Hi All,
A friend recently asked me to repair a sterling hip flask that
belonged to his grandfather. The cap of the flask screws on and off
and is held in place by a very thin band of silver in which it is
supposed to turn freely. This band is soldered to a hinge at the neck
of the flask. It is obvious that the band has been repaired a few
times already. This time, the break is right where the band meets the
hinge.
I have two problems. First, it seems like the band has to be in
place, closely fitted around the cap when it is soldered. Does
anyone have a suggestion about how to solder the band closed without
at the same time soldering it to the cap? I have thought of
painting the cap with yellow ochre, but decided to get some advice
before I start.
Second, there is cork inside the cap that has a larger diameter than
the cap’s opening. I suspect that the cork has to be removed before
soldering the band. Are there any good tricks for getting new cork
into position.
Thanks for your thoughts. Michael