Taking care of rollers

Jewelry Discussion
1

Hello, Yesterday a guy took some silver ingots out of the pickle,
dried them clean and started rolling. This evening I noticed that
appr. 30 per cent of the rollers of my rolling mill look brown. I
took turpentine to take the oil off (he had put oil of them, as he is
supposed to do). I then took a piece of cloth, made it wet with
water, sprinkled sodium bicarbonate on the rollers and started to
whipe. After that, I whiped the rollers perfectly dry and put a very
generous amount of oil on them. Is there anything else I should do?
I am almost perfectly sure that some Sparex got to my rollers.

Kind regards, Leach

2

I keep a can of WD-40 on the rolling bench and when I think of it, I
spray the rolls. This oil thickens after a while so it alway on the
rolls. Since I live next to Lake Huron, we have a big problem with
humidity. My rolling bench is in an unheated room. So maintaining the
Rolls is something you have to do all the time.

I have extra pattern rolls also which I keep in tuperware boxes
wrapped in oil soked towels. The lid is alway on also. I have four
rolling presses. Keeping the rolls as close to the way you get them
when you buy them is ideal. New, a roll alway has a protective layer
of oil.

Jim
Jim Zimmerman
Alpine Custom Jewellers & Repair

3

That’s too bad. I’ve had issues with Sparex not rinsing completely
and causing various problems. Now I dip my pieces into a solution of
sodium bicarb/water followed by clean water. Sure eliminates a lot
of problems.

Jamie

4

Hi Jamie

What is the ratio of sodium bicarb to water that you use? Can you
flux over that before soldering?

Anna

5

Anna,

What is the ratio of sodium bicarb to water that you use? Can you
flux over that before soldering?

The order that I use:

  1. Flux

  2. Solder

  3. Pickle

  4. Sodium bicarb/water (I just shake “some” into the
    quart/litre-sized bowl - probably a teaspoon?)

  5. Plain water rinse

  6. Then, whatever next step you usually do

If you’re asking about enameling flux, I don’t fire enameling-flux
before soldering, I fire enameling-flux after soldering.

Jamie

6

In January I moved from Las Vegas to northeast Ohio. I didn’t know
how long it would be before I took my various tools out of their
packing boxes, so I wanted to coat them against rust before packing
them. I didn’t have anything convenient. so I thought a bit. Ahaa!!
PAM! I went to the kitchen, grabbed the spray can of PAM and used it
to liberally coat everything with vegetable oil. It might not be the
best, and I’ll have to clean things up as I use them, but as an
interim rust preventative it’s better than packing them bare and
hoping for the best.

Mike DeBurgh, GJG
Alliance, OH