[Jewelry making - Article 00091] - Re: [Orchid] Copper colored solder

[Alastair]

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Hi Micheal,

    It sounds like the pallions of solder crackle and pop because they
    are over-heated and the zinc or other volatile element is boiling or
    burning. Picking up pallions after melting them into a ball is the
    quickest way, but is not good for the hard high temperature solders.
    Try having the solder pick coated in flux, then heating the solder
    pick to melt the flux and pick up the pallions without melting them.
    With the torch held further back and using more of the flame wash
    instead of the direct flame, they should stick to the melted flux
    without melting themselves. They do tend to drop off as the flux
    cools, so they must be carried swiftly to their destination. 

    Pallions blowing away is a constant hassle and I find that if I
    spread them out on the tile, then starting with the furthest pallion
    from the torch, trap the selected victim with the pick, and pick it
    up as just mentioned without melting it. 

    Placing the pallion onto the object:- have the object hot enough for
    the flux to be melted, or nurse the pallion until the flux melts,
    then press it through the flux and into contact with the object on
    the seam. As long as the pallion is in firm contact with the object
    it cannot melt into a ball, but will melt when the object is hot
    enough for the solder to flow into the seam. The pallion can be held
    in place with the pick while heating the object, but this is not
    practical if multiple pallions are used. I find that if each pallion
    has been pressed into contact with the object, most of them will stay
    in contact. Any that are not will ball up; let them solidify, give
    them another press, then continue heating the object. 

Hope this helps.
Alastair
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