After you solder a clasp to a chain, can it go in the pickle? I’m new
to this so I hope I can find the answer. Thanks, Kathy
After you solder a clasp to a chain, can it go in the pickle? I'm new to this so I hope I can find the answer. Thanks, Kathy
It depends on the type of clasp. Spring rings and lobster claws get
their spring action from a steel spring. You have to take great care
if you’re solding these onto a chain, not to heat up the steel
spring, or it will loose it’s temper, ruining the clasp. And because
steel cannot go in the pickle without attacking the steel, as well as
because the steel can cause the pickle to react such that your piece
ends up coated in copper, the steel springs cannot go in the pickle
either. You can put the jump ring in the pickle, holding the clasp
above the liquid. It doesn’t take long to pickle such a solder joint,
so holding it like this for a few seconds is often enough. Actually,
just your ultrasonic cleaner or just hot water can be enough to
remove flux residues, and you then polish off any discoloration.
Clasps like box clasps and sister hooks and the like, which don’t
have an internal steel spring, can go in the pickle.
It’s worth noting that many spring rings are made with a jump ring
for attachment that’s open right next to the clasp. These are
generally designed so you can simply close the jump ring after
attaching to the chain, and that little ring doesn’t need to be
soldered. The wire guage, heavy relative to the ring’s diameter, and
the ring’s small size are sufficient to keep it closed unless it gets
pulled hard enough to open, and the idea is that if it’s pulled that
hard, it’s better that the clasps attachment ring fail than to have
the chain itself break. Those little jump rings are generally too
close to the steel internal ring to allow soldering with a torch. You
can do it with a laser welder or pulse are welder if you wish, but
it’s not really needed most of the time.
Peter
If it has a steel spring in it NO.