Solder joins reflowing

[Sheen]

I'm having a wee problem with my perfect solder joins losing solder as I solder other joins. It's happened with the join between bezel and backplate, and in this example the two halves of my stepbezel (on the right hand side). The join was invisible now it's formed a little dip since soldering other parts. It's like the solders been pulled out slightly.


At the moment my soldering is a bit hit and miss, I'm not panicking about it as I think it's part of the process of learning. When you first start you're very careful to do everything you've been taught then you get sloppy as time goes on.

[Dennis]

Yes, well now you know the hazard, its best to choose lower melting point solder for the ultimate soldering.
Also don't clean up until all heating is done, because a cleaned up solder joint reheated will form a meniscus, a groove that shows. Dennis

[Sheen]

Yes, well now you know the hazard, its best to choose lower melting point solder for the ultimate soldering.
Also don't clean up until all heating is done, because a cleaned up solder joint reheated will form a meniscus, a groove that shows. Dennis

Thanks Dennis, I shall be trying to factor this in to how i work from now on. I like to solder lots of bits onto my rings but the downside is lots of reheating.

[art925]

If you have any powder rouge Sheen, mix it to a paste with water and paint it on the previous joints, the fat will prevent the solder from re-flowing.

[alastairduncan]

With a piece like this perhaps you could design it so that the joint is positioned hidden under one of the claws.

[Sheen]

Thanks Poor old Les and Alastair. I don't have rouge but I do have some yellow ochre which I really should get out of storage and try. Because this bezel was made in two L shapes I couldn't have put the joins under the claws but it's a great idea for my future round and oval bezels! Definitly one I'll do.

[CJ57]

Thanks Poor old Les and Alastair. I don't have rouge but I do have some yellow ochre which I really should get out of storage and try. Because this bezel was made in two L shapes I couldn't have put the joins under the claws but it's a great idea for my future round and oval bezels! Definitly one I'll do.

Could you not have made the bezel in one by scoring and if necessary needle filing the corners and folding to have only one joint wherever you needed it? What does yellow ochre do, I usually just take a course brush to my rouge block and that usually works too

[china]

Yellow ochre is used the same as rouge to make a solder resist, I have only ever used rouge but many people use the ochre, I think the rouge is more old school.

[CJ57]

Yellow ochre is used the same as rouge to make a solder resist, I have only ever used rouge but many people use the ochre, I think the rouge is more old school.

Thanks Bob I’d never heard that except for painting but then I’m old

[Sheen]

Could you not have made the bezel in one by scoring and if necessary needle filing the corners and folding to have only one joint wherever you needed it? What does yellow ochre do, I usually just take a course brush to my rouge block and that usually works too

I probably learnt about yellow ochre from my American jewellery books. It's basically dirt so stops your solder flowing. I did my rectangle bezel according to John Cogswell who says that to score one piece of metal for a rectangle bezel is a big mistake. But I did realise after doing this one that that only really applies to thick walled bezels. The thinner ones I reckon can just be bent round.
It's a glorious day today, was so nice to get out for a short walk. I have some waxes to finish up then hopefully I'll be spending more time outdoors