Keum boo stud earrings

[Edelle]

Hi I have made small stud earrings in St silver and have applied keum boo. Can I solder the ear pins on without affecting the gold foil? Thanku

[Dennis]

A bit the wrong way round, but try easy solder, covering the pattern with a heat protecting paste, and if the appearance is affected, polish and reapply the keum boo. Dennis.

[CJ57]

The gold will just melt into the silver. It always has to be applied last

[Edelle]

Thanku Dennis I will try that as its not possible to solder the pins on before applying the gold.

[Edelle]

Thanku Caroline I thought that but can't think of a way to make stud earrings without applying the foil before soldering the pins in place.

[nicks creative stuff]

Is it because you’re using a hot plate and the pins get in the way?

[CJ57]

Is it because you’re using a hot plate and the pins get in the way?

I sometimes use a wee cooks torch for mine just to get awkward things to temp. Heating from below. It’s not in the books but then my keum boo is very random after finding that the gas hob tended to to blow my foil away!

[Dennis]

Use a copper, brass brass, or iron bar, with a hole to accept the earpost snugly. Rest it on your hotplate to apply the gold. Dennis.

[Dennis]

If you don't have a hotplate, a domestic iron held upside down in a vice by the handle, or supported some how, does a good job.

[nicks creative stuff]

Sounds great, I wonder if the steam holes are deep enough to accommodate a post wire.