How To Solder Jewelry – Expert Guide

ByRichard William

Some people learn to solder jewelry as a hobby while others do so to find a source of income. Whichever the case, it is possible to learn the skill and become a master with persistency and keenness. This is a guide to get you started on the journey to soldering jewelry.

Tools Required when Soldering Jewelry

Most soldering tools are quite easy to find. Here are some of the tools that you will need:

Tools when soldering jewelry
  • A soldering torch: You will need a soldering torch to provide heat for the job. A hand butane torch should be efficient for beginners who do not need to create a big flame.
  • A Flux And A Brush: The importance of flux is to seal the metal surface after heating so that solder is applied smoothly. The brush is for dusting the metal after degreasing it using emery paper.
  • The Solder: Most jewelers use either gold or silver solders. These are sold in the form of strips and are found in hard, medium, easy, and super easy forms.A Heat Resistant Surface: This one you can either buy or get someone to create one for you in the room you plan to be doing the soldering from. Asbestos and ceramic surfaces are quite popular.
  • Shears: Shears come in handy when cutting solders or bending metal into preferred shapes. They come in different sizes.
  • Reverse Action Tweezers: These are for positioning while soldering
  • Plastic And Precision Tweezers: You can either opt for steel or titanium for these. They help keep solder in position when heating the flux.
  • Steel Plate: For cooling metal and jewelry after heating.
  • Pickle: It helps get rid of the oxide coating that develops on the metal during soldering.Plastic Container: For storing the pickle since you should never store it in a steel container.
  • Light goggles to protect your eyes from the heat flames as you heat the metal.
  • Brush And Pumice Powder: These two come in handy towards the end of the work. The brush is dipped in the powder and then used to dust the jewelry, thus introducing a polished surface.
  • Wire cutter to cut metal into small ideal pieces.

Safety precautions

First and foremost, before we look at the steps involved in soldering, you need to observe some safety measures.

  • Keep children away from your working space unless they are there under maximum supervision.
  • Make sure you have a fire extinguisher in the room.
  • The room should be well ventilated and have adequate lighting as well.
  • Only wear clothes made of natural fiber or better so, use fireproof aprons and gloves.
  • You need safety glasses to prevent tiny particles that jump around when heating from getting into your eyes.
  • If you have long hair, always tie it back or wear a flame protective helmet.

Steps on How To Solder Jewelry

Now that we have the materials we need and have taken safety measures, let us get down to work.

1

Prepare your working station

Gather all your tools and find a place that is well ventilated with proper lighting and away from a place where kids will be walking in and out. Fetch some water for cooling after soldering jewelry.

2

Prepare the metal

Cut your metal, it may be copper or silver, depending on the jewelry you wish to make. Fit the metal pieces together using tongs and tweezers then clean of grease and oil by putting the pieces in a pickle for some minutes. Once the cleaning is done, arrange the pieces on the heating block as you prepare for soldering.

3

Introduce the flux

Cut you solder in small pieces and flux. You can either use Battern’s flux, which is light yellow or borax-based flux. For Battern’s, you apply the flux on the place that needs soldering and apply the solder on the same site. Heat these together. For borax, the flux is applied to the area to be soldered and then heated until it looks like glass. After that, the solder is introduced.

4

Solder it

Use tweezers to place the solder between the joining areas of the metal. You need a small solder for these.

5

Torch the metal

Light your torch and heat the entire metal uniformly. The solder follows the heat, so avoid heating the solder directly. Heat the metal until you notice the solder running. Remove the heat as soon as the solder begins to run.

6

Cool the metal and get creative

Be careful when picking the hot metal and place into cold water for cooling. You can then inspect it to see if you are satisfied with the outcome or you need more soldering. If everything is right, you can go ahead and add some decorations, and if not, you can repeat the soldering as explained above.

Conclusion

As you start as a jeweler, you will need to do a lot of practice to master the skill. Do not get frustrated if you have to repeat the soldering a few times before you get the hang of it. With time, you will be able to do it as if it was a skill you were born with. Get creative and try new patterns. Never allow yourself to limit your creativity.

Here is the another informative article about the soldering flux, you can visit.

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