[Jewelry making - Article 00057] - [Orchid] Copper colored solder

[Michael Sabo]

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    Hello, And I am thanking one and all in advance (the eternal
    optimist). I was soldering my first bracelet today. Basically 22 ga.
    copper jump rings soldered using ox/acetelene and Griffith flux. The
    solder is the 1' wide "copper colored" solder from Rio (a hard
    solder). The problem is two fold: A) I was using very tiny pallions
    of solder but quite often they would not "melt" cleanly to form the
    little spinning globule. I cleaned the solder by "scuffing and
    shining" on my buffer to make it shiny. I also had it on a fire brick
    for melting and I used a stainless steel bike spoke, sharpened to a
    point (as I cannot find one of the three titanium picks that I
    bought) to pick it up. All too often there was a "fluff" that refused
    to burn away, and often it would snap, crackle, or pop, and then
    disappear. I probably did a "no-no" by using some of them anyway, and
    it worked, but... why were some so difficult to melt into a ball? B)
    I use a Smith Mini-torch and "eyeball" my tip according to the stock
    that I am using. I think I know my tip/ heat range/ gauge
    combination. And, I know if I adjust my flame they may not be so apt
    to blow away, but with 25-30 jump rings to solder, one should not
    have to readjust the flame each time picking up a pallion. The
    problem comes in by using very small pallions in that the "whoosh"
    from the torch can sometimes blow them away. I try to use little
    nooks and indents in the brick as stops, but that doesn't always
    work, esp. when they "pop." I know experience is the best teacher
    that I've got available, but just looking for all of the collective
    insight and knowledge as to how to not re-invent the wheel for
    soldering. By the way, for what it's worth: watching the the two
    sides of my bronze melt and then join together the first time ( and
    keep a perfect arc w/no collapse) was as good of a "high" as any I've
    ever had in my 52 yrs. on this Earth.
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