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Adding Chain to Neckring

Jewelry Discussion
#1

Need a little help here. I have to add some sterling chain and a
clasp to a wide neckring to make it more secure for a large neck…
Due to stones on the neck ring I can’t solder/pickle as I normally
would. I have never used ‘low temp’ solder or a soldering gun.
What’s the easiest way to solder chain link on this so there’s
minimal/no cleanup?

Thank you!
Liane Redpath Worlund

#2

Can you drill the end of the wire and attach the chain with a
soldered jump ring?

#3

Liane, I would drill a hole and insert a jump ring rather than
soldering a jump ring solidly to the neck ring. Forge the end of the
neck ring, if necessary, to make room for the hole. Much less heat
will be transferred to the neck ring this way. You may even be able
to set up your soldering so that the jump ring is not in contact with
the neck ring wire. Then go in fast and hot and accurately solder the
chain on.

M’lou Brubaker
Minnesota, USA
http://www.craftswomen.com/M’louBrubaker

#4

If possible I would recommend finding a jewelry shop in your area
with a laser welder that could tack it on for you. The price should
be reasonable, there is no clean up, and it won’t effect the stones
at all.

#5

Sounds like its a suitable job for a laser or PUK welder. See my
recent post to the “Experience with PUK welders” thread.

Regards, Gary Wooding

#6 
would drill a hole and insert a jump ring rather than soldering a
jump ring solidly to the neck ring

Unfortunately there’s no PUK or laser welder here. So I was planning
on drilling a hole in the neckring, but got stumped with the ‘solder
a jump ring’ part as I know there’ll be oxidation on the neckring for
cleanup…

I’ve used, most unsuccessfully, the product called Cool Jule/Jewel.
Didn’t work and lost the stone. Friends weren’t successful with it
either. Is there a product on the market you can put on the end of a
piece/necklace when you have to ‘add on’ jumprings, chain, etc and
need to protect the piece from heat?

Thanks again,
Liane Redpath Worlund

#7 
Unfortunately there's no PUK or laser welder here. So I was
planning on drilling a hole in the neckring, but got stumped with
the 'solder a jump ring' part as I know there'll be oxidation on the
neckring for cleanup..

I would coat the end of the neckring with a good amount of boric acid
in alcohol to protect it from the air, so it won’t stain from heat.
What is the problem with a little cleanup? You do have tripoli and
rouge and buffs, don’t you? And if you are in & out quickly as you
solder, there shouldn’t be much time for firestain anyway. It’s just
a little jump ring. Maybe you could practice soldering the same type
of jump ring, perhaps by making a chain of them, before you tackle
the customer’s neckring. Or do the same setup on the end of a copper
wire instead of the neckring, for practice. I think you are just in
need of a little more experience and confidence. Practice, and you’ll
do fine.

M’lou

#8 
Is there a product on the market you can put on the end of a
piece/necklace when you have to 'add on' jumprings, chain, etc and
need to protect the piece from heat?

I would use Stabrite or Tix low temp solder with a soldering iron to
solder the jump ring. Hold the jump ring in a third hand to act as a
heat sink. Of course you could do the same thing with a torch, solder
pick, third hand, and easy solder if you are careful…

Rick Copeland
Silversmith and Lapidary Artisan
Colorado Springs, Colorado
rockymountainwonders.com

#9

Liane

If you have the tools available you might try this.

Using 2 ‘third hand’ holders, solder stop and oxy/acetylene torch.

Practice on a jump ring with a tip that will allow completion of the
soldering in roughly 5 seconds.

Use the solder stop to fill in the gap between the jump ring and the
neck ring and while the stop is still wet, wedge tooth pick tips into
the gap to hold the parts apart. Use one third hand to hold the neck
ring, the other to hold the jump ring, or for the jump ring you could
use self closing tweezers. Wrap wet newspaper around the neck ring
and hold with a paper clip or binding wire. The real key to the
process is the solder stop, and the torch, and then mostly the skill
with the torch. Not knowing the sizes you are dealing with it is a
little hard to give specifics. Aim the heat away from the neck ring
obviously.

That is how I would approach it.

Good luck
Terry

#10 
What is the problem with a little cleanup? You do have tripoli and
rouge and buffs, don't you? And if you are in & out quickly as you
solder

A little cleanup isn’t the problem. The garnets on the back of the
neckring are the issue. Don’t want to get that area overheated.

Thanks everybody for your input. You’ve given me several good ideas.

Liane Redpath-Worlund