I learned how to solder in 1989. I was in the US Army and went to school and learned all of the basics of electronics and and how to repair electronic boards. My job in the US Army was to repair radios so we had to know how to fix a radio in the field. I am glad that I went through that class, but back in 1989 I would never have thought I would be using my skills for jewelry!
I wanted to write an article about soldering because I found lot of information in several different places. I thought it would be nice if I put all of the supplies you will need for soldering jewelry on one page :) I am also listing tips for buying and using the supplies. I am sure someone has struggled to find all the information on one web site page.
I will say there are many videos on www.youtube.com for learning things about soldering.
You can teach yourself but it might be better to learn from someone in a class. I will be teaching my client how to solder and all the little things you need to know while soldering. I think soldering is fairly easy to do it just takes practice to be precise in jewelry making. Soldering a copper pipe is very different from soldering tiny pieces of stained glass. I am really excited about the project we will be making. I have sketched out my design. See below the necklace we will make. My client's design is a different from my design. I am sure both of our necklaces will evolve as jewelry designs often turn out different than the original sketch. :) Sorry for the bad pic lol it's from my cell phone. Hey why don't some of you make one and send me a picture of it and I will feature you here on this blog. That would be fun if my blog inspired many of you to make something beautiful.
Please see all resources and links down below just in case you want to order these supplies online or just for browsing to get an idea of prices. Please note that all products online might not be available at the stores. You must call the store to find out if special products are in stock. Most of these supplies are kept in stock at the stores. The more specialty items are more likely to be online only. I like to go to the store so I won't have to pay for shipping.
Basic Supplies
Lead Free Solder : most solder you find is lead free. Lead free is necessary when making jewelry.
I found it fairly cheap and all of your local hardware stores have this product.
Soldering Iron: This iron is usually under $10 dollars at your local craft store or hardware store. It usually comes with a roll of solder also. You will need a sponge to clean your tip. You have to keep the tip clean and shiny or it will not solder correctly. Be sure you are using the right tip for the job.
There are many sizes and shapes of tips. When soldering stained glass it is suggested to use the screwdriver tip.
Micro Torch: This is a butane torch. I bought this at Lowe's and it also came with bottle of butane and soldering tip.This is not a mandatory tool for soldering stained glass jewelry. I think these torches are a lot hotter than the soldering iron. You can use this torch for other designs in soldering jewelry. The soldering tip is needed for more precise soldering. Some pieces of jewelry will require the soldering tip and other designs can handle the torch. The torch is good for fusing metal. I think it is cool because it came with the soldering tip. It was under $20 dollars for the kit. If you don't have a Lowe's then I am sure you have a Hobby Lobby or JoAnn's Fabric and Craft Store or any other Hardware store
Link below features a micro torch in an online store.
http://www.firemountaingems.com/itemdetails/H203047TL
Regular Torch: There are many sizes and types of torches. I suggest you google jewelry torch or mini torch and see what results you find. I have heard people call it a plumbers torch. Here are some links I found for buying small torches used for jewelry making. You can also find a lot of info on using a torch on http://www.youtube.com When using youtube just go to the search bar at the top and type in "using a torch" or "using a torch for jewelry making" You will find informative videos about using a torch.
Link Below features a torch
http://www.firemountaingems.com/itemdetails/H203441TLh
Flux: this can be any many forms. Some types are more expensive than others. I use the paste type.
You can find this at the hardware store. I just bought a small jar and it will last a long time. I bought one of those packages of cheap small brushes to apply the flux. You can usually get a set of 5 brushes for under 3 dollars at the craft store. The brand of flux I bought is Lennox
Here is a link for the type of paste I use. I bought the 1.7oz Make sure the flux is : Water Soluble and for use with any lead free solder. Most flux is water soluble.
http://www.lowes.com/pd_98948-1411-WS78091_?PL=1&productId=3136979
Pickle Solution: This is needed for cleaning the flux and or oxidation from your piece after soldering. You want to be careful when using the pickle. Quench your piece in water before dropping into the pickle solution so you don't have splatters. Pickle solution can be used hot or cold. Hot solution works faster than cold solution.You can use a mini crock pot , coffee pot or a glass casserole dish with a lid. A lid will slow down the evaporation of the solution. Do not let the pickle solution boil if you are using it as a hot solution. You can buy the solution or make it yourself at home. Sparex and ProCraft Pickle are a couple of brands you can buy. I have also listed below a link to buy it online. I just went to the dollar store and found a glass bowl with a lid for my pickle. I have had friends tell me they found mini crock pots at thrift stores. After I am finished for the day I can just put this away under the sink. The solution is reusable. Please don't use this dish for food. You will need to make new solution from time to time.
Keep in mind that you are working with chemicals and need to be careful in how you use them and dispose of them. Please note you might want to use protective gear like gloves and eye goggles. To discard old pickling solution, add baking soda to it and let it bubble. When the bubbling slows down, it is okay to flush it down most drains.
You can use home products for your pickling solution. There are other things available if you don't want to use home recipe. I find that you can brush a bit of flux on after quenching the metal then drop into the solution. Warm solution takes about 15 minutes and cold solution takes longer. I haven't pinned down a time but I just leave it in cold solution for about an hour then clean off my piece.
With some pieces I use steel wool to polish the metal. It polishes the piece and I think it looks good. I am using a patina solution on this project so this will aid in an antiqued type look on the piece. It is just your preference and some trial and error will be useful to find what kind of look you want for the jewelry piece. It also depends on the type of wire you are using.
Here is a link for solution you can buy from the internet. You can also "google" pickling solution for metal.
http://www.riogrande.com/Product/Rio-Pickle-for-Non-Ferrous-Metals/5010233?pos=1
If buying a pickle solution make note of the different types of solutions available. There are more than one type of solution depending on the type of metal your are using.
Recipe for Pickle Solution: Vinegar and Salt. 1 cup of Vinegar and tablespoon of Salt
You can use this solution with copper and other metals such as sterling silver.
Copper Tongs: use these for grabbing pieces out of the pickle solution. The copper tongs do not contaminate the solution.You can find these in your hard ware store or some craft stores.
http://www.nationaljewelerssupplies.com/p/ETTWZ92001.html
Copper Foil : This is needed if you are using stained glass or regular glass in your project. You can find this at Hobby Lobby or JoAnn's Fabric and Craft Store. Wrap the foil around the piece then brush flux on the foil. Then use the soldering iron with solder to seal the glass. Move the soldering iron across the foil to get a nice layer of solder. You want to be sure and keep adding flux each time you add solder. This helps the solder flow. It takes a bit of practice to make clean solder lines on the piece you are working with.
Stained Glass scraps: I found a local stained glass supply store and they only charged 1.75 per pound. You can also find glass at craft stores. Sometimes glass can be very expensive if purchased in large squares. I think buying the scraps is a better idea. I am sure most cities have a stained glass store. I was lucky and found one about 2 miles from my house.
http://www.merry-go-roundstainedglass.com/
Glass Cutter: you can find this at a stained glass store, online or craft stores. There are inexpensive and expensive cutters. I am not sure if all craft stores carry the cutter. You might even find them at the hardware store. I bought the $5 dollar cutter and it works just fine, however I like the more expensive cutter because it scores the glass easier and better. Use this tool to score the glass before breaking. You can use the cutter for any shape you choose. Score and then break.
Here is a link to the glass cutter that I bought. This is the same type I bought from the stained glass store. Well mine is green lol.
http://shop.hobbylobby.com/products/steel-wheel-glass-cutter-158006/
Grozier Pliers: This tool is needed for breaking the glass after you have scored it. I found these at the stained glass store and they were blue and hard plastic and cost $5 dollars. I am not sure if craft stores have the plastic pliers. I did find the metal pliers at Hobby Lobby. I think I feel safer with the plastic. The plastic pliers work very well. I found some metal ones on the internet and using a gentle upward rolling scrapes the glass edge (grozz) against the serrated teeth removes unwanted glass flares. This removal of grozz is known as grozing. I have tried to break the glass by hand and it is not as affective as the pliers.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Breaker-grozier_pliers
Please see all resources and links above and below just in case you want to order these supplies online or just for browsing
Resources:
http://www.ehow.com/how_4999815_make-pickle.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Breaker-grozier_pliers
http://www.merry-go-roundstainedglass.com/
http://etsymetal.blogspot.com/2010/09/eco-friendly-jewellery-pickle-solution.html
Ok folks this is all I have for now on information for making jewelry with a soldering iron.
Thanks for reading and hopefully this will inspire some of you to make something new.
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