Substitute for Yellow Ochre

Jewelry Discussion
1

I have yellow ochre to use as a heat block as I make a silver
teapot. Is there something better than that? I have powdered
asbestos that we used to use in graduate school but I’ll bet that’s
dangerous to use! Can someone help me out? Penelope in Oregon

2

I don’t think of yellow ochre as a heat protector. I use it to
prevent solder from flowing to areas that I don’t want or to prevent
a previously soldered area from solder becoming molten and letting a
seam open up.

Marilyn Smith

3

Try charcoal blocks Penelope, if that fails use olivine that you
have slightly wetted and mold it around what you need to shield. It
will form a hard barrier and will allow the metal to heat proper for
the solder joints.

Ringman

4

You could use typewriter correction fluid (Bic Wite-Out, for
example)…but only the water-based variety, to avoid toxic fumes.
It’s less messy than the yellow ochre. Recently someone introduced
me to a new product called Cold Shield, which is a clear gel that you
brush on and it’s very effective as an anti-flux. I believe Rio
Grande carries it.

Dee

5 
    I have yellow ochre to use as a heat block as I make a silver
teapot.

Penelope, Does yellow ocher act as a heat block?–because that’s not
its function. Ocher is dirt that keeps solder from sticking, but I
don’t know that it prevent heating.

Janet

6

Penelope: One thing that I use that works good is to take a piece of
red polishing compound and scrape it very lightly with a knife, so
you get very thin shavings, and wix them with oil. The shavings
will disolve and you can apply it with a brush, toothpick, etc.
comes off in the ultrasonic quickly.

Doug
<www.alpinecustomjewelry.com>

7 
    You could use typewriter correction fluid (Bic Wite-Out, for
example)...but only the water-based variety, to avoid toxic fumes.

How can you tell it is water-based? I looked yesterday, and all the
Wite Out said it was flammable, which did NOT sound very water-based
to me! Help!

Thanks!
Beth in SC

8

Beth—as I write this, I am staring at two bottles of water-based
Bic Wite-Out. (Blue and yellow package, with the words 'water-based’
clearly displayed on the package and on the bottle label.) …so I
know it exists out there. I bought mine at Staples, but sometimes
they run out of it so you have to ask them to order it for you or
get it online.

I’ve just tried a product called Cold Shield (Rio Grande and
Metalliferous carry it) and I like it even better than the Wite-Out.
It’s a colorless gel that doesn’t leave a residue and keeps
previously soldered joints from melting. …Dee

9

Beth

Cool Paste, Cool Jool or Cool Heat are substitites for Yellow Ochre.

Infact Cool Paste is Ochre powder in a paste format. It comes in
Tubes ready to be used.

I do not know the composition of Cool Heat & Cool Jool.

Regards
Kenneth Singh
karat46@aol.com

10

Substitute for Yellow Ochre The very best thing that I have found is
a product called Stop-Flo. It is an amazing product in that it will
stop the solder from flowing, yet is quite easy to remove one you
have completed the heating of the piece. You simply place the piece
in water to soften the Stop-Flo and it will allow you to take it off
with nothing more than a soft (used) toothbrush. The liquid has to be
applied with a brush and does dry quickly but it is well worth the
price. It never leaves a trace once you have removed it and it
really is very easy to remove, unlike yellow ochre or white out
(that is a true disaster in my book). It is available from the Mine
Shaft in Ft. Lauderdale 954-917-7821. I am looking into making this
one of the products to carry, it is that good. One aside for the
yellow ochre, you can mix the powder with olive oil to make it more
easy to remove than when mixed with water. It still cannot shine a
candle to the Stop-Flo Beth Katz www.myuniquesolutions.com