How to ball up the end of a fine chain

[caroldelboux]

Hi there,

I'm a newbie to jewellery making and do it mostly as a hobby. I've ordered some very fine (0.5mm) box chain in 18k gold and silver to make some bracelets and earrings I have in mind, which are not really hard as it basically include soldering jumping rings and clasps to the chain ends (after glueing the gemstone.

With the earrings though, I've been finding very challenging to ball up the end of the chain with the torch and as a result, the chain becomes stiff and breaks... I've attached photos of the earrings so you can see what I have in mind.

Someone said that Firescoff Rh would help and I've heard wonders about this product before, what do you guys think?

Thank you very much in advance!

Carol

[Dennis]

Dear Carol,
As far as I know there is no way of balling up the end of chain and controlling how much of it becomes stiff. You could certainly experiment by covering part of it with heat control paste first, but you are likely just to add to your scrap pot.

I would instead stiffen the last two or three links with a smidgeon of easy solder, file this stiff segment to fit, and stuff it into a bought one hole bead. Then gently heating the fluxed bead will cause the solder to flow again and attach it.

Firescoff is an expensive flux, which is brilliant for making repairs and additions to finished pieces, without the need to pickle. You can just wash it off, but it comes in a spray, which will use much of it up in one go. So if you are ever tempted to try it, dispense some into a tiny well, in a palette, for example and paint it on with a brush. Dennis.

[Nick martin]

Hi Carol,

The only way I know of balling up the end of some chain is using something like a PUK welder.

Failing that, how about balling up a small amount of silver and simply soldering it onto a half link? Same effect.

Nick