how best to sandwich a piece of silver and copper together? 7th Anniversary gift

[snowathlete]

Hi,

I'm new to this, but pretty skilled generally.
I want to make my wife an item of jewellery for our 7th wedding anniversary. I'm thinking of using silver and copper, and would like to make a pendant from a slices of each metal (say 1.2mm thick each) sandwiching them together, flat side to flat side. What is the best way to do this?

Should I silver solder them together? If so then what is the best method of doing that and what tools will I need? I already have some copper but plan on ordering some silver (925?) and a saw (advice on which type of saw would be welcome as well.

Once I've got them merged, I plan on stamping them with the date or something like that.

Thanks
Joel

[CJ57]

You could just rivet them together Joel, which would mean the need for less tools and materials. I'm sure you probably already have a drill kit so it would mean drilling small holes, silver or copper wire to the same dimension, a flat hard surface to put it on and a hammer and a small punch or steel rod to hammer the rivet. I like the use of rivets either for joining pieces together or decoration. Otherwise to solder you will need silver solder, flux, a torch, pickle, fire bricks or some other soldering surface. You could also riveta bail for the pendant using contrasting rivets meaning that the whole piece is cold connected. Hope this gives you some ideas Caroline

Welcome to the forum too!

[Dennis]

Anyhow whatever you decide, practice just with copper first to save waste.

If you decide to go the soldering route look up how to sweat solder. The Cookson soldering starter kit will do fine for this, but in addition you will need a means to keep your pickle solution warm. Most of us use a cheap slow cooker for this.

Keep asking the questions. Welcome to the forum. Dennis.

[snowathlete]

Thanks for the ideas CJ57. I'm not sure a rivetted look is what I'm aiming for, but I appreciate that idea. I want it to look really neat and I think she'd prefer a flush look.

I read that I can make pickle from some lemon juice, is that true or do i need proper stuff. If i need proper stuff then I'll get it, but it's probably a one off thing, unless I uncover a hidden talent, so if i can do without it...

Are there different types of flux, or will any do? I have a hand torch, one of those butane powered ones that you use for cooking, I hear they will do.

I guess I'll need to buy a fire brick. I don't have anything else that I know can take high temperatures.

Sweat soldering looks ideal. Thank you for suggesting that. So I can use this method to join silver and copper together? So if I am right I get some flux and put it on the copper. Then apply some silver solder to it (how do i get it uniform?) then put some more flux on both pieces, and then place the copper piece on top of the silver, heat them both a bit till they sit well together and the silver solder flows in most the gaps. And presumably apply a little more silver solder round the sides if necesary. Is that about right?

Thanks to everyone for your kind help.

Best
Joel

[ps_bond]

One caveat... Copper and silver together against skin forms a battery, resulting in galvanic corrosion of the copper. If only one metal is in contact, then the problem is less pronounced - just something to be aware of.

[snowathlete]

One caveat... Copper and silver together against skin forms a battery, resulting in galvanic corrosion of the copper. If only one metal is in contact, then the problem is less pronounced - just something to be aware of.

thanks for pointing that out. I guess for the most part it would be only copper or silver in contact at on the neckline (though a little silver probably always in contact because of the solder. Maybe i should go for a slightly thicker piece of copper than silver, say 1.5mm copper on 1.2mm silver, to create more of a gap.
I know that copper tarnishes easily, and she'll need to keep it airtight when not wearing it. I don't expect she'll wear it all that often but who knows. Hard to tell at this stage how good it will be and whether she will like it!

[Dennis]

Here are a few answers suitable for a one off effort:

Borax is a useful flux. You can get a small amount of it as a powder at a chemist and mix it into a runny suspension as a flux.

Alum, also found at chemists dissolved in hottish water makes a good pickle.

To sweat solder melt even sized cuttings of solder onto fluxed metal in a close grid pattern. Lay the other fluxed sheet on top and re heat until solder appears to glisten at the edges.

Peter has raised an important subject, but the galvanic action will be minimised if you have a definite reverse side, which is slightly larger than the front. Alternatively, an 0.4mm piece of 9ct gold would be more splendid, less galvanic and won't break the bank.

Dennis.

[snowathlete]

Here are a few answers suitable for a one off effort:

Borax is a useful flux. You can get a small amount of it as a powder at a chemist and mix it into a runny suspension as a flux.

Alum, also found at chemists dissolved in hottish water makes a good pickle.

To sweat solder melt even sized cuttings of solder onto fluxed metal in a close grid pattern. Lay the other fluxed sheet on top and re heat until solder appears to glisten at the edges.

Peter has raised an important subject, but the galvanic action will be minimised if you have a definite reverse side, which is slightly larger than the front. Alternatively, an 0.4mm piece of 9ct gold would be more splendid, less galvanic and won't break the bank.

Dennis.

Thanks Dennis, that is all super handy stuff. Do you mean gold instead of silver, or instead of copper? I want to use copper as it's supposed to be traditional for 7th anniversary.
cheers
joel

[CJ57]

I suppose you could argue whether it's the copper colour or the metal. I would have thought that as long as the silver is next to the skin and the copper on top that there wouldn't be such a reaction.
Apparently yellow sapphire or onyx is also appropriate so could be another option for a 7th anniversary

[Dennis]

I had meant gold instead of copper, but I see that would defeat your intention.

I suppose both Caroline and I are both trying to nudge your design ideas towards something a little more more romantic. Most women will accept with a smile whatever their men choose to make for them. It's the thought that counts after all. But secretly they might prefer a platinum heart with some flush set diamonds. Dennis.