Tin-Lead Solder

Jewelry Discussion
1

An associate used a firebrick to solder an 18K gold bezel. Someone had
used the firebrick and left tin-lead solder on it. The tin-lead blew
a hole in the gold a 1/16 of an inch in diameter and is still visable.

Is there a chemical soak (nitric acid) that will disolve the
tin-lead?

Thanks,
Bill in Vista

2

You can remove tin/lead residues with HCl, hydrochloric acid,
sometimes sold in dilute mixtures at hardware stores as muriatic acid.

best
Charles

Charles Lewton-Brain/Brain Press
Box 1624, Ste M, Calgary, Alberta, T2P 2L7, Canada
Tel: 403-263-3955 Fax: 403-283-9053 Email: @Charles_Lewton-Brain

3

William,

The lead in the tin-lead solder as you have found out, eat up gold
above 250 deg Celsius. Therefore lead has always to be removed before
you heat up some jewelry. You can use Ferric chloride to solve the
tin-lead. Leave it in the solution one night. However some old, white
gold types have problems with this chemical. But with yellow or red
color golds it is no problem.

4 
  Is there a chemical soak (nitric acid) that will disolve the
tin-lead?

Hydrochloric acid…also sold as Muriatic acid (diluted
hydrochloric). Not as strong, but works and is more readily
available.

Just soak in a plastic container until the lead is gone. I usually
float a small container in my ultrasonic. Seems to speed the
process. Be careful to not fill the container to the point of
possible sinking unless there is a top on the container.
Makes for a chemical soup that may not be too healthy.