Hi Dave for years I have been wanting to know how to repair gold and silver,I am now 80 year old, and after seeing your videos on you tube you made it very doable for a novice like me .I have just got set up with enough bits to get started so this will be a great hobby for me thanks to your very good instructions .
+Cyril Etches Wow, good on you Cyril. it's never too late to start. Don't be afraid of failure, just get stuck in - it's the only way to learn. Once you can solder - you can make almost anything. Welcome on board and just shout if you need any advice. - Dave.
THANK you!!!! I've been scouring the internet for months trying to find exactly what I needed, and this is it! I just need to solder tiny solid gold jump rings to finish some necklaces, and I knew there was an easy way! Can't wait to try this now! Serious thanks.
+Bandana zX ...Thanks for watching. It's a confusing title. What we jewellers call soldering, is completely different to electrical soldering. What we do is more like brazing or welding. we use silver, to bond silver to silver. Hence the end result is silver (and able to be hallmarked). Electrical soldering is more like hot glue. I get horrified when I see people repairing gold rings with electrical tin solder - it instantly ruins them - they cannot even be melted down as it contaminates the gold. I once repaired a £1,000 diamond ring that someone had tried to repair with tin solder. Ruined it !. Thanks for taking the time to comment. Dave
Thanks for the video ... I'd learned how to solder electrical equipment, and after many years away from it all am trying to learn how to work jewelry, this was quite informative. Again thanks
You're welcome. Jewellery soldering is really braising, or welding. Much higher temperature than electrical soldering, which is more akin to hot glue. I hope you have go. Thanks for watching. Dave.
Subscribed! I reckon I could learn a lot from you. I've just started making jewellery and I could do with all the tips I can get from an expert like yourself. Thanks for this great instructional video.
I never consider myself an expert in anything. But thank you for the kind words. I'm simply sharing my knowledge and experience with others, and answering the questions I had myself when I started. Thanks for watching, I hope you pick up some tips. Dave
Since making this video, the price of the solder paste has really come down a lot. Its now around the same price as the strip and wire solders. So now, I use solder paste (easy & hard), for pretty much everything, as it is so much more convenient. Thanks for watching. Dave
Celtic Dreams hello there :) Many thanks on the knowledge here ! It’s supercool I’m about to buy 14k gold soldering paste and am hesitating between east and hard. It’s to make simple 14k wire rings with a bit of chain. What is the big difference ? Also I’ve seen before soldering I shall polish the surface right ? And then do I need to put it in a solution? Also if I put a stone in the wire will the heat damage or break the stone ? I am a bit afraid of it :) Many thanks ! Best Stina (From France)
Easy medium and hard refer to the melting point. Easy will melt at the lowest temp, medium higher and hard will require the highest temp. The numbers don’t matter, but the point is that you can hard solder something and then later attach another piece with easy solder without melting the first joint. If you are new to soldering and using thin wire, then using easy solder will reduce the risk of melting the wire. But once competent, you should really make everything with hard solder, as it can then be repaired or altered at a later date with easy. I make tiny Celtic chain links with six joints all hard soldered. - but this takes practice. Before soldering you must clean the metal. This does not mean polishing. Polish is greasy and can make soldering impossible. By all mean polish the different components of a piece beforehand, if that’s easier to do before soldering. But you must use hot soapy water to get the grease off or the solder will not run. Always best to lightly sand the surfaces to be joined. Hope this helps. Dave
great video mate. I'm relatively new to jewellery making and your explanations were perfect for me. your craftsmanship is fantastic btw, and i'm happy to have subscribed
Stefan Hetherington What a lovely comment. Many thanks. I was in that exact position many years ago and it's great to be able to share my (limited) experience and encourage others to have a go. I have been absolutely staggered by the response to my channel, with thousands of people watching, sharing and enjoying.... Isn't it wonderful ! : )
Hi Dave, I discovered I don't have patience for chainmaille (ie your Byzantine Bracelet - LOL!) but do enjoy learning to solder my jewelry. Thanks so much for another great video! 👍🙏🙂
Dave, at the end, when you're referring to the Celtic knot, and why you wouldn't use paste, you say, "it drys in the nozzle as soon as you touch it" . What do you mean? Sorry for all the questions! I'm new to this, but obsessive watching, and practicing tons of internet films, and classes, and am wanting to learn fast. I'm loving it! I hope to see you make things as well as explain tools, and techniques. Other people who support tool companies, also show them selves making jewelry, then we get to see more, and you get more viewers, from people like me who are self teaching, and want to learn everything NOW!!
+huskyfluffy ... ...I love your enthusiasm. Learn all you can, but practice is important too. Get stuck in and build your skills. What I meant in the video is that the solder paste comes out of the syringe nozzle. If you touch the syringe to the piece when it’s hot (because some solder has fallen off), then the solder paste in the nozzle can dry or solidify and block the nozzle. Hence, it can sometimes be difficult to add more solder once you’ve started heating. With wire, you just add more. Dave. ; )
waw thank you so much this helped me a lot I was making a ring and I needed to solder it I used bits of silver but it does not work well but watching thru this video I knew alott about soldering
Great vid! One thing I've tried is to make my own 'paste' solder. Using a bur tool in my flex shaft, I grind down wire solder into dust. I then mix this dust with liquid flux (I use My-T-Flux from Rio Grande). It's a little work to prep the solder, but it works really well for me in some applications--it's cheap and easy to have a lot of solder temps on hand. The one drawback--it doesn't keep long after mixing with the liquid flux, so I only mix enough I need.
Sounds like a lot of hard work. Since making this video, the price of solder paste has really come down. So now I tend to use paste for pretty much everything, as its so much simpler and cleaner. Dave
I understand how it sounds hard, but I guess it's a matter of time vs. money. It takes 10-15 minutes to make enough to last me 3 months or so. I like the results better than the paste solders I've bought--at least for some things. Thanks again for the great videos--I enjoy the tips and product reviews!
I note you are grinding solder wire. So you're still buying solder . Currently here in the UK two strips of hard solder (13g) are just under £10, whereas a 10g syringe of paste is just over £15. So only a couple of pounds difference. I do still buy strips for large jobs, but mostly use the hard solder paste for manufacture and the easy solder paste for repairs. I wonder if it would work, with just grinding regular sterling silver? although in theory its the same melting point as the jewellery, the fine particles would surely melt quicker. i'Il have to try this. The ability to make up a drop of solder could be very useful, when i have an usual job (carat or colour) and don't have the matching solder. you've got me thinking now... ! Dave
+dawn butcher ...Hi Dawn, To be honest I use hard syringe solder for most assembly jobs now, it's just so simple. 9ct gold easy syringe solder is great for fast repairs on chains. The extra cost, is justified in terms of speed, efficiency and less clean up. Thanks for taking the time to comment. Dave.
nice video, didn't know where you get those strips you clipped into small strips. I only see it sold in wire form...but yes the small strips allow one not to contact the object once you have everything in place. I have seen stores sell pre clips but not the whole ribbon strip
Mine comes from Cookons in the UK, see link. Dave www.cooksongold.com/Solders/Hard-Silver-Solder-Strip-6.0mm-X--0.60mm-X-600mm-Weight-Per-Strip---22g-prcode-CTD-500
Great video just what I was looking for a shame I didn't see it a long time ago. I was wondering if I can use a small gas torch the type you refill with lighter fuel. NOT the pen type the stand up right type. Many thanks
Great video, very informative. I was wondering if you could give me some advice with silver soldering.I'm new to soldering I can't seem to get my solder to actually solder. Its sterling silver and I'm using easy strip solder, but I can't seem to get it to work. My edges are clean and flush and I'm using enough flux but its just not working. What am I doing wrong??
Hi Kirsty. In order to solder, the joint needs to be clean, flush fitting and well fluxed. So you need to address these three things. Obviously the solder can;t bridge a gap, so that's a pretty obvious one. What flux are you using? I typically use a borax cone. Make sure you get the flux all around the joint and also on the surfaces to be joined. This may sound crazy, but something that people often forget about is fluxing the solder too. Its silver just the same and will oxidise just the same. So try sanding your solder strip and make sure its clean before snipping off a few pieces to use. pick them up and place them using your flux brush. Above all, cleanliness is the usual problem. sand the area to be soldered (including the ends) and then don't touch it at all. even grease from you finger can ruin the job. Note when you apply flux it should stay where you painted it on. if it runs and pools together, that's a sign that the silver is greasy, so re sand and clean it. Finally. solder will always run towards the heat. so heat the piece - not the solder. A common mistake for beginners is to blast the solder with heat. it will form a small ball and just sit there, and eventually boil away. Heat the silver itself, gently with a softer flame and the solder should run, following the flux. ensure that you heat both sides of the joint in order to get even flow and use a solder pick if necessary to encourage it. Hope all this helps. Check out my video on making a silver ring (link below) which also has some soldering tips. Any problems just email me direct and ill try to help mail@celticdreams.co.uk Dave ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-U4HbADoSVW4.html
I'm going to make a damascus ring with a silver lining and fold the outer to form a lip on the outer edges. Im thinking of your first clip would be best. Would you be kind enough to let me know the things you used for it. Many thanks
I would really appreciate it if anyone could point me in the right direction to a video that demonstrates how to repair small holes in thin pieces of flat silver that appears after casting during the sanding phase were you have overdone it on the sanding causing the metal to thin out in places causing small holes.
Note quite sure what you mean here. Holes caused by the actual casting process (porosity and bubbles), or holes caused by wearing away the metal until a hole is formed from sanding.? Both are different problems with different causes. But either way, you have a piece with a hole. Small 'indentations' if you can't polish them out could be filled with solder and repolished (although this should be kept to an absolute minimum). Pierced through holes would need to be built up. With a torch this is difficult by drilling and plugging the hole. But holes are quite easy to fix nowadays with pulse welders or lasers, where wire can be melted to fill the hole. I've done this myself on silver trays with holes, using my Orion welder. I realise that you may not have such a tool. So it may be worth enlisting the skills of a local jeweller with a laser to repair any such item. Never be afraid to use other people skills when you need to. Hope this answers your question to some extent. Dave
@@CelticDreamsCoUk Hi Dave, thank you so much for the reply. I’m sorry that my original post was a bit confusing! I do mean the latter (wearing away the metal until a hole is formed). Do you have any such videos of repairing these types of holes? I would love to see a video of ‘indentations’ being filled with solder, repolished and how that is done and also how to use a welder with a wire to repair a hole. I am a fairly new jeweller and as so do not know how to carry out such repairs by myself so I will take your kind advice and use a third party jeweller to repair the piece, but would love to be armed with the knowledge for any future such occurrences. Thank you!
Hello Dave, many great videos on yout channel I have to say and thank you for that. I'm novice in subject but, I'm not sure I got it clear.. Because solder wire is basically, according to some manufacturers, hard 75, medium 70, easy 65% of pure silver in wire, Isn't it that, for example soldered piece of Sterling (92,5% silver) that solder used for it should get minimum the same (or higher) percentage of silver that is in soldered piece of metal?? What Assay Office may say on that, do you know??
I'm not sure what the 70 65 etc numbers are that you refer to. Hard medium and easy refer to the temperature, easy melting first and then moving up to hard which will melt at a higher temp, so perhaps this is what you the numbers are referring to (but i've never seen that reference before). in all cases, hallmark quality solder "must" be 925 sterling silver, if not it couldn't be hallmarked (or 9ct 18ct gold etc as appropriate). The proportions of the other metals are adjusted to alter the melting point slightly. likewise with gold, easy medium and hard solder must still meet the relevant standard, or 9ct, 18ct etc. When soldered there should be no difference between a soldered piece and a solid piece, it should all test the same and be hallmarked the same. All my items use easy or hard silver solder, sterling silver and are assayed as 925 sterling silver. So always match the solder to the colour and carat of the metal being soldered. Hope this clarifies. Dave
Also.... make sure you are looking at proper high temperature jewellery solder (for use with a torch) and not electrical solder wire for use with a soldering iron. Some of these electrical solders do contain silver to help conductivity, but this is mixed with things like tin (used to be lead) . you should not use this electric solder on precious metals at all. it will completely devalue the piece and contaminate it. Despite the many stupid videos on youtube showing people repairing jewellery with a soldering iron, thinking they've found and easy technique. Thats is not proper precious metal jewellery procedure. As above, always match the solder to the carat and colour of the material being soldered. 925 sterling, or the appropriate carat of yellow, white, rose gold as appropriate. Dave
Thank you very much Dave. I've contact also Birmingham Assay Office for info about accepted solder for Sterling silver (and other precious metals). Office send me a pdf with Hallmarking Guidance Notes (for interested people - google it, easy to find). There's a lot of useful information and one of them is for egzample that solder (for silver) must contain 65% of silver. I found also somewhere else, that 65% is a "standard" in jewellery in international sale, I think, it's good to know that. Thanks again for your help, you doing great job with your videos. All the best!
Hi dave questions I am working with copper and I am interested in soldering my work eventually and I am interested in solder paste Problems are with matching the colors and we're to find products that work well On copper that match or hide well Thank you in advance
Silver and gold should always be matched to the carrat and colour and in most cases you can't see the joint when properly soldered and polished. However, Copper items are difficult. Many people use silver solder as it works well with copper, but obviously leaves a visible silver line. I did once manage to get some copper solder wire after weeks of searching (from ebay). This I found "ok", but any copper solder is an alloy and will never match perfectly with a pure copper item. But it was pretty good when polished. My solution now, is a simple one. I use a Pulse Arc welder and any copper items are simply welded. No solder, just a pure copper joint, and invisible once polished. But admittedly such things are a huge investment for most people. The More I think about that "copper solder wire" i found. I wonder if it was something like very thin welding wire for a tig welder or something like that. Perhaps have a search for welding wire and see what you can find. Copper solder paste would be a wonderful thing, I'd buy that myself. ...I'll have to have a word with my "friends in the trade". Dave
Hi, I love your videos and need some advice. I have a silver ball chain that has snapped and its very sentimental to me. So far I have removed the tiny pendants hanging from it, and have filled down 2 of the balls to try and solder them together. It's a very intricate job as the balls are approx 1.5mm in diameter and now even less as I've filed them both down. Would you recommend the syringe easy solder for this job? I'm quite anxious about it... Normally I would take it to a jewelers but thought I'd have a go as they're all closed. Thanks in advance, christine
Hmm, the problem with these ball chains (like sink plugs), is that the ball are hollow and eventually the connecting bars will wear the holes bigger and fall apart. My recommendation would be to simply get some silver ball chain connectors. They are hard to find, but you can get them in sterling silver. See link Dave www.cooksongold.com/Findings/Sterling-Silver-Clasps-For-Ball----Chain-1.5-3mm-Pack-of-10-prcode-NVF-BC3X&query=Sterling%20Silver%20Clasps%20For%20Ball%20Chain&channel=uk
Hi, I'm trying to solder some silver balls on, that I've made from scrap. I'm trying to learn to use paste when I do these balls, since some times it's on an already formed ring. A curve. I tried it for the first time, and I can't tell when it's actually soldered. Because what was left, between the ball and back plate, was some sort of left over binder I suppose. It didn't go into all silver, like yours. It rinsed off, in the pickle, and looks like it did actually soldered on. Do some brands leave an ashy residue, and some not?? Help
I use cooksons own and also Hildebrand, who I believe are the main manufacturers of it. Yes, the solder paste does contain a kind of binder, it also has flux and cleaners with it. I suspect that you are applying too much heat and incinerating the solder paste. Although you don't usually need any additional flux with the paste, You still need to ensure that the joint is clean and free from grease (such as fingerprints). Any dirt or grease will mean that the solder will not run properly. You can if you want apply some additional flux or borax as well as the paste. But the joint still needs to be clean in the first place. Nice clean joint, heat the silver (not the paste), and use a "soft" blue flame. All normal soldering practice, theres nothing different. Hope this helps. Dave.
Not sure what you mean by "rules". The normal soldering rules allays apply, clean, will fitting and well fluxed. If using 12ct yellow gold then you'd use the same solder 12ct yellow, either strip, wire or paste. Gold tends to heat up faster than silver does, so a little more care with the heat is needed. But apart from that its just the same. Just match the colour and carat of the solder to the metal you are using. Hope this helps. Dave
I presume you mean silver? attaching flat wire to tubing sounds like you are making hoop earrings. for something small and delicate like that, you may prefer solder paste, use "easy". you can apply a small amount of paste just where its needed, in order to reduce cleanup later. Don't use big solder pillions, to avoid excessive heat on the delicate items. hope this helps. Dave.
Trish Seal Thanks, glad you enjoyed it. I hope you found it useful. The huge range of solders can be quite overwhelming sometimes. So I wanted to add a little clarity. Apart from the tool reviews, I hope to make a lot more of these "how to" videos. Dave.
Yes, very much enjoyed it. and very useful; I was having a "solder block" it seems I was unable to get a single thing to solder properly and flow. Finally I overcame my fear of the bigger torch and after watching your video managed to figure it out. Yay! No stopping me now!
Trish Seal I was the same when I first started making jewellery. Soldering is a scary thing at first. But once you get over the fear, you realise there’s nothing to it. The only real secret is preparation. If the solder doesn't run, it's usually because the metal is dirty, or not fluxed. Clean, well-fitting joints, plenty of flux and its simple. Another tip, is get a good solder pick the one I use in the video is a very tough, tungsten one, only a few pounds more but well worth it. You can move the solder around if it’s not behaving. Thanks for your comments. Dave.
Hi Dave. Thank you for that info. I'm a beginner, making sea glass pendants wrapped with sterling silver wire. 20ga (0.8mm) half hard. I would like the wrap to be more secure and was looking for the best soldering technique to use. I would really value your opinion. Thank you.
HI Shelly, Firstly there's no need for an expensive setup like mine, with gas bottles, hoses and regulators. Many of my early pieces where made with nothing more than a simple butane pencil torch. There are lots of cheap butane "Chef's" torches around. Get a refillable one that uses standard lighter bottles (some use specially sized refills which can work out pricey). any of these are perfect for small soldering jobs. Combine with easy solder paste and you've got a very simple solution. You only need an oxy propane set up when you're working full time or you need to solder and cast larger items. For your needs, a butane torch is perfect. Check the link below as a starting point. Dave. www.cooksongold.com/Jewellery-Tools/Hand-Torch-Please-Note-Jewellers--Torch-Is-Supplied-Without-Gas-prcode-999-955
Thank you! I tried my trusty old baby blow torch with tiny pieces of easy solder this afternoon but I ended up with burned and discoloured silver wire and cracked glass. I may have to invest in a soldering iron with a very slender tip. I'm very grateful for your helpful reply.
Remember that a soldering iron, isn't like jewellery soldering. Electrical soldering with an iron, is rather like hot glue. The solder used is tin or led based and should NOT be used on precious metals. Jewellery soldering with a torch uses silver or gold solder, which actually contains hallmark quality silver & gold, designed to melt at a slightly lower temperature then the metal. hence why you need a torch. Jewellery "soldering" is realy more a form of braising or welding as you are using the same metal. gold - gold, silver-silver. Don't use electrical solder (even the stuff with silver in it) on any precious metals as it will contaminate and devalue it. Only ever use jewellers solder (strip, wire or paste) of the correct metal, colour and carat. If you're struggling, remember that the silver needs to be clean, close fitting and well fluxed. Did you use flux?
Yes, I used flux with strip solder. 925 sterling silver. Maybe I will have to figure outa wrap design that starts and ends with the bale so I don't have to solder near the glass, only where the wire meets itself at the top where I'm going to put the loop and jump ring? (Can you tell I haven't got a Scooby doo what I'm doing?)
That's they way we learn. It could be that the glass is sucking the heat from the wire. Try and see if you can solder some wire on its own (without the glass). That will tell you what the problem is. Dave.
Gold solder tends to melt at a lower temp to the equivalent silver solders. for example easy silver solder is 705-723°C, whereas easy gold solder is 650 to 720°C. So that's something to consider. I always start with hard solder if I can (highest temperature), that way future additions or repairs can be done with medium, easy, or extra easy. As to whether to use silver or gold solder on a mixed metal piece, that really depends on how the piece is being assembled and where the solder will be seen. You need to consider where the solder will run and where it might be seen. Let’s say for example you where sweat soldering a small flat piece of gold onto a larger flat piece of silver. You wouldn’t want the silver solder to run up onto the gold but vice versa you wouldn’t want gold solder running onto the silver. The most important thing is to be precise and careful. So if you have gold and silver being butted together, it usually doesn’t matter what solder you use at the junction. The main advice I would give is to be very precise and use the absolute minimum. You can also use Tippex correction fluid or a solution of water and rouge power. This will act as a stopper to prevent solder from running where you don't want it. Hope this helps. Feel free to email me at ww.Celticdreams.co.uk Kind regards Dave
Celtic Dreams Thank you so much, Dave! I am taking my first steps in jewellery design for myself for now. What tool would you suggest to buy for polishing for home use? Something small, portable yet with powerful motor.
Lada Slada That's simple. A Dremel. small, portable and powerful. check out B &Q www.diy.com/departments/dremel-multi-tool-accessory-set/203773_BQ.prd?gclid=Cj0KEQiA1qajBRC_6MO49cqDxbYBEiQAiCl5_Hfoqe0JcvOZ6fDPusRCMIp-hsOogief60knmUnrIlwaAoDP8P8HAQ&ecamp=SEAPLA203773_BQ&ef_id=VGm@dAAAAHhuBhTz:20141117092300:s
You temper STEEL to soften it after hardening. You don't usually harden and temper silver or gold. So it's an odd question. You can harden, silver and gold by work hardening it, with pressure. hammering with a nylon mallet, tumbling, or hammering and forging it cold. To soften silver or gold (annealing) you heat it to a cherry red colour, hold for a few seconds and quench in water, or air cool. If you can rephrase your question, perhaps I can answer it more accurately. Dave.
Hi friend, thank you very much for your attention, yes, my goal is to harden the gold and silver, because when the pieces are very thin light, these are very malodorous, I had a little information that can be hardened.
Silver and gold harden by "Work hardening". the simplest way to do this is to use a tumbler (barrelling machine) overnight. The tumbling action hardens the metals. Ideally a tumbler that has internal vanes, which lift and drop the shot onto your silver. When I make earring hooks i put them on a steel bench block and lightly tap them a few times with a nylon hammer. this is enough to make them springy. Hope this helps. Dave.
Unfortunately, I don't know where you are or even what country, so its impossible for me to direct you specifically,. But check out your local jewellery suppliers in your own country and search for "soldering block". Hope this helps. Dave
No. Not if you use the correct solder. If working with precious metals such as gold, you must allays match the solder to the carat and colour of the gold. Likewise with sterling silver, you must use assay quality silver solders. Using inferior solders, or other substances will indeed contaminate the piece and render it worthless. Dave
Celtic Dreams sorry the one you are wearing around your neck it looks really nice. Can you tell me what size of wire and mandrel did you use to make it.
An honest question... in short yes. Flux is anything that you use to prevent the metal from oxidising and to help the solder flow. Borax is the most common and traditional substance used, as shown in the video. Some people mix up their own with boric acid and alcohol. or you can buy pre made fluxes such as Auflux, or tenacity. which you just apply straight from the bottle with a brush. The solder paste has flux built in so can be used directly onto clean metal. but for solder pallions, or wire , you need some kind of flux. Borax is cheap and reliable. Hope this helps clarify. Dave
No, never the same solder. But the technique is identical. Silver uses silver solder, for gold you must match the carat ( 9ct 18ct 22ct etc) and also the colour (yellow, white or rose), you can these choose the temp (easy, medium or hard). Technically you can use silver solder on gold and vice versa, it will work. But you'd only ever have this situation where a piece is made of silver and gold joined together. Normally you must match the solder to the metal. Not getting it right will result in a visible join and contaminating the metal, such that it cannot be hallmarked. Dave.
HI Dave, What the user TheCsel meant by his question is a direct question to the title of this movie "How to solder Silver & GOLD with...". His question is very logical. I would assume the same from the title that you are, also, automatically, covering gold. Think about it. Cheers. Anyway your videos rocks and I LOVE your accent!!!
I do see what you mean, but at 36,000 views so far I've only ever had this one single question. So I think most people understand that you use gold or silver solder accordingly. The intention of the video was more to explain the difference between paste, strip and wire, which a lot of people where confused about. Incidentally, I remonstrate soldering gold (exactly the same) in my masonic ring video... Dave ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-5QKwbEQkocM.html
It can probably be re soldered with regular silver solder. The problem is, it would need re plating afterwards. Depending on the size most jewellers might struggle to dunk it a plating bath. So you may need to Sen dit off to be re plated. Hope this helps. Dave.
Celtic Dreams Thanks. Was hoping plate would be durable enough if I went gently on the heat. A friend told me similar, but hoping you'd tell me different. 😊. Thanks so much.
If you can solder, there is no reason why you cant fix it yourself, Sand the area, flux and solder. finish and polish. then send it off to be re plated. Much cheaper than paying someone to do the whole job. Dave.
Am definitely gonna give it a try when I get my tanks refilled. I also wanna pic u a smaller tip. Am hoping that if I pinpoint it it will not be an overly large burn.
+huskyfluffy ...Well Pallions and wire are basically the same thing just different shapes. I agree that you can snip bits of solder wire much easier than trying to fringe solder sheets and cut little pallions. This is what I usually do with gold, I just snip off a little piece of solder wire, ball it up and place it with my solder pick. That way there is no excess, or clean-up. Pallions are better for larger jobs as you can cut larger pieces, e.g. bangles ring and cabochon mounts. Sheet (pallion) solder is also the cheapest and there are more grades available. Especially important when working with gold of different colours and carats, you cant always get wire or paste to match. The solder paste is good, but expensive. Also as mentioned above it can dry up in the nozzle or fall off. So nothing is perfect, its always about choosing the right tool for the job. And that only really comes with experience and your own skill level. In the coin ring I made, the entire thing was made from hard pallion solder (which all melts at the same temperature). Only possible if you have a fine torch and have precise control over the heat. Lastly, althouh the pastes are easy to use. I feel everyone should learn to use Pallions, with borax flux. You will learn how to controll the solder and the heat and all the correct ways to prepare the joint. Once mastered - you can make anything. ; )
Sorry, it would seem someone else thought of it too. Its a simple concept, I don't know why it's taken so long. Great stuff, I seldom use anything else now. Thanks for watching. Dave