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Thread: help! with filigree gold and silver soldering

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Sep 2015
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    36

    Default help! with filigree gold and silver soldering

    hi everyone! hope everyones well in these covid times.

    I have a problem trying to make earrings that combine both silver and gold.
    I have been doing filigree for the past two years now and wanted to combine a 22karat gold wire with 999 fine silver. took me a long time to get things the way i wanted and was told by my teacher that filigree only works with 22 k gold. i bought 21 k soder, melted it and then filed it to get a powder which is how i was taught to do with silver.

    when i finally came to solder the pieces the solder didnt run at all! at first i thought it did but it was the borax holding it together. I heated the piece quite a lot and many times adding more soder but nothing happened and the wires just got free easily.

    I would really appreciate any advice! my teacher has never tried this before (and also doesnt speak english so its hard to comunicate). anyone know what i did worng or if you have done it yourselves, really any info is welcome!

    for some reason it wont let me upload the image to show you what design im trying to make but it is a round zig zag filigree design if anyone knows what that means

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Sep 2015
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    Click image for larger version. 

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ID:	13274 these are the earrings

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Dec 2009
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    Central London
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    8,845

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    Lovely design, Elinor.

    You can make filigree out of any kind if jewellery metal, preferably as very thin rectangular wire (about 1.5 mm wide, and .3mm thick) which can be pushed into a frame to be self supporting and a good fit.
    To make the solder, you can file strip, or panel solder , spray the piece with flux (Auflux is good), and place the solder on the joints with a good fine brush.
    Experts sieve it all over, but I don't like the surplus and waste.
    Heating is done with a large very bushy flame (not one that is fierce, or makes a roaring sound), moving it around all the time, to avoid overheating.

    The solder you use will be of the colour you like to be dominant, and with a melting point lower than the metals. Dennis.
    Last edited by Dennis; 26-01-2022 at 07:22 PM.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Sep 2015
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    36

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    Thanks dennis when you say panel solder do you mean paste? Cause i thought of trying that... honestly i dont understand what went wrong with what i did..

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Dec 2009
    Location
    Central London
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    No, I wasn't thinking about paste.
    I was suggesting you file solid solder, and apply the powder.

    However you need to check the data sheets, so that solder you are using has a melting point well below that of your metal. Dennis.

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