Snake Chain

[Patstone]

I have just had an order for a 24 inch snake chain which I dont seem to be able to find ready made, so I decided to buy the ends and make one. I bought a 1.2mm one and soldered on the ends relatively easily but when I picked it up the chain broke close to the soldered end. Undaunted I took out another end and attempted to solder it again, the same again, broke in half. Is it likely to be the way I heat it or a fault with the chain. Any ideas would be very welcome.

[Wallace]

snake chains seem to have a will of their own sometimes. The thinner they are, the more difficult it is to work with them and heat. Each sliver of metal is prone to react and get a little hissy. I have on occasion had to do a snake chain, but keep it in some Kool paste if it is thin. But at 1.2mm, it should be a little more robust and cope better, especially as it was sold as loose chain.

Did you notice if it was fractured before you started? Snakes don't cope well with bending, they like coiling. Could it have developed some in transit????

I would let your supplier know that it has fallen apart. As it is sold as loose chain, there must be an expectation that it should be able to hold up to the ends being added, I would have thought. Good grief if you think about it, any pendant may have been lost and the potential wearer may likely blame you for the chain...regardless of it not being something you made. This would mean it is not fit for purpose and that would need addressing.

Someone else may have a better or clearer opinion than me, I am only a part timer at this and still have much to learn.

[mizgeorge]

I solder these up all the time Pat, and it's not the easiest of jobs. It's easiest to do with paste - pop a bit inside the chain end and then press the chain in. Heat from beyond the end - you're aiming to just get the end hot enough, with no direct heat at all on the chain. You need very little solder as you don't want to end up having it run into the chain itself, which is usually what will cause it to break.

If you need a completed version in a hurry, crimp-on ends are a great, quick alternative, and look more than acceptable.

For reference, Curteis and W J Sutton both stock 24" snakes. Suttons are slightly cheaper, but have a wholesale minimum order of (from memory) £50.

[Patstone]

I will give it another bash tomorrow and if it fails again, I will get one from Suttons. I dont like being beaten by something so simple, I have done bracelets before in snake chain but it was a lot thicker.

[Anna Wales]

For me, chains and Curteis always go together. My boss started buying from them in the 70's when they first started and I have always bought my chain from them. Henry kindly gave us a tour of the chain-making machines back in the 80's. Fascinating and I've never seen such valuable Nescafe jars! (each machine had a nescafe jar underneath to collect the finished chain).
The company is huge now but the quality of chains, customer service and delivery are still as good as ever and I've never had to return one chain in all those years, so Pat, I'd recommend buying from them.