Strength difference between easy/medium/hard 18ct solder??

[Tom]

Hi all, is there a strength difference between easy/medium/hard 18ct gold solder (or any other metal/carat)
I.e easy solder melts at a lower temp so does this make the join weaker than if you where to use medium?
Thanks all

[Goldsmith]

May I ask why you need to know about strength of a solder joint. Weakness in a solder joint is usually a sign that it has not been soldered correctly and the solder has not flowed fully across the solder joint's surfaces, it is not weak because of the grade of solder used.

James

[caroleallen]

I don't think it makes any difference Tom.

[Tom]

I'm soldering an 18ct jump ring to a 18ct ingot.... Because I'm new to this I would prefer to use the "easy" grade solder but on the other hand i also want the strongest joint... I presumed that the harder the solder the stronger it is..... But if it makes no difference then great.
Thanks for replys

[Tom]

So am I correct in thinking the solder grades are purely for multiple solder joints to one piece working your way down the solder grades so you do not melt the previous joints?

[Goldsmith]

Tom, yes different grades of solders help in multiple solder joints but another reason for using higher melting point 18ct. solders is their colour, the easier the gold solder the paler it's colour, so when using easy gold solder on a ring shank the join will show up as a line when the polishing wears off. This is because of the alloys of the grades, there is less pure gold in 18ct easy solder than 18ct hard solder, one reason why 18ct hard solder is dearer than 18ct easy.

James

[Tom]

Great thanks ��

[Tom]

Is there a big difference between soldering with silver and 18ct gold??? Recently done a lot of silver joints but this will be a first for gold... Sorry about all the beginner questions.... :)

[ps_bond]

I did go through Grimwade to see if there was anything on solder joint strength; obviously there will be different joint strengths for different solder alloys - but for all practicable purposes there is none. As James says, a solder joint that fails isn't down to the strength of the solder...

[Dennis]

Is there a big difference between soldering with silver and 18ct gold??? Recently done a lot of silver joints but this will be a first for gold... Sorry about all the beginner questions.... :)

You have had all your answers Tom, but just to sum up:

Soldering: Gold does not conduct heat away as much as silver, so in many ways it is easier to solder. That said, the soldering temperature is slightly higher. To begin with, treat it as silver and you will be pleasantly surprised. If you are going to use gold more in the future, you might invest in a charcoal block, but for a one off it is hardly essential.

Strength: The strength of joints for jewellery if the solder has flowed well, is ample for any grade of solder. The exception is if afterwards you have to do a lot of hammering, bending, or stretching. I have no evidence to support this, but then I would choose hard solder. Dennis.

[Tom]

Great thanks all.... :rofl:

[Tabby66]

Is there a big difference between soldering with silver and 18ct gold??? Recently done a lot of silver joints but this will be a first for gold... Sorry about all the beginner questions.... :)

The biggest difference Tom, is that you can solder and resolder/adjust silver joints multiple times, but gold, particularly 18ct is less forgiving, it doesn't like being adjusted....you may get away with it once or twice and it has a tendency to sink/burn into the sheet metal.