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Thread: Tiny air bubbles in solder seams?

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Sep 2014
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    Default Tiny air bubbles in solder seams?

    I occasionally get tiny air bubbles in my solder seams and just wondered if anybody knew the cause?
    Thanks in advance

  2. #2
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    Dec 2014
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    Too much heat solder boils, impurities in solder or flux, probably lots of other causes I am not aware of.

  3. #3
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    Quote Originally Posted by china View Post
    Too much heat solder boils, impurities in solder or flux, probably lots of other causes I am not aware of.
    That might be so, but you are an experienced jeweller. You know your torch and I'll bet your seams fit.

    I would suspect that the seam is opening slightly due to heat or movement, so that the solder does not quite fill the space.

    Remedies might be James' clamps, binding wire, or pins stuck into a vermiculite board, to keep the parts in close contact when the solder flows.

    Dennis.

  4. #4
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    Sep 2014
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    Thanks China and Dennis, I will investigate from all angles.
    I normally work with quite thick bands Dennis so don't clamp them as they seem to stay together but it is possible there could be a really slight movement as the metal heats, enough to let tiny air bubbles in- mostly they are so tiny you can't see them until Im almost at the final stage of polishing so its quite annoying when it happens.

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