Introducing - Ako Shirotani (Japan)

Hi, all.

My name is Ako Shirotani and I joined the list about a couple of
weeks ago. Finding this forum was the most exciting thing since I
entered the internet world! I graduated Fashion Institute of
Technology in NY 10 years ago and now I work out of home in
Japan.

Recently I’ve been working with copper a lot and I’m trying to
get this really intense red by heating and then quenching it. So
far I had the most success by heating the piece face down on a
charcoal block with a big reducing flame and throwing it in warm
water saturated with borax while it’s still red. This works well
when the piece is about 0.5mm thick, but I haven’t had much
success with bigger, thicker pieces. Also, anything soldered on
the piece will not stay on.

Please, could anyone help me?

Ako Shirotani

That is ao oxide and will interfere with soldering- clean to the
copper base where you solder with an abrasive. Hard soldering to
copper is tricky at best. Use a paste flux and a reducing
(bushy) flame.

Good luck!
Rick Hamilton

Richard D.
Hamilton,Jr.

Goldsmith

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

@rick_hamilton

Also, anything soldered on the piece will not stay on.
Please, could anyone help me?

Hi Ako, try riveting, Craig