stick soldering

[Patstone]

Tried and found it perfect ... thank you for sharing

Just read your post again about soldering, you mention bushy flame, I can't alter the flame as its either lit or not. No way of adjusting. Perhaps try holding it further away.

[Dennis]

Pat, I have been brooding about your description of hammering out solder to be paper thin. Actually I think it needs to be at least say 0.4mm thick, so that when you cut up pallions, the sides can be gripped with fine tweezers.

Also for most situations, I would struggle to fill a joint with solder, using paper thin pallions. Dennis.

[CJ57]

Pat, I have been brooding about your description of hammering out solder to be paper thin. Actually I think it needs to be at least say 0.4mm thick, so that when you cut up pallions, the sides can be gripped with fine tweezers.

Also for most situations, I would struggle to fill a joint with solder, using paper thin pallions. Dennis.

You would definitely need to place them alongside each other rather than at intervals to provide you with enough solder on a seam. They need to be thick enough to pick up and place tight into the seam, much easier to manoeuvre and control if there is any movement

[Patstone]

I can cut them with ordinary scissors thats how thin they are. Teacher said that solder doesnt fill a joint, it "glues" the two bits together. My joins are quite tight normally, no daylight.......... Teacher was at a craft fair that we were attending (in the same tent too) and looking at some of her work that we were drooling over three years ago, looked fairly shoddy in comparison, but this time she was actually selling knits etc, but she still teaches beginners basic jewellery making. I find that taking photos with my phone helps my finish as it shows up all the scratches, plus of course it gives me a record of what I have made.

[CJ57]

The solder shouldn't be filling a joint as such as your surfaces should be flat but say you are soldering a setting or an upright wall ( at right angles to the base sheet) to a base sheet, the solder should look the same on the inside of the joint as well as the outside that way the pieces are solidly bonded together.

[Patstone]

I have very rarely had a solder joint come apart, so I think it works. Just thought it may be less noisy for my neighbours if I don't hammer it so thin!!!!!!!!!

[CJ57]

I have very rarely had a solder joint come apart, so I think it works. Just thought it may be less noisy for my neighbours if I don't hammer it so thin!!!!!!!!!

Neighbours can be a damn nuisance when you get the urge to hit things with a hammer at 2 am as I do