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With so many projects and often so little time, keeping my workshop tidy is always a challenge. When designing, my aim is always to have a clear working space, with everything close at hand. Both tools and materials should ideally be kept within arms reach. However, I don’t always follow my own sound advice, and realistically, most of my basic jewellers tools - pliers, files, cutters, torch, etc – are always left out on the bench. When all these tools are combined with all those exciting bits (that I leave out ‘just in case’ or for inspiration), such as findings, coloured beads, bits of wire, sheet and solder, that’s when I get into real problems!
So, with the saying ‘Tidy desk tidy mind’ firmly in my thoughts, and spurred on by the launch of our new storage range, I decided to spring clean my workshop! I started by organising my tools, using a pliers stand for hand tools – ensuring that blades/jaws are kept away from each other (this also lengthens the life of tools). I moved all my reels of wire onto a workstation that allows me to dispense them easily, plus creating a dedicated area for soldering; with my soldering torch, block, Borax cone & dish all in one area.
Then onto the BIG task: organising my jewellery findings, settings, and stock of sheet & wire. The bullion element was relatively easy, just ensuring that my 9ct sheet is kept separate from 18ct sheet, easily achievable with some simple drawers. However, organising components was unfortunately a much bigger job! I am forever being frustrated by having mixed sizes, colours, types of findings – or the worst case scenario – mixing up silver findings with carat gold findings! I used a variety of simple containers, and plastic bags to organise my components. These simple, and thankfully cheap containers are all clear – so I could easily see the pieces, had tight fitting or locking lids – so no danger of losing any, and many of them conveniently stack together to save space.
Click here for NEW Containers
Click here for beads
Beads are commonly made from Sterling silver which is a silver alloy made up of 7.5% copper, 92.5% silver. Pure silver is designated as 99.9% pure, but this purity tends to make the metal very soft. In jewellery applications, this can mean that delicate work is easily damaged or broken through the slightest of knocks. Adding another base metal to the silver gives it greater durability and strength. Sterling silver has this additional alloy and is only 92.5% silver.
Silver beads are used in almost every type of jewellery, from simple necklaces to modern body jewellery. A silver necklace carries with it an air of sophistication and elegance, particularly if the silver beads are offset with other precious or semi-precious stones or pearls.
Necklaces are not the only use of silver beads in jewellery. Because of the huge range of designs available, they can be used in earrings, bracelets and cufflinks to match a simple but stylish necklace. Silver beads can also be incorporated into all kinds of applications, such as embroidering onto clothing or bags, eveningwear or shoes. Designers across the world continue to be captivated by the myriad of uses that silver beads have in fashion and couture, with the top design houses often including beading in their collections.
Semi-precious stones
Silver has the advantage of being the ‘black’ of jewellery in fashion terms – it goes with practically anything. A delicate, silver bead necklace can casually compliment a simple outfit of jeans and tee shirt. That same necklace can be worn with a cocktail dress with equal flair and finesse. A handful of silver beads, a well-thought out design and a little bit of patience can produce something that is unique and timeless. The best way to begin to incorporate silver beads into your jewellery making is to buy a small selection and let your imagination loose. The results will be uniquely yours and always a favourite part of your jewellery collection, no matter what the occasion
Satisfactory soldered joints in precious metal articles must be strong yet unobtrusive. The basic principles of soldering practice must be applied to ensure strong consistent joints along with the following points:
(i) The design must lend itself to soldering.
(ii) The parts to be soldered must fit closely and accurately.
(iii) The correct solder and flux must be used.
Soldering
Gas and compressed air mixtures are generally the most satisfactory for torch soldering. Fine adjustment of flame size and temperature are possible.The flame should be kept constantly on the move over the whole joint area or over as wide an area as can be conveniently joined in a single application of solder.
Joint Preparation
The joint areas must be free form dirt and grease and ideally cleaned with a file or emery paper to ensure the solder will wet the parent metal. Flux should be applied to the joint area and solder prior to heating. Fluxes promote wetting of the workpiece by the molten solder. They do this by removing any oxide films present on both the parent metal and solder and prevent further formation of oxides during heating.The flux must be completely fluid and active before solder liquidation and should remain so until after the solder solidification. If the size of the joint or the duration of heating is large further flux additions may be made during the process. It must be noted that warming of the workpiece may be required to ensure full retention of the flux paste over the whole joint area. The torch should initially be held some distance from the workpiece so that the flame heats the work generally. If components of different size are being joined the torch should predominantly heat the heavier item.
Techniques
There are two general techniques used to apply solid solder:
(i) Preplacement; small pieces of solder are placed at the joint seam prior to heating. Heat is then applied until the solder flows into the joint.
(ii) Feeding; the fluxed joint is heated to temperature and tip of the solder wire is fed into the joint and should melt on contact.
Using both these techniques the part of the joint to which the molten solder is required should be heated more strongly than the remainder ensuring the solder will flow towards the hottest section. Continued flame impingement on the molten solder may result in the vaporisation of lower melting point constituents, higher temperatures may then be required to complete the joint. The time and temperature to complete a joint must be kept to a minimum.
Gold and silver flux residues may normally be removed by soaking in hot water. Any further residues that persist may then be removed by brushing. In difficult cases the workpiece should be immersed in 5 – 10% sulphuric acid solution for 2 – 5 minutes, rinsed in hot water and brushed again. For large scale soldering a small furnace may be used to provide sufficient uniform heat to the workpiece. For mass production batch or conveyer type furnaces may be used. However, the quantities of components to be soldered must be large enough to justify the relatively high capital expenditure and development of a method for each particular soldering operation.
All workpieces can be successfully finished by the standard practices and processes currently available. It must be noted that powdered borax does not always meet the requirements for all applications where the extensive range of solders now available may be used.
Which Solder to use – Gold, Silver and (particularly) Platinum
Solders are typically classified according to their melting points – “easy”, “medium” and “hard” therefore refers to the ease of melting the solder. Hence an “easy” solder melts before a “hard” one and this can be used where a sequence of joints are to be made. Usually a solder must conform to the same hallmarking rules as the metal being joined – for example, a 9ct solder must contain at least 371⁄2% gold. However, there are some concessions, which are: – Platinum solders must contain at least 95% precious metals by weight, chosen from silver, gold, platinum, palladium, iridium and osmium. There is no minimum platinum content specified. – Solders for white golds may be Hallmarked on concession down to 50% gold content. – 22ct solder must contain at least 80% gold.
