[Jewelry making - Article 00009] - Re: [Orchid] Soldering or welding titanium?

[RBarnez]

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    I started repairing eyeglasses because I had people beg me to help
    them get by until they could have new glasses made for them. I have
    repaired eyeglasses make of titanium with a torch. I can't get a bond
    where the break exposes the titanium, but gold solder will bond to
    the patina or coating on the titanium. I repaired a nose wire the
    other day where the solder bonded to the sides of the wire and the
    surface on the frame around where the break was. It made a nice
    strong repair. I don't really understand how this works, I thought
    the colored surface was where the titanium was oxidized, but that
    must not be so, at least not all the time. I can't always get it to
    work, but it works over half the time. 

    I have no explanation for this working. The best I can come up with
    is that sometimes the colored patina is a plating bonded to the
    titanium and that the solder will bond to the plating. If I burn
    through the surface and expose the metal there is no way I can get a
    bond. I use a water torch with green flux. 

    Anybody care to take a shot a why this works? 

Rick
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