Solder - newbie question!

[Crackle33]

Hi all!
I am just starting out in learning to make silver jewellery and have a quick (possibly silly) question about solder.

I have some hard silver solder which is looking a little oxidised. Is there anything I can do to bring this back, or is it a case of once its oxidised its no good to use anymore?

Thanks!!

[ps_bond]

Just scrub it with some emery paper, scotchbrite or similar.

[Crackle33]

Thank you!! :ta:

[Dennis]

In fact most of us do that each time we use solder strip. The same with any parts that are to be soldered.
A good little thing to have is a retractable glass brush. It is used dry and will brighten anything that might not be clean enough.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Fibre-Glass-Scratch-Pencil-Brush-Clean-Remove-Rust-Dirt-Pen-Watch-Tools-Fiber/281178279715?_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIM.M BE%26ao%3D2%26asc%3D20160323102634%26meid%3D8bcc93 d0b3d94204928a5479234050a6%26pid%3D100623%26rk%3D2 %26rkt%3D4%26mehot%3Dpp%26sd%3D253053134948&_trksid=p2047675.c100623.m-1 Dennis.

[Goldsmith]

I use a scraper to clean solder strip, I scrape the end clean everytime I cut fresh solder pieces, this photo shows some hard solder with the end scraped and pallions cut ready for use.

10425

James

[ps_bond]

Do you thin your solder before cutting, James?

[Goldsmith]

I have thinned down strips in the past, but I prefer piercing down the strip to make narrower pallions that I can pick up easy with tweezers, as I get older my hands and fingers are not so steady as they used to be, Peter.

10426

James

[Wallace]

just going to add my way, hope you don't mind? Seems a great way to add to the convo. At the moment, for silver solder, I roll mine down. It is a thick strip. I use tin snips to cut up the wide strip - seems to work as well as a blade (of which, I love using, but not on the solder). Probably, because I do cut a lot in one go (to last usually a week) and store them in a small condiments jar I acquired from a b&b some years ago.

Gold comes as a very thin strip already, or sometimes I get the wire then roll it flat, and again I use snips for both.

[CJ57]

It would appear to be variations on a theme. I've never rolled mine but have always cut along especially hard solder strips to make them narrower with the snips to then cut off pallions. None of that woosy rolling down nonsense in my dept, Big D wouldn't have had any of that. It's a wonder I don't have the fag in the corner of my mouth as well :)

[Wallace]

It would appear to be variations on a theme. I've never rolled mine but have always cut along especially hard solder strips to make them narrower with the snips to then cut off pallions. None of that woosy rolling down nonsense in my dept, Big D wouldn't have had any of that. It's a wonder I don't have the fag in the corner of my mouth as well :)
totally, but always good to have a few options. Moving forward to utilise what you have and adapt for use can't always be a bad thing, otherwise we wouldn't modify our tools. ;)

[Crackle33]

I use a scraper to clean solder strip, I scrape the end clean everytime I cut fresh solder pieces, this photo shows some hard solder with the end scraped and pallions cut ready for use.

10425

James

WOW this looks amazing! Thanks for sharing :)

[Crackle33]

Amazing, thanks Dennis! didn't even know the Fibre glass brush was even a thing, thanks for sharing

[CJ57]

Amazing, thanks Dennis! didn't even know the Fibre glass brush was even a thing, thanks for sharing

Be very careful not to get it on your fingers as it's fibreglass. I have one but I hate the thing and rarely use it

[ShinyLauren]

I used to thin my solder strip at college but now I don't have access to a rolling mill, I do as James does and pierce lines down the strip with a fine sawblade, then cut varying sizes of little chunks with my wire cutters. I only do a couple of centimetres at a time, and scrub with 220 emery paper before piercing.

[Peter_AUS]

I have just ordered a pair to use. Solder cutting pliers they look good as demonstrated. The other thing to get is a segregated box of some sort like a pill box. Cut up you solder as you like and put those in each comparment and labled what they are on the lid. Easy, Medium and hard. Use a solder pick to pick up individual ones placed on you soldering area on to where you want it soldered. A little flux helps picking up small segments.pickup this info watching videos on soldering.

Hope that helps.

[LydiaNiz]

I keep my pallions in little aluminium tins (these: http://www.cooksongold.com/Storage/Storage-Set-24-Aluminium----------Containers-In-An-Aluminium-Box-prcode-999-098W&query=box&channel=uk )
They get grubby with flux from me picking them up with a fine brush, but wash up nicely.
Sometimes I roll before cutting, sometimes I don't - it depends on how teeny a pallion I need.

[Kathryn Harrison]

I keep my pallions in those clear screw cap cosmetic travel pots you get in boots and the like.

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