solder probs....

[caroleallen]

Cookson's solder doesn't normally look like that. It's usually a strip that's been bent around and the ends held together with masking tape. I normally just snip it into 2 and write on the masking tape what sort of solder it is.

[Joe]

Hmm, the wire I bought a few months ago looked exactly like that - they sell it in quite a few shapes at Cookies.

I can't beat the advice already given; my two-penny-worth is that with a background that included industrial metalworking, I was surprised that this was a technique I'd not covered and it was not similar to the other methods I'd been taught.

I was familiar with lead soldering, brazing and silver-soldering steel, but there is a transition to make that might even surprise your dad, Cheryl. Silver solder doesn't behave like lead solder, it behaves very much as described in fact! Strictly speaking, in the industrial parlance, jewellers braze (or sometimes weld) rather than solder as the temperature is above 400C and very similar to the melting point of the pieces being joined.

Andrew Berry posted earlier in the thread and he's made some brilliant videos including: Silver Soldering by Andrew Berry which would have saved me dozens of failures if I'd come across them when I started out. Look carefully and see that the whole ring in this video is glowing orange by the time the solder melts.

[andrew_berry]

Thanks Joe.

Soldering is one of the most complex techniques you can master beacause to much can go wrong.

Preperation in important and dont try and cut corners.

Andrew

[cheryle79]

hi guys, well new solder came today and exactly same as last lot,no spool, just wire in a bag again, so tried again, heated piece up really well, what flux do i need to compliment the extra easy silver solder wire?
Also andrew i see is using a thin solder which he snips off, can i squash my wire with a hammer to make it very thin like that, as i now have 2 x 4 meter wires of silver solder i really cant buy anymore, gotta use up this lot. regards, keen beginner, cheryl

[andrew_berry]

A liquid flux like Auflux or I find the best is borax.

Get a cone and rub it with a little bit of water in a ceramic dish to form a 'cream'.

Auflux is expensive because of the courier costs, while borax can be sent through the normal post.

Andrew

[Di Sandland]

I even use borax when using solder paste - particularly the easy solder, which I find doesn't flow awfully well without a flux of some kind (even though it is pre-fluxed )

[Joe]

Yep, squish it up nice and thin! Just do a bit at a time though, you'll get the hang of what thickness to use for what.

Defnitely watch Andrew's video lots of times and pay attention to all of the details - there's a lot of stuff in there! Even the little detail of putting the solder in place using the flux brush puts flux on the solder, which can help; professional efficiency!

[Kwant]

Thanks for that tip Di, it never occurred to me that paste might need a helping hand though i had noticed it does not always flow.

[Dennis]

[QUOTE=andrew_berry;37869]A liquid flux like Auflux or I find the best is borax.

Get a cone and rub it with a little bit of water in a ceramic dish to form a 'cream'.

Auflux is expensive because of the courier costs, while borax can be sent through the normal post.
Dear Andrew,
I have heard a lot of amateur jewellers say that they avoid using easy solder because it is "sluggish" in flowing. For some reason Cheryle now seems to have eight metres of extra easy. How do you feel about her getting some easy flux? Kind regards, Dennis. Poor thing, should we have a whip round?.