Bari, you should take the clip ons apart, before soldering, and
reassemble after. Curtis
I started using screw backs…although I am sure this is the
cowards way out. Although I did get a positive response to them.
Karen
Bari, Are you talking about earring clips? Many of these clips
are made in two parts and you have to remove the clip part before
soldering the hinge and you put it back after. If you are skilful
with steel hammers you can try to hammer on clips to give them
their hardness, then file and sanding. Watch for metal
deformation. I hope it helps if we are talking about the same
thing.
Vincent Guy Audette
Aloha Bari, I really don’t want to ask this,but, did you
disassemble them first? Doesn’t sound like it. Remove the omega
back, solder on the lug w/hinge section, refinish the soldered
part, reassemble and final polish as usual. This is a good habit,
even in gold. Sounds like you annealed the omega spring back. If
you did remove it (prior to soldering), maybe you just need to
adjust the spring tension.Have Fun!
Regards,
Christian Grunewald
Precision Modelmaking
Hawaii
Are these the clip on’s which come in two parts? If not, then
that is part of the problem . . . anything with a spring will not
hold tight if the spring is heated. . .
If, these are the two part clips, then make sure that the base
is standing on the little square (this is the smallest part) part
. . . the "ears (two of them with holes) should be pointing to
the right and the left of the back of the earring. (not easy to
solder, but you won’t get any tension when you attach the other
piece if it isn’t done this way.)
Without pictures, this is very difficult for me to explain!!! : (
On the fanned part, make sure that the middle is over the edge
and the parts that slip into holes are under the edge. If it is
still loose, bow the middle part a bit with round nose pliars.
(so the bit that goes over the edge is tighter against the edge.)
Hope this makes sense! It took me a while to figure out how to
do this, I had to study a picture in a Rio Grande catalog for a
few minutes.
Clip-ons are a pest alright. With any earring finding that holds
to the ear by means of tension, you’re gonna find that soldering
them in their complete form will take all the springy tension out
of the metal. Just take them apart first. The base that solders
to your piece isn’t the part that squeezes… it’s what attaches
TO the base that is springy. This goes for all types, those flat
flange types you get on costume, omega-backs, euro-wires. You
may have to clip a wire or drill out a hinge before you solder. I
find it much more efficient to just buy my ear-clips in
unassembled form.
If you were working with inexpensive silver parts, you might
just want to re-order the findings and put the fresh clips onto
your already soldered bases. Beats attempting to workharden then
make the old ones presentable again.
Jane
Bari, In most clip-ons, the tension is provided by the long
rectangular shaped of metal in the center of the part that goes
behind the ear. If this is the kind you are using perhaps the
heat of soldering combined with “a quick open and close right
after you soldered to see if it worked” bent the rectangle out
away from the ear and loosened the tension. If this is the case
take a pair of flat nose pliers and carefully squeeze across the
whole piece to return it to the proper tension. A variation of
this can also be the problem with nicer clips - the ones with
smaller pads behind the ear. You just have to locate the tension
point–often WELL hidden–and find the proper tool to tighten.
Now, if they actually have springs that’s a question for Peter
’cause I have no ideaJoyce
A fellow jewelry artist uses a product called , I believe Cool
Jool or other heat shield product to protect delicate parts from
heat while soldering. These products are sold primarily as heat
shields for stones, but can be used for metal parts such as those
on clips for earrings.
Nice Lady