[Jewelry making - Article 00080] - Re: [Orchid] Paste Solder (was efficient way)

[David D. Arens]

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>      What are its pitfalls?  Why isn't it used more frequently? It
>     sounds like it would be very handy when soldering findings when
>     the regular solder jumps around etc.

    I'm not an expert on when & where to use paste solder. I only
    know what works for me, however,  I'm not adverse to trying new
    techniques or products or old products for a new application.
    Sometimes some of the new

    techniques/products even work!

    I got started using paste solder for soldering links together
    for chain. It's a pain in the butt, not to mention time
    consuming, to cut solder sma ll enough for some of the links.
    Paste solder is available in sterling, gold filled, various gold
    karats & all the typical melting temps. I don't know if the golds
    are available in other than yellow. The solder (that I use) is
    delivered in plastic syringes with 2 interchangable needles, a 16
    & 20 ga. The golds are 1dwt & the sterlings 0.5 oz to the
    syringes. The paste consists of a powdered solder, a flux &
    transport vehicle which I believe is glycerine. The labels on
    the golds indicate the flux may contain flourides & cadmium. The
    sterling label states it contains flourides. The sterling is
    about $7.00 if I remember correctly. A syringe lasts quite a
    while.

    To use, select the needle appropriate to the job, place the
    needle tip close to the join to be soldered & squeeze the solder
    from the syringe. The needle tip should be close enough to the
    join so the solder can contact both sides (right & left) of the
    join. The solder will adhere to the meta l. As with any
    soldering, the join must be tight, paste solder is not a 'gap
    filler'. I don't know if there's a maximum time during which the
    join must be soldered, but I've been interrupted & applied the
    heat to the join a hour later with no problems. Usually I apply
    the heat within 10 minutes if I've got a lot of joins to solder.

    After soldering, the piece goes in the pickle; I use warm
    Sparex, with no problems.

    The idocyncrasies of paste solder are:

    1.Syringe will leak if left uncapped (the vehicle oozes out).
    2.Needles cake if not cleaned out before storage.
    3.Paste is hard to eject if syringe is old.
    4.Index & middle finger can get sore from syringe.
    5.When applying paste, be sure to keep it where you want it; when
    it reaches the liquidus point it melts almost instantaneously. 
    6.Putting the needle against something that is hot will cause the
    paste t o cake in it.

    There are simple solutions for each of the above.

    1.Put the cap on.
    2.Insert a wire of the appropriate size when finished with a
    needle. 
    3.Warm the syringe under a warm, wet washcloth or a light bulb. 
    4.Use a solder aid to reduce the strain on the fingers & give
    yourself more leverage. 
    5.Be careful when applying paste; remove any 'oops' before
    applying heat.
    6.Keep the needle away from hot metal or use the wire to clean it
    out.
    In all fairness, paste is not the solder of choice for all
    applications. Sheet & wire solder are going to be around for a
    long, long time. Paste i s great to use if the join is in an
    awkward position & it's hard to get pallions to stick. Paste is
    self sticking. 

     Hope this helps.

Dave


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