visible solder joint

[sil]

Hello..need advice please...every time I solder a silver ring together my joint is visible :-(. I really dont know why...im useing hard solder..my joints are flush and clean...the solder looks silvery when my ring comes out of the pickle then after filing and and cleaning up the joint looks darker than the ring..is this normal? Pls help.

[Dennis]

Well that's unusual. Before soldering, the joint should be so tight that you can't see any light through it. If not right, pass a saw through it again to allow it to close further.

When using hard solder there should not be any mismatch with sterling or fine silver. Even if there were a slight difference the thinness of the line would make it difficult to detect.

However if you re- heat it the solder reappears as darker. All the above being correct, are you doing something to tarnish the solder? if not, try a new batch of solder. Dennis.

[Aurarius]

Just to pick up from what Dennis says, what solder are you using exactly, i.e. where did you get it and what was it described as?

[sil]

Thanks for the replies :-)..I did re-heat to add a bit more solder as I didnt use enough the first time. I didnt know solder goes darker when reheated so thank you very much Dennis for ur info! I shall cut the joints out and resolder using more this time. To Aurarius..Im useing hard silver solder from cooksons so it should be ok. Also my tutor sad it could be my body chemistry being acidic thats discolouring the joint??? Just wondering if anyone else has heard of this?.

[Goldsmith]

Thanks for the replies :-)..I did re-heat to add a bit more solder as I didnt use enough the first time. I didnt know solder goes darker when reheated so thank you very much Dennis for ur info! I shall cut the joints out and resolder using more this time. To Aurarius..Im useing hard silver solder from cooksons so it should be ok. Also my tutor sad it could be my body chemistry being acidic thats discolouring the joint??? Just wondering if anyone else has heard of this?.

My sister has body acids that turn silver black and the solder joints were the first to show staining, the only cure I could find was to Rhodium plate any silver jewellery she had. That was many years ago, now she only wears 18ct jewellery.

James

[Dennis]

Thanks for the replies :-) I didnt know solder goes darker when reheated so thank you very much Dennis for ur info! I shall cut the joints out and resolder using more this time.

No no, I might have put it badly. You can reheat and add solder, that's fine. All I meant to say was that when you reheat the piece the solder shows as a dark line. You use that to find the joint for re-sizing a ring, but it polishes up gain. Dennis

[Petal]

I clean my solder strip with wire wool. I assume you clean yours ?

[Hans Meevis]

My eternal bug bear--solder lines. Mostly caused by the zinc in the soldering alloy.
One of three methods that I use sometimes help.
A super neat and thin joint, so that the line is very thin if it shows.
Use a 'L' shaped polished burr to bash the solder joint down before finishing, thus work hardening it.
Hard metal polishes better and the circular motion 'smears' silver over the joint.
Use some silver hard and add a small amount of fine silver to it.
This effectively makes it a super hard solder, more difficult to solder but with less reactive metal like zinc in it.
And also, if it is possible, plan your piece so that critical solder joints are not easily visible, so they can look ugly all on their lonesome.

[sil]

i shall try wearing gloves see if that helps..thanks for the reply

[sil]

Thanks for the advice Hans