A Tip

Jewelry Discussion
1

Use a piece of conveyor belt rubber cemented to your bench pin.
Filing articles on the rubber doesn’t let the article slip and
holds firmly for sanding or drilling.

Robert Goll
@Goll_Robert1

2

I use Hoover Hard yellow solder for sizing, though I’'m getting
proxidy (sp), am I’m heating it to hot or what? Thanks!

3

<< Use a piece of conveyor belt rubber cemented to your bench pin.
<< Filing articles on the rubber doesn’t let the article slip and
<< holds firmly for sanding or drilling.

Thanks for the tip, I’ll have to give it a try.

4

Excellent tip-

Got a source for this rubber, Robert? Conveyor belts bring to
mind one of my early jobs- a belt loaded with too many sharp
edged trays of synthetic pork rinds destined (after the drying
ovens) for Frito Lay. Not surprising I work for myself.

Rick Hamilton

Richard D.
Hamilton,Jr.

Goldsmith

<http://www.rick-hamilton.com

@rick_hamilton

5 
I use Hoover Hard yellow solder for sizing, though I''m getting
proxidy (sp), am I'm heating it to hot or what? Thanks!

Some tips:

Preflux your solder

Don’t melt it into a ball and place in onto the joint, stick the
pallion on with some flux. Try clamping you solder piece inside
the joint on rings going down in size. You might try using silver
brazing flux (bought at a welding supply) messy but effective
Heat the ring and not the solder. Hoover solder is a little
trickier than some others, and yes, the porosity is probably
caused by overheating combined with improper fluxing…

Good luck

Jeffrey Everett

6

Thanks for the tip, makes sense to me. I’m thinking about
switching brands of solder too any suggestions?

7

Don’t melt it into a ball and place in onto the joint, stick the
pallion on with some flux. Try clamping you solder piece inside
the joint on rings going down in size. You might try using silver
brazing flux (bought at a welding supply) messy but effective
Heat the ring and not the solder. Hoover solder is a little
trickier than some others, and yes, the porosity is probably
caused by overheating combined with improper fluxing…

also,make sure your solder joint is tight (no spaces).
S.H.

8

I’ve had good luck over the last 15 years with PM Refining’s
plumb 14ky solders, and I was told that some of their metalugists
moved to United. They sent me some samples to try- I gave them to
one of my studio associates to try- haven’t heard any cursing
from that corner, so who knows… I haven’t had any problems
with Hoover’s 18ky plumb (M&H) solders. Their solders have
improved over the last 20 years. I just tried out Stuller for
medium silver solder- the color is whiter- but I did experience
some brittleness today on a model I’m making.

Rick Hamilton
Richard D. Hamilton, Jr
http://rick-hamilton.com
@rick_hamilton

9

I buy my solder at AAA Precious Metals in Portland Oregon. Never
have any porosity. I tried almost all the others and I like
theirs the best

AAAPM
1-800-356-1423
9908 SE Ash
Portland OR 97216