18KW solder eats 18KY cast shanks

Ok, so I started my new job, and I’m having a problem I’ve never
encountered before…

I’m soldering together 18K gold cast parts to form the completed
ring ready for the stone setters.

The heads are 18KW and the shanks are 18KY, now at present I’m doing
the work from home so I’m using the solder I have here (purchased
yesterday from the ONLY local supplier) I’ve tried both 18KW hard and
easy with the same results just as the solder flows the country metal
around the join just slumps and dissolves. Mostly I’m left with a
deep pit where the palion was placed but often I also get corners
that just collapse into the solder seam.

I’ve so far soldered 8 rings all with the same result, some worse
than others and as I figure I should be able to repair all but two or
so, I’m not panicking just yet, but the panic is damn close!

So what is going on? As I understand it the solder is plumb and
cadmium/lead free, could it be the alloy that the castings are made
from? I will note that the white gold elements are not suffering the
same problem, it is only the yellow gold parts that have this
problem. I don’t know the specifics of the casting grain used, but I
wil find out in the morning and also if they have a preferred solder
that is compatible with the alloys used.

I’m assuming that the WG is a nickel white gold as the company is
exporting to the US and Canada (their own branded stores)as well as
supplying their own stores locally and in NZ, and so I think they’d
be playing to the lowest common denominator.

Cheers, Thomas Janstrom.
Little Gems.
http://tjlittlegems.com

i’ve had that problem while soldering and always when i try to attach
18K yellow to silver but i think you should call daniel at pm west
800 999 plati never had a problem when i use thier solders i honestly
dont know why anyone would bother with solder from anyone else it may
cost a little more but i can promise when you are looking at a
perfect seam you wont think about anything else than how relieved you
are you didnt screw somthing up

goo