Reply To: Soldering

[david pierce]

Twoess,
Soldering in all cases follows a few basic principals:
1) The surfaces to be soldered must be clean. This is almost always done by sanding the surfaces with some form of sandpaper or emery paper. In most cases copper based metals are the materials being bonded together. These metals get an oxidation layer that must be removed in order to get a good bond.
2) Hot solder will not stick well to a cold part. The part must be heated to the proper temperature and the solder will flow onto and into the hot part.
3) Rosin core solder is primarily for soldering electrical wires and other electrical components. For non electrical applications such as pipe joints and your application, solid non core solder and an acid paste flux is a better choice. For delicate work such as this hammer the solder into a smaller size to avoid getting too much solder on the work. Select a low temperature solder to help avoid damaging your part.
4) A jewelers torch is a good heat source for the process but it is going to require practice in order to avoid destroying your part. Therfore, practice on pieces of scrap dials until you develop a feel for the process.
5) There are probably numerous videos available on YOUTUBE that cover jewelry soldering. Watch them.
david