What torch do We prefer ?

**Gemma** · 31-10-2009, 06:10 PM

Originally Posted by Solunar Silver Studio

I bet you can't pick one of them up from T K Max for £7.99!!
LONG LIVE THE CREME BRULEE TORCH!!!

and I was thinking I must be the only one who uses a cooking torch

...but I did pay a little more than £7.99- however it is shocking pink

**lesley** · 31-10-2009, 06:22 PM

I'm seriously thinking about taking the plunge in to the world of soldering.
I guess I'll go for the Cooksons starter kit. Anyone else got it?

**Emerald** · 31-10-2009, 07:13 PM

i think pandanimal - Julia has just bought one looks like it has all you need x

**Di Sandland** · 31-10-2009, 09:51 PM

Originally Posted by lesley

I'm seriously thinking about taking the plunge in to the world of soldering.
I guess I'll go for the Cooksons starter kit. Anyone else got it?

I bought it a few months back. All you need, with the exception of paste solder if you want to use it. I bought that seperately. Has done me just fine.

**Petal** · 31-10-2009, 10:20 PM

Originally Posted by Moon Cottage

I bought it a few months back. All you need, with the exception of paste solder if you want to use it. I bought that seperately. Has done me just fine.

I must admit I looked putting one of those in my Cookies basket today - the thought of using one terrifies me slightly.

Mind you, judging by my cooking exploits, I should be right at home working with flames

....

**Solunar Silver Studio** · 01-11-2009, 08:13 AM

The worst burn I have ever had was from turning out a syrup sponge straight from oven to table...by the time I got back to the kitchen to wash off the burning sticky syrup it had done a fair bit of damage...luckily it was only a small area on my middle finger - but it still shows as a slight scar more than 25 years later! So far - I have never burnt myself doing anything jewellery related...it's definitely the puddings you have to watch!!

**lesley** · 01-11-2009, 12:43 PM

Thanks Jo and Di......I'm still thinking about it.

Jules, you're not the only one - I'm scared too! The thought of having gas and acid around the place just seems like asking for trouble. Plus, I seem to be quite accident prone at the moment.

**lesley** · 01-11-2009, 03:40 PM

Can I ask a torch related question?

Is hard solder the norm and medium and easy only used for any subsequent solderings? If I get a torch kit I would like to try the solder paste and wondered if I need all three types.

**Di Sandland** · 01-11-2009, 03:46 PM

Lesley I only have the easy solder paste and I've got by with that so far. I am getting more adventurous now and will probably get the other 'strengths' but to start with you'll only need the one

**kymbi** · 01-11-2009, 03:53 PM

The solder used depends on what's needed - for example if I have small pieces of silver needing little joins that won't be under stress or wire that shouldn't be heated too much (for fear of me melting them), I would use easy solder or paste. For joints where I will need to hammer/texture afterwards, I would use medium or hard. If multiple joins are needed on a design, start with hard then drop a grade with each solder.

I tend to use solder strip for hard and medium solders, and paste for easy. I don't use huge amounts of hard/medium so I think the size of the paste syringe would mean I would have it around for ages and not sure if it would dry up.

I've not tried the hard and medium pastes and would be interested to know how these handle.