I have looked through the learning area on Ganoksin and couldn’t find any reference to the useful use of self bent titanium soldering clamps. I originally posted this info in 2013 on Orchid and I thought perhaps the new controllers of the site could add some info to the learning centre.
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Hi @jamesmiller046 - thanks for posting this, and for wanting to contribute to our learning center content! Once @leah-ganoksin-admin and I get all of the bugs ironed out, our next task (probably over the next month or so) is to completely re-work the learning center, and relevant Orchid threads like this one will appear there in their appropriate location automatically. We didn’t have the time to do it before this first revision, but it’s next on the list.
If you are interested in the details of what we are doing, feel free to read on. If not, I won’t be offended.
Basically we are going to be changing the learning center from being “content-type” focused (videos, articles, etc) to being topic focused.
Presumably someone is looking for information on “soldering clamps” first (the topic), and then they want to see what type of content Ganoksin has on that topic (videos, articles, Orchid threads, featured products from our advertisers like @RioGrande, etc). You see, right now it is reversed. There are articles that are categorized with one categorization system, videos categorized with another very similar but not identical set of categories, and Orchid threads with information in them related to the same topics.
We are going to re-organize everything so you can browse all of our content on any given topic.
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Hi, I was not sure whether to post this info on the Titanium soldering clamps, I have posted this information on many of the Facebook forums that I belong to and they are usually welcomed as useful information. I have been a Ganoksin reader and sometimes contributor for many years now, my contributions are limited as I am an old UK based goldsmith who didn’t ever make much jewellery, if you do not know my work it was mostly single unique pieces of gold and enamel, set with precious stones, mostly palace furniture for the Arab market. Lee Marshall wrote this piece in one of his newsletters about my work history.
Good luck with the new website.
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Hi James!
Thank you for reposting this information! Very helpful!
I actually saw your original post (I think it was you!) and first investigated and purchased this item from @RioGrande (my “go to” first stop when tool shopping!)
They are awesome soldering helpers…very easy to use, and the titanium does not suck up heat like steel tweezers.
I hear Lee and Brian have also added a similar product, an enameling trivet! to their product line. I need to order those along with a few other bench pin improving things!
Julie
Seth,
I appreciate all that you are doing. The new subject driven search engine will be a wonderful addition. Thanks.
Gene
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Hi Julie, yes the original posting was me as I sent the idea of my soldering clamps to Lee, originally I made them from stainless steel and Lee suggested using titanium and sent me some test strips which I tested and liked. I have a couple of the trivets also, they are great for supporting large items but for supporting or lifting small items off the solder block, I use a couple of Ti strips bent like this.
James
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James Miller,
Great idea! Is anyone selling these? I would buy for raising pieces to solder under.
Best, MA
Hi MA,
I got mine from Rio Grande.
available on the Knew Concepts Website:
available on @RioGrande website
Julie
Hi James!
Do you find the titanium clips significantly advantageous over stainless steel?
Janet in Jerusalem
Yes Janet, the stainless steel clamps would deteriorate over time with use but the titanium clamps retain their shapes and strength no matter how much use they get, they are also better at not extracting heat when soldering.
James
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Just ordered a set of strips. Looking forward to trying them out…Rob
Thats good to know James. I’ve never tried the titaniun clamps because the titanium pics I purchased sold by most suppliers don’t last very long at all before crumpling.
Aurora
I have read from jewelry artists that they are so difficult to bend, they’re not worth the trouble. Can anyone address their experience, please? I myself am not very strong
Thank you
Brenda
Hi, Brenda,
That’s the trouble I’m having. It might be possible to put them in a vise and hammer them into shape, but I haven’t tried that yet. Right now, I’m just stacking them when I need height.
I saw (I think it was) Andrew Berry do a demo of them over on Youtube. He made it look a lot easier than I’ve found it to be.
To be honest, I’d be willing to pay more for pre-formed ones, but I haven’t seen them available that way.
Tricia
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I expected them to be difficult to bend and difficult to saw in shaping the tips. But they were neither. I am very happy with the ones I am using.
Janet Kofoed
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Put the strip in a vise and use locking pliers to bend it.
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Pliers and/or vise. These will work for you.
Is it possible to anneal the strips with a torch prior to bending them?
Thanks in advance for any details.
Patricia
Well, duh! After searching the internet and trying to muddle through lots of technical industry jargon I don’t understand, I just found the answer on Rio’s website:
ANNEALING. Titanium cannot be annealed in a typical shop environment; it requires a vacuum and specialized procedures that are more commonly available in an industrial shop.
