[Jewelry making - Article 00088] - Re: [Orchid] Soldering tube settings together

[Ian W. Wright]

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Hi Helen,

    I haven't actually had to buy any silver solder for a number of years
    - the last I bought was from Engelhard Metals but they no longer
    exist having been taken over by BASF and I don't know whether they
    still sell precious metals. Living in Sheffield I have been
    surrounded by cutlery companies and jewellers and my job often
    involved going into their factories after they had shut down as most
    unfortunately now have. Anyway, the companies had seldom cleaned the
    places out when they left, even leaving part finished goods on the
    benches and almost always leaving stockrooms littered with metal
    blanksetc. The people who bought these factories for redevelopment
    didn't usually understand the value of what was left and so I
    amassed a useful stock of silver sheet and silver solder over the
    years just for the asking. This was mainly back in the 70's and 80's
    and I still haven't exhausted my stocks!! One place you could maybe
    try is Cookson Gold, I have bought some stuff from them. If you are
    having difficulty getting silver solder to flow and you are sure that
    you are cleaning and fluxing the metal well, the problem is most
    likely that you are not heating the metal quickly enough or getting
    it hot enough. Always start heating the largest part first so that
    you end up with all the parts reaching soldering temperature at the
    same time.If the solder doesn't seem to want to flow, add a little
    more flux or borax and remember that you can control the direction in
    which the solder flows as it will always flow to the hottest part.
    What heat source are you using? For pendants and, indeed, for most
    of my silver soldering I use a Primus Sievert 2000 plumbers propane
    torch with a medium or small nozzle. This torch gives a more
    controlled and hotter flame than the DIY-type torches using
    disposable butane cartridges but not as hot as an Oxy-propane /
    oxy-acetylene torch. I only use my large oxy-propane for brazing
    although I do also have a tiny oxy-propane setup for silver
    soldering/fusing jump rings, chains etc. I also use one of the
    little chef-type butane torches for small jobs. For most of my silver
    soldering jobs I use Easy-flow powder flux which you can easily get
    from engineering suppliers (they may also sell silver solder but you
    would need to check the silver content as the main reason they will
    sell it will be for refrigeration engineers to join copper pipes). I
    don't recognise the term 'plumb solder' other than maybe as related
    to plumbers lead solder - maybe its a trade name? 

Best wishes,
Ian
Ian W. Wright
Sheffield UK
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