Using Silver solder paste

[Fi Wilson]

Hi, I went through a phase of having real problems using solder paste. Paste would half go and then nothing - apart from an oogie melted mess of the piece I was trying to solder. I've found giving the parts that you will be soldering together a quick flash of heat from the solder torch has sorted this. I then apply a small amount of paste with a cocktail stick and heat the piece in the normal way. Think it's something to do with burning off any impurities and is a lazy version of using wet/dry paper for cleaning your piece.

Keep going with it, you'll get the knack.
Fi

[Di Sandland]

I've discovered that smaller syringes (not from Cooksons unfortunately) make it all much easier because you can apply solder straight from syringe and miss out the cocktail stick part

[swageblock]

If you`re using cufflink findings which are sprung, ie with a swivel bar, don`t heat the whole finding as it will take the temper out of the spring and make it useless.Concentrate flame on item first to build up heat and introduce finding with paste on it just as the item turns red.
Tony