i am SUCH a newbie…in the orchid video below, the artist, jeanne
rhodes moen, is using some flux that she is squirting onto the
filigree piece. what is that? can one dissolve regular flux and put
it in a syringe?
thanks, dale
HI dale
That is likely Batterns seff pickling flux that she is using ( or
something like it). I dispense mine for an old Visine bottle with a
hypodermic needle tip on it. File the point off the needle for
safety.
Dave
Uhhh, many fluxes come in a liquid form. You can also buy the squirt
bottle for them. Try Batterns flux. Stuller, Rio or other tool
suppliers carry it. Steve
Wow! I went and watched that movie. We all work in our own way. I
must say though I was set back by the technique… She used more
flux on that piece than I would if I made ten of them!!! BUT… each
one of us has our methods. Certainly NOT knocking the method… just
amazed at how different that was!!
Dale, Don’t put flux in a syringe unless you grind the point off the
needle first and I suggest not using any kind of a needle in the
process at all. I lost a good friend because he put an antiquing
solution in a syringe. He accidentally knocked it off his bench,
tried to catch it and wound up injecting himself in the leg. About
20 surgeries later, he had no leg, no groin area, and everything was
gone up to about his ribcage on one side. Finally, he lost the
battle. Just Don’t Do It!
The lady in the video had a little metal tube stuck into a bottle I
think. As I said at the start… that’s a lot of flux… and it went
everywhere if you noticed. I still prefer to put it on with a
brush… only where the solder is to flow. I might have to pickle
and rinse a few times but it would be easier on my nerves!!! Ha!
Yes, you can dissolve your flake or powder type flux and put it in a
little bottle with a tube on it. I like the Batterns Hard Solder
Flux… already a liquid and I have used it for everything.
Good Luck… NO SYRINGES! NO NO NO!!! Dan.
Since Dan mentioned the danger of syringes (with needles) and there
are some useful applications for them in the shop I thought I would
mention that I bought syringes that had plastic ends on them instead
of needles. It would probably be a far safer solution and they are
cheap. I bought mine from Kent’s tools at the Tucson gem show and I
think I paid less than $1 each. I admit that I have not used them
yet (I am a toolaholic, if a tool is cool and looks useful I often
buy it) but they should work pretty well.
I think Kent’s tools has a website and they are probably available
from other sources as well.
Happy jewelry making!
John Dyer