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Thread: Just completed my first hinge

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jul 2010
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    Default Just completed my first hinge

    Yes!! it only took me 6 hours to solder a hinge to a locket that I am making for an assignment. Tomorrow I start the clean up and removal of the fire stain that undoubtedly is present. What a day, but I don't understand why it went wrong. I had the 2 pieces of the locket fitting perfect face to face. The position of the hinge I took the edge out with a round file. The hinge was made of 3 pieces the idea was 2 soldered on one locket piece, and one solder on the other. I had the 2 soldered pieces on perfectly, but the issue was with the middle single piece. Eventually I got all 3 solder joints to go, but it was a hassle. I wonder if I should have used a thicker tube, I used 3.0 mm.

    It seems a good and tight hinge, hope it can take the clean up. Will photo and let you see, but if anyone has any further ideas what I could have done better, please do let me know.
    Poor old Les

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Aug 2010
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    Ash, Surrey, UK
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    Default

    Nice work!

    My first hinge went so well, until the last solder, and i melted the whole thing!

    Sounds like yours was much more of a success

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jun 2010
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    Hinges are tricky; stick with it. 3mm is larger than any of the hinges I make; it's not about size, it will be all the other usual suspects: cleanliness, heat & fit. One of the most difficult things (for me) about hinges is that they get a lot of handling for set-up and alignment so it can be difficult to be scrupulous about not touching anything.

    There have been several articles on this site about hinges, do search about for a few dozen little tips.

  4. #4
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    Hi Les,
    Without any detail as to what went wrong, it is difficult to give more than general advice. Here is some at random.

    For jewellery, 2.0 mm o/s diameter tubing is probably the widest you’d need. As lockets often demand smaller joint tubes, you can make your own by drawing them down through a round drawplate from about four sizes too big, to give you thicker walls.

    To get a good seat for tubing, it is useful to have a parallel sided round file meant for this, but unfortunately they appear to come in only one size.

    Keep the two outer knuckles aligned for soldering by leaving the middle still partly connected like this =-= . When adding the centre section keep the three aligned by inserting a piece of pencil lead.

    Paint the parts where you want to repel the solder with an antiflux. Tippex correction fluid is handy for this. Use the tiniest amounts of flux and solder, because once tacked in place you can take your locket apart and if necessary add a fraction more. For the third knuckle use easy solder.

    Tim McCreight’s Complete Metalsmith gives some simple instructions for this. His book Boxes and lockets is more extensive. Dennis.

    I had meant to add that the two halves of a locket, with a little antiflux between them in the soldering area, can be conveniently held together with a few drops of the thicker superglue, while filing the groove and then soldering.
    Last edited by Dennis; 20-07-2011 at 08:23 AM. Reason: Afterthought

  5. #5
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    Default

    Thanks guys,
    I had everything clean, and only handled with tweezers after cleaning, for antiflux I used rouge with water, let it dry well before applying flux to prevent contamination. All parts not to be solderered were painted with antiflux, the central pin, in between each hinge section, backside not being soldered, front side to prevent solder run, so I thought I had everything covered. It all went perfect when I swapped from just propaine to mixed gas with oxygen, so I think it was being able to direct the smaller hotter flame better, eventhough I only directed the flame to the locket not on the hinge itself. In making the channel for the tubing, I dont have a parallel file, but did file in two directions.
    I used 3.0mm thick walled tubing because the actual locket is over 3.5 cm round, so quite chuncky and a huge heat sink for a hinge.
    Last edited by art925; 20-07-2011 at 10:29 AM.
    Poor old Les

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Jun 2010
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    313

    Default

    At the risk of finding myself 'moderated' again, the only UK supplier I know for the jointing file is Walsh: http://www.hswalsh.com/Needle_File_.aspx?i=TF8132&c=248

    The 4 cut one is nice and I can't think of a way of making one from Cookie's products (though you could grind down a Vallorbe oval file I suppose...). To be honest, last locket I made I used a half-round graver to cut the channel...

  7. #7
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    Cousins also do joint files.

    I shall laugh if I have to end up approving my own post...

  8. #8
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    One of the benefits of being in the trade for so long means that I have a box of dozens of Grobet Vallorbe parallel joint files of every size and grade from 1.5mm diam. up to 6mm. diam. When I was an apprentice we had a marvelous jeweller's tool shops in Soho where I worked. One was Herring, Morgan and Southern in Berwick Street Soho. and the other was Geo. Benford and O'Shea in Dean Street, Benford was more of a watchmakers supply shop but they had tools also.
    James

  9. #9
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    One thing that is a frustration for me is that so many places now sell "a" joint file, rather than a range of diameters (OK, not just joint files - it applies to other tools too). I guess Vallorbe still make the others, but it feels like there's few vendors stocking them. Is that a valid observation?

  10. #10
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    The fact that vendors are not stocking all tools is a valid observation Peter. I also have a selection of joint files that are the size of a half inch wide pillar files,
    they have a parallel cutting edge each side that is half round and the flat sides of the files are smooth, therefore when filing deep grooves they do no bend like a 1.5mm straight joint file would, I have not seen these files advertised anywhere lately. In my career I have worked with craftsmen who made the Cartier hand made watch specials and that is when I learnt about making perfect joints or hinges as some call them, my joints are good but not as good as some I have seen made by my workshop friends, can you imagine making a 16 knuckle joint on a 3 inch snuff box so good that when the box is closed you can not see the joint or hinge.
    James

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