Soldering with My Minor Torch

[G.L.McBead]

You say to use Borax but in the pic. it's Boric Acid.
I get mixed up easy,wich one is it?
Thanks,
G.

[Blair]

Good to know you're OK! Life has a nasty habit of getting in the way sometimes, don't it? I know we all really appreciate you posting this info!

[bubblebabeuk]

Thanks for taking the time to keep plowing on with this, hope your other issues get sorted out for you soon! Hugs

[fyrebeadz*]

take your time sweetie, take care of yourself first!!!!!! None of us is going anywhere so whenever you get around to posting this info is fine!

[Raven Wylder]

Oh gosh, hon! No need to apologize, take your time - you're doing a favor for us by even writing this up. Donna's right, whenever you get around to posting is perfectly fine!

[caspertorch]

Ooooooooo I just saw this....WOW thanks Virginia! Can't wait to see it all! What a Big project...

[Juliac]

Glad to see you post Virginia. Take your time, please don't feel pressured. This is wonderful.

[Virginia]

Ok, next step - I am going to make a large link necklace - I luckly have a tapered mandrel I use for big links but you can use a large mandrel. At the local hardware store, they have hollow stainless steel mandrels, already cut - don't know what they are ment for, but that is where I get may larger stainless steel mandrels - there are at the welders scrap pile.
Anway - I put a little instructions on the pictures. Just wind tighly and evenly. With the large links, I hammer the links lightly, it helps they stay in the right shape.
I have a very fancy thing to hold onto the links while I cut them, but used that same old plyers, so you can see you can do this without a lot of expense.
Then be sure to SAW the links - don't clip with wire cutters. Solder will NOT flow if there is any gaps. I will go thru the entire process, hopefully tomorrow - every time I think I have a day to myself - it doesn't happen, so I am off again, but this is at least the next step - Virginia

[Virginia]

Before you solder the links - push the ends past each other - this makes a tiny tension, then bring them back together for a really clean connection, before you solder, which hopefully will be very soon - thanks again for all your patience - Virginia

[Virginia]

I cover my bench with a thick towel, you do NOT want any of these chemicals on your work space. I have a propper soldering slab, which you really have to have, to pick the solder up from. Having used it for years, it is a mess - that is a good thing!!!. I turn my torch down as low as I can - when soldering small things, the minor torch is really quite hot!!! I use super easy flow silver solder with links - in the pic is white gold solder, cause I am out of silver and I think you have all waited quite long enough!

Anyway - here are the pics, with what I am doing! - V

[Virginia]

Ok, the rest of these, then back in just a moment with the pics for doing the necklace closures and polishing.
The acid is ACID - rinse it well, and don't get it on your hands. I have the little crock pot below my bench, away from my glass. - back in a minute - Virginia

[Virginia]

Ok, now we repeat the process, and this time we use the jewelry monster, or some kind of second hand, that has two claws. Sorry if some of the pics are not as great, but I have to take them as I am working, and am not always sure how they are coming out.

The basics are - dip into boric acid mixed with Alchohol, burn it off in the flame - add a tiny amount of flux to the seam and then pic up a tiny piece of solder and add to the seam. With the two pieces held by the "monster" you bring the piece very slowly into the flame. if you come in too quickly, the solder will go flying across the bench. Also - silver likes to be evenly hot to have the solder flow, and bringing what you are soldering in slowly, helps with that also. Anyway - lost more pics, - V

[Virginia]

More pics

[rainygrrl]

Wow, this is amazing Virginia!
And a ton of work to take pics and put them together with instructions and tips.
Thank you!!

[Virginia]

Ok, some more pics

[Virginia]

Ok, now to clean them up. I have a fancy flex shaft, and polisher, but you can do it without. If you have a dremel, you can use some of their tools, or clean them up by hand. You can get a silver brush at any hardware store and can order these micro fiber sand papers that polish anything up very nicely - even the inside of your big holed beads. Very little buffing and rubbing and the silver surprisingly shines - I think it just likes to shine. SO, I hope this had helped - Anyway questions - please ask. Design something - get a few tools and make your own findings!!! - Good luck - Virginia

[Virginia]

Originally Posted by rainygrrl

Wow, this is amazing Virginia!
And a ton of work to take pics and put them together with instructions and tips.
Thank you!!

thanks roberta - so much has been done for me - anything I can do to give back, I always like to - when I can - can't always - virginia

[bubblebabeuk]

Your a star!
This is FAB!
Thankyou sooooooo much!

[afina]

Hi Virginia!
Thx A LOT for this! I've always wanted to try it. After seeing your instructions, I will probably really do it!
Verena

[flamemoth]

Fantastic Virginia..thanks so much for sharing so generously what you've learned. I'm going to print this out for my folder where everything else goes that I want to try someday. You make it all look very achievable..

[LAJ]

Virginia, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU! I really appreciate you doing this for us. I know how busy you've been lately, which makes it all the more generous that you would take the time to post photos, especially for people like me who are visual learners.

I have a question...on post #46 where the caption says, "bring slowly into the flame", do you mean that you pick up the whole 3rd hand set up & introduce it into the flame that way instead of moving the torch? That's how it looks to me anyway. Can't the solder slide off while you're moving it? I'm just still having a bit of a hard time picturing what the 3rd hand & torch set up look like since most of the photos are up close, which is great for seeing how to solder. I hate to ask, but I will anyway, LOL, could you possibly post a photo at a slight distance so we can see the way the set up itself looks?

[Virginia]

Hi,l thanks everyone - questions are very welcome -

Lea - when you put the links together, you do it so it is level. the 'claws' have joints, so you have a lot of control with it. - the flux is kind of sticky in a way - and YES, you pick the whole two handed "monster" or second hand and bring the piece you are soldering slowly into the flame. If you bring it in slowly, the solder will ball up and actually be stickier, then flow. If you bring it in quickly, it will pop off and fly away. I haven't taken everything down yet, so I can take a pretend pic of the torch and my "monster" so you can see it better. Good luck - virginia

[KathyB]

Virginia, do you have any preferences for the "monster"? How is it to handle?

[Virginia]

THIS monster that I have, is part of a very expensive bench tool that you don't need, unless you are going to be doing major jewelry work - Any "third" hand tool that has two claws, and good "joints" is good - will try to find my old one, and take a pic of it. The good joints part, is so you can get the links together, have them stay, while you pic it up and bring it to the torch - virginia

[rubytwoshoes]

I just want to say.....

Thank you Virginia!!!!

Vickie

[Virginia]

Your welcome!!!! - V

[menty666]

Here's a set of Helping Hands (mini monster) for dirt cheap from one of my favorite dirt cheap tool sources:

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...Itemnumber=319

It's item number: 319-9VGA in case that link goes wonky on you.

As an added benefit, it's only 1.99

[papimom]

Big thank you for sharing Virginia.
We all learn "with a little help from our friends".
Joan

[playswithfire104]

=d> Bravo!!! =d>

[KathyB]

Virginia-

TAIL WAGS TO YOU!! Thank you very much for this information!