suitable soldering iron please?

Chickenbrain2009

I would be grateful for advice. I collect silver charms and the chap who used to solder them on has died. The jewellers want a ridiculous amount.:eek: I gather it is quite easy to solder them on, all you need is the right soldering iron for silver to solder the jump ring, plus a station to keep your hands steady etc. I have looked on Ebay but cant find which is the right soldering iron for silver jewellery, have written to a couple of sellers but they say that theirs is more suited to electrical equipment and advised me to get advice! Can anyone advise where I can buy one cheaply? I would prefer to buy one new to save waiting for one to come up second hand, and not know whether it will work properly.

Many thanks

Pam

Stooby2

A quick Google search revealed these sites :-

http://www.kernowcraft.com/jewellery-making-tips/jewellery-making-frequently-asked-questions/silversmithing-soldering-faq/

and

http://www.jewel-toolcraft.co.uk/Soldering-Melting-Equipment_B2UMX.aspx

Fifer

I'd imagine any fine tipped iron would do. Using silver solder is probably more important.

Chickenbrain2009

Thanks, I have got as far as identifying that I need a blow torch not a soldering iron, but the sites seem incredibly technical...after all, all I want to do is melt the ends of the jump ring so they will be joined together and the charm wont come off. There is no point spending a fortune on equipment. I want to save money not spend it.They sell blow torches on Ebay but its still a bit unclear as to whether I just melt to ends of the jump ring and put them together or need silver solder etc. I looked on EHow but again, it seemed far too complicated for the very simple job of joining two ends of metal together.

Fifer

I am not a jeweller, but I think you'd want a soldering iron rather than a blow torch, unless the jump rings are extremely thick and heavy. What has identified the need for a blow torch?

AndysDad

Chickenbrain2009 wrote: »

Thanks, I have got as far as identifying that I need a blow torch not a soldering iron, but the sites seem incredibly technical...after all, all I want to do is melt the ends of the jump ring so they will be joined together and the charm wont come off. There is no point spending a fortune on equipment. I want to save money not spend it.They sell blow torches on Ebay but its still a bit unclear as to whether I just melt to ends of the jump ring and put them together or need silver solder etc. I looked on EHow but again, it seemed far too complicated for the very simple job of joining two ends of metal together.

I agree with fifer you don't need a blowtorch.In the wrong hands you will do more damage than good.All you need is a fine tip soldering iron
about 25-40 watts (preferably temperature controlled) and some decent silver solder.If you use a blowtorch you will have very little control over what you are melting.

DavidFx

You can only use a soldering iron with soft solders such as tin/lead alloys. Silver solders are hard solders and require a blowtorch due to the much higher melting point. Solders have a melting point less than any of their constituents - so a sliver solder (high % silver) will melt before the silver does.

Fifer

You learn something every day.

tonyh66

This is why the jeweller wants a ridiculous amount. there's skill involved.
Try looking for a local crafts person who makes silver stuff (craft fairs or try posting for help on cooksonsgold craft forum)

sillygoose

If you want to 'solder' with pure silver then yes you do need a blowtorch (more like a mini gas torch)

But if you just want to attach something with a bright joint but are not worried that there will be a small amount metal of alloy other than pure silver, then yes you can use a normal fine tip soldering iron. silver & tin solder is quite common now as lead and tin is so toxic. It has up to 4% silver in it and melts at about 215 degrees. A typical soldering iron will be up over 400 degrees so will work fine.

You would need to practice a bit, the solder contains a line of flux in it that as it gets hot cleans the surfaces so the solder bonds but its a matter of getting your heat and timing right to melt the solder, release the flux allow it to work and the molten solder to flow and bond, then a steady hand until it cools enough to solidify nice and shiny. You need to get enough heat into the things your joining first with the soldering iron so the solder melts coming in contact with them (you don't put the solder in the iron tip). Without putting so much heat in you melt anything else.

Go have a look in your nearest Maplin, get everything there at reasonable price.

Fifer

That's the silver bearing solder I remember using with an iron a few decades ago, repairing test equipment with components mounted on silver plated ceramic stripboards (old valve based tektronix scopes and signal generators).