PDA

View Full Version : What solder do I use???



t1ggerk1ns
28-04-2012, 08:10 PM
I am making a bracelet with beads and silver, and have just realised in a real 'doh' moment that having put the beads on .5mm wire, and used 1mm connecting rings, I am going to have to solder the rings closed.
Problem is, I can't use any form of pickle or it will ruin the beads.
I know there is a solder I can use that does not need pickling, but can't remember which one.

sheepy
28-04-2012, 09:12 PM
The only type of soldering that wouldn't need a pickle to remove oxide would be lead soldering & that wouldn't be ideal.
Is there any way you could use a cold connection?

t1ggerk1ns
28-04-2012, 09:30 PM
Nothing I can think of.
It was one of those things where I got carried away with what looked good, and then realised that the design left me with a potential weakness on the joints.

Kwant
28-04-2012, 09:38 PM
Fine silver can be fused without the need for solder, might that do the trick?

t1ggerk1ns
28-04-2012, 10:09 PM
Not sure, wouldn't it possibly be a bit too soft?

Dennis
28-04-2012, 10:54 PM
What are the beads made of then? 0.5mm wire would quickly open under tension, so how is it being used? A picture of what you have in mind would certainly help. You could also do an experiment to see whether a single bead would be damaged in pickle. For instance alum as a pickle might be more benign and you probably know already not to quench beads before they are cold.

When you say there is a solder that does not need pickling, I think you may be referring to flux. For instance borax forms a glass which requires pickle to remove it, whereas Auflux comes off in water. All hallmarking quality solders require pickling of the piece after soldering to restore the original colour. Dennis.

Julian
29-04-2012, 06:03 AM
I recall the some people claim not to use Pickering wit argentinium silver, but I gues it's to late or that. You woul still need flux I would think.

Julian

mizgeorge
29-04-2012, 10:30 AM
without seeing a picture or knowing what the beads are made of, could you adjust the design to either use smaller jump rings (a jump ring made of 1mm wire with an inner diameter of less than 4mm should be more than strong enough without soldering), or preclose and solder the rings before adding the other components?

Wallace
29-04-2012, 02:14 PM
I am making a bracelet with beads and silver, and have just realised in a real 'doh' moment that having put the beads on .5mm wire, and used 1mm connecting rings, I am going to have to solder the rings closed.
Problem is, I can't use any form of pickle or it will ruin the beads.
I know there is a solder I can use that does not need pickling, but can't remember which one.
I may be going off at a tangent here (nothing new!) But, can you not add an additional bead that will behave like a stopper on the connecting rings? That way no soldering would be needed.

also, I have soldered a link before and although not ideal, have sanded and buffed it back rather than pickle. But there are different types of pickle you could use. White vinegar/salt will work as will lemon/salt - just so very slowly you may have wished you had sanded and buffed it back. Be mindful both salt and acids will erode into metals... especially copper.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6G3lDtA-YPs some hints and tips on using it.

t1ggerk1ns
29-04-2012, 07:05 PM
So, after talking to a customer of mine, the bracelet morphed into a necklace. The beads are black lava and carnelian.

http://i1216.photobucket.com/albums/dd362/t1ggerk1ns/081.jpg
http://i1216.photobucket.com/albums/dd362/t1ggerk1ns/082.jpg

Wallace
29-04-2012, 07:43 PM
That is a very nice mix. I am not sure that soldering it would work. It looks like you would be too close to the beads and you would ruin them, unless you have a Puck welder.

Perhaps you could make them more secure by wire wrapping them, there would be no worries about the links catching and catching and breaking.

t1ggerk1ns
01-05-2012, 06:28 PM
Thanks for the suggestions. I have tried the piece for a few days now, and it seems I may have been a little paranoid. The links don't catch. and the jump rings are closed enough that the .5mm wire the beads are on show no signs of pulling through the joints.
The technique I had in mind was fusing, and my order of fine silver wire arrived today.

Kwant
01-05-2012, 06:36 PM
I would be a little worried that the simple loop on the 0.5mm wire will open at the slightest catch. When I have used 0.5mm wire for similar things I have made the loop into a tight spiral of quite a few loops just in case, so if it is pulled chances are it will not open enough for the piece to come apart.

mizgeorge
01-05-2012, 07:25 PM
I'd definitely agree about wrapping the loops on the 0.5mm wire - they will pull open just too easily otherwise.

My other comment would be to ask about your jump rings. Are they saw cut? Only because from the picture, it does look like there are slight gaps at each closure, which might just be to do with needing a little bit more tension as they're closed, but may also be because the ends don't look completely flush.

It's a nice colour combination, and I like the varying textures.

t1ggerk1ns
01-05-2012, 08:50 PM
I was a little worried about the .5 being too fragile, but I have given it a few good tugs, and it doesn't seem to show any signs of pulling apart. I have bought some .7 for my next one, though.
As to the jump rings, yes, they are saw cut.
They are my first attempt at making my own as up to now I have always bought them.
What did I do wrong?

mizgeorge
01-05-2012, 09:05 PM
Even 0.7mm is pretty thin for a simple turned loop, I'd still be wrapping it to be sure. You only need 2 turns (which stops the units from looking too leggy), but it does make a difference, and will make the loops look rounder as well. You might find it helps to either make a sharpie mark on your round nosed pliers or get a notched pair of half round to ensure that every loop is exactly the same size.

For the jump rings, was your coil nice and tight before you started cutting? It just looks as though the edges aren't quite parallel, which means that they'll never join perfectly. It's not the easiest thing to do, but once you get the hang of it it's well worth the effort. I generally cut 'in the hand' rather than on a bench pin - ie holding the coil between the finger and thumb of my non-dominant hand, but not everyone finds this easy. It definitely helps to make a single flush cut with good cutters at the beginning of the coil to give yourself a guide point for your saw as you start cutting. A fine blade makes a big difference too - I generally cut mine with nothing thicker than a 5/0, and for finer gauges, an 8/0.

Tabby66
01-05-2012, 09:10 PM
I find that cutting from the inside of the coil helps too, seems to give better support to the coil.

t1ggerk1ns
01-05-2012, 09:32 PM
Phew, so much to learn!!!
I did cut them with the coil 'hand held', but I struggled to hold it still. Will try from the inside out next time.
I have another one to make tomorrow, so will see if I can improve :).