Making the switch to gold

Noel, Beware of the lure of easy solder. Sure, it melts and flows
faster than hard solder, but it also has a tendency to alloy severely
into the metal, leaving large craters or even holes. If you ever
have to go back to repair this piece, your job will be far more
difficult if you use easy solder.

Once you get the hang of it, you can easily do most of your
construction with hard solder, saving the medium solder for the final
solder joints. You will probably want to use easy solder to attach
findings, like the pin backs or clasp. These often come back for
repair, and the job is so much easier if you know that you can simply
heat the joint and remove the old part without the entire piece
falling apart.

I would also suggest that you resist the temptation to use a hot,
oxidizing flame. If you are using an acetelene/air torch, you don’t
have a lot of control over the fuel/air mix, but if you are using
oxy/propane or oxy/natural gas, back off on the oxygen until you have
a fairly soft flame that is just free from showing yellow. Use a good
flux. By using this technique, everything will slow down. The joint
will heat up slowly, the solder will slowly slump, then flow, and you
can continue to hold the flame on the joint until the solder flows
fully into the joint. Oxidation is caused by the oxygen in the flame,
and oxidation will inhibit the flow of solder (just as it will with
silver). Flux will absorb most of the free oxygen until it is
exhausted. Then, the solder just refuses to flow. If you reach this
point, STOP. Pickle the piece and try again. Don’t try to force the
solder into the joint. The best you will get is a poor joint.

Most people that I have worked with have used a hot, oxidizing flame
that is very small, thinking that it is best to get in and out
quickly. This does not work well with hard solder, as it will
probably oxidize just before it melts. This will cause you to hold
the flame on the joint just a second too long…and meltdown occurs.
Everyone that I have shown the soft flame technique to has been
amazed at how much easier soldering is. You have so much more
control. If you use a small, soft flame on silver, you will never get
the solder to flow because silver conducts heat so well. Gold does
not conduct heat like silver.

Happy soldering!
Doug Zaruba

When I make chains I usually use fine silver and fuse the links
rather than solder them. My question is: if I use 18 or 22 karat
gold, is it better to fuse the individual links or solder them?

Dee

  My question is: if I use 18 or 22 karat gold, is it better to fuse
the individual links or solder them?

Whenever I use 22K links I always fuse them if possible. For lower
karats of gold I use hard or medium paste solder. Haven’t had any
problems yet (knock on wood).

Dave