IT Solder

Jewelry Discussion
21

IT- The other way, it to make the piece, solder on the findings with
the “IT”, THEN do the enamel work. This will works as long as the IT
solder is not where the enamels are to be placed. The formula is not
the kind that should have enamel placed over it. The melting
temperatures of the solder is high and if you are using enamels that
melt at 1400F then you will not have any problem with the solder on
the findings melting, since the temperature will have to be reached
that exceed the melting point of the IT solder. Once solder has
melted, then next time it is going to be melted, you will have to
apply more heat the second time around, thus increasing the
temperature of the melting point. You place all your findings onto
the piece before you do the enamel work. SO… if you want an
pendant with a jump ring on the top, you can place that jump ring on
the piece before you enamel. Source:

http://www.myuniquesolutions.com/page11.html

Product source: Untitled document

Notes:
#IT – Melt: 1345 F – Flow: 1490 F

Notes 2: Source:
http://www.oldengine.org/members/christison/resources/allen.htm 75%
silver braze: Melting point solidus 1365 to liquidus 1450 F

Silver 75%
Copper 22%
Zinc 3%
Tin 0.0%

Made from: 14 quarters, 1 dime, 5 pre 1982 cents, 1 post 1982 cent,
no tin

Good luck,
K. David Woolley
Fredericton, NB

22

Found the IT solder (Hauser & Miller). Apparently it is 80% silver.

Brian Corll

23

Thanks for the recipe Don. I think I’ll just buy some from Hauser
and Miller. :wink:

Brian Corll

24

Hi Brian,

Personally, I hate IT solder. I have trouble getting it to flow and
I hate using black flux (this is what I was taught). Anyway, I use
Eutectic solder in all my enamel applications and have had no
problems with it. I just got some from Thompson Enamel. Enamelworks,
which I think has been mentioned, is another great source. If you
ever have any enameling questions, talk to Bill at Thompson Enamel
or Coral at Enamelworks. They are excellent resources.

Tammy Kirks
Red Bee Designs

25

We had a Korean exhibit his work (a lot of hand made pin hole
cameras hand made of silver) and he developed and uses IT solder
exclusively, smelting his own. I think for him it was a colour thing,
maybe a perfectionist one too. This (1998) was the first time I had
ever heard of anything by Easy, Medium and Hard. In short it has its
place, but your are allowed to hate it.

K. David Woolley
Fredericton, NB

26

Hi Brian

Schlaifer’s Enameling Supplies http://www.enameling.com has the IT
solder that you are loooking for as well as Thompson Enamels
http://www.thompsonenamel.com

Brenda Schack
http://www.brendaschack.com

27

Hi,

One of your own Orchid members, Unique Solutions, Inc., has “IT”
solder in paste form.

http://www.myuniquesolutions.com

Beth Katz
myuniquesolutions.com

28 
I use Eutectic solder in all my enamel applications

I would appreciate being straightened out about this. My
understanding is that a eutectic alloy is the combination of metals
that yields the lowest melting point. If this is so, then eutectic
solder should be extra-easy, and IT is extra hard.

Do I have this wrong? What is the general use of eutectic solder?

Thanks for clarification!
Noel

29

A eutectic alloy is one that goes from solid to liquid without an
intermediate “mushy” state where there are both liquid and solid
phases present. IT solder is not a eutectic alloy, the silver copper
eutectic melts at exactly 1435 F (the lowest melting point of a
copper silver binary alloy). IT solder has a melting range of 1430
to 1460 F. Some binary alloy systems have more than one eutectic but
silver copper has only one. Silver solder is typically an alloy of
silver copper and zinc, the zinc is what lowers the melting point
below that of the eutectic alloy of silver and copper in the silver
solder alloys that melt below the eutectic alloy temperature.

The eutectic silver copper alloy is available as a solder but is
tricky to use as it rapidly alloys with the base metal or alloy and
solidifies as the melting temperature increases due to this alloying
but is excellent for enameling due to this property.

James Binnion
@James_Binnion
James Binnion Metal Arts

360-756-6550

30 
Do I have this wrong? What is the general use of eutectic solder?

EUTECTIC–Melt: 1435 F–Flow: 1435 F
IT–Melt: 1345 F–Flow: 1490 F

Eutectic solder is a solder that contains only silver and copper.
There are no other added metal elements. It is the ideal melting
point for both metals, which happens to be at a lower temperature
then either metal by themselves. Since it only contains those two
metals it can be used to make a solder join on a piece that you wish
to use vitreous enamel. You can be enamel over the seam(s) since it a
pure form of solder with no other additives to cause the enamel to
bubble. It is used for fine silver, copper, or sterling silver.

Source: http://www.myuniquesolutions.com/page11.html

31

Noel is correct up to a point. Some solders may have 3 or more metals
to make them lower melting etc. These have a tendency to pinhole if
overheated. The eutectic solder ( brazing alloy) has the lowest
melting point for the two metals.

The eutectic point temperature is a sharp melting point and the metal
becomes completely fluid.

There is no melting range or mushy zone. Above this temperature the
filler metal is completely liquid below that it is completely solid.

The fluidity has an advantage in some brazing applications in that
the joint makes quickly and completely.

It is also able to come apart quickly if exposed to this temperature
again.

The enamels used for silver and copper fuse at or above the eutectic
temperature so it is not generally a material for enameling.

You may get away with it after a fashion since each time the joint is
heated the solder metal diffuses into the joint and you gradually
raise the melting point of the joint.

IT solder has a high initial melting point and a definite very wide
mushy zone.

Get too hot though and you can melt the parent metal. I usually get
away with using the hard grade since the diffusion effect allows the
joint to stay together with future enamel fusing steps.

For silver-copper the eutectic point is at 72 percent silver

nominal ranges for silver copper brazing alloys are:

		flow point	F		C
copper	 			1981	1083
extra easy			1200	652
easy 				1325	718
medium	 			1360	737
eutectic			1434	779
hard				1450	787
IT				1490	809
sterling			1640	920
silver				1762	961

These are all a typical characteristic and are not neccesarily true
for all suppliers receipes !!

Any solders with flow points below the eutectic will probably contain
zinc (old solders may also contain cadmium} (hard solders and some
enameling solders may also contain zinc up to maybe 7 percent).

Current Thompson copper silver enamels are represented as having a
firing range of 1400 to 1500 F

This could be easily expanded to a book chapter±+if not a book.

jesse