In need of some help for a soldering workshop, I signed up to take
next week. The instructor told us to bring six simple soldering
projects. I have a box ring, necklace bezel and large jump rings
(which I seem to melt a lot). Any suggestions on what else I could
take. I thank all for sharing your wealth of knowledge every day
with those of us just learning. Also would like to thank Judy Hoch,
as she has helped me more then words can say! PS Judy the tumbler is
GREAT!
Jane
Jane,
Jay whaley is giving a Basic Soldering Workshop, here in San Diego
on the 22nd. If you are able to do so, it will be broadcast live on
Ustream. I will be posting the link so anyone who is interested can
watch as well.
There will be the opportunity to ask questions and receive answers
during the workshop via your computer. I will be manning the
computer at jay’s Studio, and will gladly pass the questions on to
him, and send the answers onto the questioner.
We did this earlier with a Rolling Mill Workshop, and had a limited
audience, via invitation, as we had no clue how it would work. there
were problems, but all in all, it was interesting, informative, and
fun.
There will be people walking in front of the camera, ambulance
sirens, ambient noise, poor audio quality, but so be it.
Now as to projects to practice soldering, ring, ring, rings, all
sizes, all thicknesses of wire. Soldering is 100% loss of fear of
the flame, 100% confidence, and 100% adequate heat. solder one ring
on top of another in a pattern, then solder that to a backing, then
solder a bail to the top of that.
Bottom line is practice until you are comfortable and confident. It
does take time, so give that to yourself. As for that which you have
already melted, gather it all together and melt your scraps to
reuse, nothing ventureed, nothing lost.
Hugs,
Terrie
Hi Jane,
You could take a cabochon in order to make a bezel which you could
then solder onto a backplate. You could also take a largish faceted
stone and fabricate a bezel and a bearer to be soldered inside the
bezel (for the stone’s girdle to sit on). You could make some jump
rings to make a simple link chain, soldering half of them closed and
then linking them together using the remaining jump rings. Heat-sink
the adjacent links with soldering tweezers so that only the jr to be
closed is heated - good for torch control. Perhaps take some half-
round wire and make a simple ring shank, practicing making a neat,
invisible solder joint. You could make and solder a stone setting to
the shank too.
Enjoy your class - sounds like fun. Let us know how it goes.
Helen
UK
http://www.hillsgems.co.uk