Soldering, huh? [Was: - Angela D'Ambrosi]

I love jewellery so I decided to take it up as a hobby.  I've
been at it for about five years and enjoy it very much, except
for soldering!

Hi Angela,
Soldering, huh?
What flux do you use?
And do you use enough of it?
Replenish it during soldering if necessary?

Brian
B r i a n �� A d a m ph/fx +64 9 817 6816
j e w e l l e r http://www.adam.co.nz
a n d �� e y e w e a r �� m a k e r http://www.adam.co.nz/jewel.htm

Soldering is one of the necessary evils you must master if you
are going to make this hobby into a livlihood. Given the fact
that so much of current technology is geared toward making manual
tasks easier for us, the whole format of soldering is mired
solidly in the arcane methods of the middle ages. The whole
routine of positioning pieces, clamping them tightly, clipping
solder chunks, fluxing, adjusting flame, heating, melting,
flowing, withdrawing flame, quenching, removing clamps (wires),
pickling, cleaning, polishing, et al. is most archaic. There is a
machine available from some of the major equipment suppliers
which joins two pieces of metal with a laser. Instantaneously.
Without flux, flame, pickle, mess, or cleaning. It’s a beautiful,
1990’s piece of technology. It costs $40,000. Such is life