the upper right hand corner (if your right handed).
    Apply the flame so that both sides of the joint come up to soldering
    temp together. When you see the flash of solder on the outside of
    joint, move on to the next link. 

    After the all the links have been soldered, gather them up on a
    copper wire. Twist the ends of the wire together & place the links
    in the pickle pot. When they're pickled, remove from the pickle,
    neutralize, rinse & dry. The 1st half of the links are ready for
    assembly into the chain. 

Dave 

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