Hi Sabine,
Hollow pieces can in truth explode under certain circumstances.
I was soldering a half inch silver dome onto a sheet of silver
with a circle of half round wire on edge as a frame for the dome
and at some point in the process, there was a sound very akin to
a 38 caliber handgun going off in my face. After I recovered
from being stunned for a few seconds, I looked at the dome and
there was a round hole with jagged edges ripped into one side.
It looked like a bullet hole on the opposite side from the
impact side. I was lucky. I could have gotten red hot metal onto
a variety of places on my body, including my eyes. I don’t know
all of the factors that went into this event. I’ve done similar
things before without the explosive outcome.
I sometimes drill tiny holes in places to let steam escape. They
are sometimes possible to disguise, depending on the design.
I’ve been able to drill them in the place where a bezel is
soldered on and then cover the hole with the set stone. They can
be very tiny, the tiniest drill you can find. I’ve also had luck
filing a very small groove with a file in one edge of the
construction that later fills with solder. Another disadvantage
of leaving the hole is that pickle gets inside and can cause
problems later. I try to neutralize it with a syringe and baking
soda, but it can sometimes be a challenge. I heard somewhere
about putting a wire that is the same size as the hole in a flex
shaft and spinning it in the hole and it somehow locks in place
and can be filed flat, but it didn’t work for me. I must not
know the trick, or it is just an old jeweler’s tale. I’m looking
forward to other responses to your questions. Don’t be afraid,
but be careful.
Jima
Jima & Carlie Abbott /N. Calif/ @jica
check out our work on the web at:
http://www.artmecca.com/artwork/jica.htm
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