Wow, Richard, I wish you were my teacher! Great post.
Steven, your jewelry is gorgeous! Nice to see curb chains for your
necklaces rather than the box chains. Wish I lived closer so I could
visit.
Hello Richard,
In response to your question about soldering copper with silver
solder.
Yes, you can. Probably someone will discuss using bits of copper to
join copper, but that was not your question.
Just a couple of things. Be sure to put lots of flux (I use Batterns
flux) on the joint, as copper really wants to oxidize (wrong term,
but I can’t think of the right one!). Don’t worry about using too
much heat as copper doesn’t melt until well past the solder flow
temp. This can be misleading for students who will then be soldering
sterling - silver is not very forgiving in this respect.
If you want to conceal the silver joint, you can put the piece in
sparex-type pickle that has gotten really blue from use. The copper
in the pickle will plate onto the silver.
Hope this helps, Judy in Kansas
Love this story Richard. Kids are so grateful to learn something
with a result in hand. What a great way to give them a wonderful
sense of accomplishment. When times are tough they can look at this
piece they have made and remember they can do something good which
translates into feeling good about themselves. Good job!
Tamara Culp
We’re still waiting for the OP to post her apprentice questions
aren’t we?! Unless I’ve missed her second post, but I don’t think
so. I sincerely hope she plucks up the courage to do so. I posted
loads of questions when I starting making silver jewellery, and
everyone was very helpful. Don’t be shy - everyone is friendly.
Helen
UK
Judy in Kansas’s expression ‘copper really wants to oxidise’ hits
the nail on the head.
Reminds me of the joke about: How many psychologists dose it take to
change a light bulb? One! But the light bulb has to really want to
change!!! Copper is really difficult to silver solder as as
she says it really wants to oxidise! Richard’s experiences with
deprived youths reminds me of my own experiences teaching in London
with generally uninterested teenagers, where I had to expel students
from their seats at the end of the period in a school in a deprived
area.
One of those students, a notorious trouble maker, magically became a
top student.
We got him into an apprenticeship in Hatton Garden and he eventually
opened his own business.
David Cruickshank (Australia)
In response to your question about soldering copper with silver
solder.
Yes, you can. Probably someone will discuss using bits of copper to
join copper, but that was not your question.
You can do that? I have lots of copper scrap I didn’t. Know what to
do with… could I use it for that purposee Thanks!
I solder copper with silver solder all the time.
If I want to hide the silver line, I sometimes put a piece of iron
in well used pickle and the silver will become coated with a small
layer of copper to hide it.
Good luck,
Ken Moore
Hi guys,
Yes, copper’s a pain in the tail with goldsmithing flux, but if
you use the white brazing flux (Handy-flux) it’s trivial.
Try that, rather than Batterns or Pripps. (The white paste flux that
looks like kindergarten paste.) Available from welding supply
places, and most serious jewelry supply shops, at least in the
states. Works a treat, and the cleanup’s reasonably easy. Takes a
little longer in the pickle, but copper always takes longer in the
pickle.
FWIW,
Brian
Hi Thanx for all the advice on soldering copper, very useful.
About what I thought but why not get good advice first? I did google
it but only found how to solder copper pipes.
Thanx again
Richard