From what i have seen in the video
Downsizing a ring
Cut ring
File ring
File solder
Flux ring
Flux solder
Apply heat evenly
Done, but it doesn’t work when i try it. Am i missing something.
Using a butane torch.
Tried multiple times, but not happening.
Any advice will be highly appreciated
The first question in my mind is what material are you trying to solder? Is it silver? Is the solder and flux appropriate for the task. Are you using lead based solder or silver solder? That is a legitimate question if you are very new to the craft. To many people solder is the stuff plumbers use. The same may apply to the flux. Is the ring very heavy and can you generate the heat needed with the butane torch?(That question is as much for me as you, I have no experience with butane as a soldering tool)
Can you send a phot of your set up? Perhaps we can see the solution.
Don
If you want to FaceTime and trouble shoot let me know. I’m constantly resizing rings. Cheers!
Yes silver, please see images. Yes all the equipment is for jewelry making. Ring was silver but overheating, eg. got it red hot, on the attempts before this it didnt get red hot. it’s more like a practice ring now.
I dont have iphone, but new to this, never been good at soldering, used to remap cars. Had to solder wires to ecu, but fried a few ecu’s until i came across the pin method. Is there any similar thing available in jewelry making.
I’m not sure what the pin method is. Are you only having trouble with this particular soldering joint or all soldering joints?
All soldering joints, new to jewelery making.
This ring looks like Copper.
Is it 830, Sterling or something other?
I think videos are a good teaching tool but only if you are using the same equipment as is used in the video. You can rerun the video as often as needed. And actually I’d look into practicing on some copper for awhile. It is cheap enough. Once you get used to the needed heat that allows solder to flow into simple joints you can move onto more complicated projects. Again, I am out of my depth regards to butane. I grew up with Acetylene/air torches and then on to propane and oxygen.
Its 925 silver, looks copper due to heat, oxidation etc. Soon as i file it is shiny silver again.
Yes sounds like a good idea. Thanks.
Hi,
a few thoughts
area to be soldered needs to be clean and free of oxides, body oils, etc…ie: pickle the piece, or use a file or sandpaper to clean the surface…
edges to be soldered must be a tight fit, no daylight should be seen in between
the tip of the blue inner cone is hottest part of flame…
keep the blue tip near piece…keep the flame moving all around the whole piece…do not stop in one place too long or you will overheat or melt it
that bezel setting is a big heat sink to those thinner shank wires…start heating the bezel first…it will take longer to heat up until it is no longer sucking heat away from the wires…then move the flame around the whole piece
if this wasnt a practice piece, protect the bezel solder with a stop-flow agent like yellow ochre, and step down to a lower melting point solder…ie: medium
julie
Ok i think i understand where i was going wrong.
*** bezel setting is a big heat sink to those thinner shank wires ****
I was only heating the thinner shank wires and completely keeping the heat away from the bezel setting.
The video did say practice 300 times, so got to keep practicing.
Much appreciated
In a short amount of time you’ll be an expert! It’s amazing how things like soldering can be so difficult and then become second nature but we have to make all the mistakes! Keep at it.
Yes ofcourse learn from the mistakes, appreciative for the motivation.
Hi,
with sterling silver, because it conducts heat well, the heat runs away from the hottest part…
the conventional wisdom is that one needs to bring the whole piece “up to tempurature”…although sort of “spot heating” does work in small instances…
you move the flame around and around, moderate speed…lingering a bit on the bezel…not to fast not too slow…sort of focusing on the side opposite the wire ends…the heat will travel away, toward the join area…sort of feathering the flame where you “need it to be”…
by this time, the thinner wire will be heated up, and a quick hit of heat at the join and the solder should flow
julie
Yes getting a better understanding now. Thanks
