Melted reverse action tweezers

[Vanessa]

Yes it's me again with one of those bizarre questions...

Not sure how to explain this but I had a complicated soldering job (complicated for me - soldering one piece at a funny angle onto a flat surface) and so I held the angled part to be joined with the tweezers until the solder flowed and all was great. Until, that is, I realized I had soldered the dam thing to the tweezers.

So after a slight panic and several minutes of wondering how on earth I had managed it and trying to come up with a way of separating the items without causing injury to me or the piece, I somehow managed to prize the piece off relatively unscathed.

But I have now pickled and filed and polished and gone back and scrubbed and pickled and polished and so on but deep within the nooks and cranies of the piece is what looks like a horrible brown peppering of brown stuff (I can't photograph it I can't get in close enough). I've been at it with various grits on the dremel but I can't remove it. I am going to liver of sulfur that particular spot anyway but am frustrated I can't remove it.

So, any ideas on how i remove the remnants of the melted tweezer? And how to prevent it again in the future (first time have ever soldered anything to the tweezers**).

Any tips, tricks and advice welcomed!

Thanks again.

** correction I once picked up the wrong tweezers off the bench and melted my plastic pickle tongs when I picked up a freshly soldered earring - that was quite messy to clean up! Melted plastic is very stringy and stubborn to remove.

(Oh dear....I can already see my tutors at the jewellery school clutching and shaking their heads as they realise just how clumsy I am... ha ha 6 weeks before I descend upon them!)



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[Goldsmith]

Vanessa, have you heard about using titanium soldering clamps, there has been information on this forum in the past, see; http://www.cooksongold.com/forum/sho...ldering+clamps

These titanium strips for making your own clamps are supplied by the KnewConcepts saws company and are available from Tamizan Savill here in the UK, see; http://tamizan.co.uk/knew-concept-saws/

Using these soldering clamps is great for holding pieces together while soldering and titanium will not solder to the job.
This is a useful T shaped clamp to make first, it's great for holding items like earwires and jump rings in place while soldering. You can make these clamps from stainless steel also but titanium is much better.




James

[Vanessa]

Oh fantastic I have heard of them(and funnily enough asked my dad whether he'd heard of them only a day or so ago) I've never seen or used them and didn't really have any understanding of what they are used for so thanks for the photos and link. Excellent!

Thanks again for the advice James.

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[Goldsmith]

Here are some variations of the titanium soldering clamps that I have made to suit different clamping for soldering jobs.




James

[Patstone]

I use the clamps that James suggested but in steel, the only problem I have is opening them up, need both hands - weakling!!!!!

[Dennis]

Of course if you like tweezers, there are also titanium tweezers, much superior to brass and steel, but dearer.

[ps_bond]

And tungsten-tipped ones, which are suitable for platinum soldering & welding.