I have a few pieces of sheet silver solder that were given to me bu
are not labeled.
Is there any way to tell what temp/hardness silver solder is other
then comparing melting points?
Tom Kuzia
Hello,
if the sheet bends easy, it’s not hardened. We use to call it
’deadsoft’. When the sheet is springy, it’s hard.
The degree of force to bend that sheet gives you approx an idea how
hard it is. It’s not accurate but it give’s you a hint of the metal
state.
One can give it a stroke with a jewellers hamer, the intendation
aswell as the sound gives you info about the hardenness of silver. How
deeper the intendation, how softer the silver sheet. How clearer the
sound how harder the sheet.
Same procedure can be used with a spring driven center punch where
the intendation of the center punch stroke gives you the info. Make
tree pieces of silver, dead soft, medium and hard, use the
centerpunch methode and keep them to compare other silver sheets. Make
sure that you use the same force each time with that center punch.
Use the same (workbench) surface you used for making the tree
examples. Other surfaces will give you other results.
Other people will give you other methodes. Use the one which helps
you the best.
Enjoy and have fun.
Pedro
Hello,
I have a few pieces of sheet silver solder that were given to me but are not labeled.
I’m sorry for the previous post. I completly misunderstood the
question concerning the silver SOLDER sheet.
However, that question is already answered a few times in previous
topics. A methode I’ve learned my students is:
Use a small piece of brass, silver or copper sheet. Cut tree pieces
of different solder hardness with same dimention (hard, medium and
soft solder). Flux the top aswell as the solder and slowly head up the
brass from beneed using a tripod. The soft solder will melt first,
then medium and as last the hard solder.
Don’t forget to mark them !
The methode I use is again the center punch. One dot is first solder
(soft). Two dots are for medium and tree are for hard. After many
years of working with precious metals I use only hard solder for all
my soldering procedures. Develop the methode which is the best for
yourself.
Have fun and enjoy
Pedro
Take a snippet from each of your unknown silver solders and place
them on a scrap of stirling silver with flux. Allow about 5mm space
between each snippet. Heat the scrap and observe how the snippets
melt and flow. This will give you a good indication.
To refine your results, repeat as above, but this time use one
snippet of your unknown next to a snippet of known that you suspect
to be the same. You will see!
Alastair
Thanks Pedro,
I’ve tried that method with little success but after reading your
suggestion I think I see where I went wrong. I didn’t cut equal size
pieces of solder.
Thanks again,
Tom Kuzia
Thank you Alastair,another good tip and idea for me to try!
Tom Kuzia