How To Solder - Easy Fool Proof Method - Making Your Own Jewellery
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- Опубликовано: 12 апр 2019
- Soldering is no mystery. Andrew Berry shows you his way of soldering a joint in a ring that he has used for the past 30 years. BUT then shows you a pretty much fool proof method that will guarantee a perfect solder joint every time.
#AtTheBench #JewelryMaking #HowToSolder
Andrew shows you many hints and tips that he has gained from his 30 years experience as a professional goldsmith.
Andrew Berry, a professional jeweller for 30 years, is the training director of www.AtTheBench.com, an award winning on line jewellery training website. 
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I have always struggled with soldering - but I followed your instructions perfectly and have had perfect results on the last 3 projects! Thanks so much Andrew!
Thanks for making a video of this tip. I have been doing it this way for several years and it rarely fails. I teach all my Beginning Metalsmithing students this technique.
I really love how you explain the hand work so clearly. thank you so much
I place my solder on the soldering block, heat up my solder picker,place it against the solder until it forms a ball. Take the heat away, the solder ball is now attached to your soldering stick. Than I place it to the joint, hold it there until it flows,works like a charm. Give it a try Andrew!
Solder balls make less mess/clean up than sheet I think I learned that from one of your videos 😂
I’ve been trying that but I am using 999 silver and it melts every damn time.
That's really an awesome tip Andrew. And what's interesting and good too see is that even after 30 years you are changing and adapting you methods of how you do such things as well.. Can't wait to try it out for myself.. An really surprised on how little solder u actually used. Thank you
THANK YOU FOR THE HELP , IT MEANS A LOT
Your classes are a pleasure to watch and then try !!!
Love your videos, you explained very well the process👍👍.
Thanks again Andrew. Great method.
Fantastic video thanks
Thank you for sharing another great tip. 🇨🇦😎
Great advice thank you
Really useful. Can’t wait to try both techniques
I love the way you teach. Brilliant. Thank you
Your videos are so helpful! I feel so fortunate to have found such a fabulous teacher! Thank you so much Andrew!
Excellent
Thank you so much. I am new to silversmithing and have had frustrations. This method makes more sense. Thank you!!!
Love it!!! I also just recently saw someone do this and I thought it was great. Now seeing you give it a thumbs up, well, I’m convinced. Thanks for all you do for us! 😎🌵👩🏼🎨🔨
Great video
Simple and right to the point. 👍
I've learned so much from your video's
Thank you, Thank you
Your methods seem (no pun intended) to be so foolproof, and I am sure it'll work for me, too. thank you!!
This is great advice! I have used this method a long time. I find pulling the solder up is better than trying to pull it down. Good videos Andrew
I was all puffed up when I realized that I have been doing something you are just starting to do on this video! When making a bezel, a chain or a ring, a always put the solder under the join. It works brilliantly!! I figured it out myself.
Everything else I rely on you for:)
Your'e a Master ! THank you !!!
I’m new to watching RUclips & frequently I stop watching because too much time is spent looking at tools needed, watching set up, hearing about the person etc.etc. So, my very 1st time I watch you, you simply get down to business, THANK YOU! You are a breath of fresh air. And your soldering tip is fantastic, will be trying it as soon as I get back to my bench. peace✌🏼
I saw another smith do things this way and have been relying on it for the best joins I've made in my very short career. I haven't been fluxing the solder, but I see the wisdom in it and will be doing that from now on. Thank you for demonstrating this method!
Love your Tutorials Andrew thank they are a great help for a beginner. All I need now is the confidence to get my equipment out and practice, before I try to make my son some cabochon set cuff links for his 40th birthday in three weeks! 🤞🍀 xx
I always use your 2nd method. Works perfectly every time. Thanks.
where have you been Andrew, this also works great for bezel soldering, just feather the flame over the bezel and bingo easy, as always great video never tire of watching them look forward to the next, take it easy old feller take care all the best.
Thank you!
Love watching you work Andrew.
Me too, I love the hair, Andrew's like a fabulous mad (in a great way) scientist, and a master instructor - many can do, fewer can teach!!
Goodmorning Mr Berry. I solder this way (2nd way)since a long time and for a normal ring it's much better indeed than the first way. Thank you for sharing your tutorial..always very usefull. Have a nice day. Mieke
Thanks! Thanks!! Thanks!!! Now I believe - soldering is possible. Even for me))) You are really great teacher!!
It was magical! LOL! 😀 As you may know, I've been following you for a little while now but it's only been in the last couple of weeks that I've tried using solder. I've seen many hours of your videos but not this particular video until I searched for it tonight after I'd successfully soldered a copper ring using your option 2. I'm sure I saw you do it this way in another video though or I probably wouldn't have thought of it. I was having trouble getting my solder positioned. I finally got frustrated and it dawned on me to set the join on top of the solder (I remembered what you said about solder flowing to the hottest area). I fluxed everything with 20 Mule Team Borax (which worked like a charm!) and then torched it. It was almost like magic watching the capillary action making the solder defy gravity! I was so proud of myself!😊 I almost wish I could show it to you especially after the one solder disaster I had.🤣 I'm practicing using 10 and 12 ga copper round wire. My solder is 20 ga silver wire solder that I hammer flat before snipping a tiny piece off. The contrast color helps me see and know when I've used too much so hopefully, I'll have a feel for it when I begin soldering silver pieces so I'll have minimal waste. Sorry for the long comment but I was so excited and I can't thank you enough for the lessons and inspiration. I'm not sure I would've ventured into bench jewelry had I not seen some of your very clear and concise tutorials. Thanks!!! 😊
Brilliant video for a beginner as I am! Many thanks, Andrew! Followed your advice and the results were perfect. I was amazed at how easy it was to cut through even a fairly thick width of sterling. ;}
Hi Andrew another way I have seen ring joints soldered ( A real old school Jeweller ) is to place the solder in the joint between the two ends, this was done using sheet solder flattened further with a hammer I have not tried it myself
I have done it that way and whilst it is a good method it dos rely on a bit of tension to hold the solder in place and that little bit more to force the joint together once the solder melts
Interesting
I read this somewhere years ago and have always soldered rings this way. I still have much to learn but there is an awful lot of information put up by people who are generous with their time and knowledge, so thank you for this. My problem is soldering fiddly bits onto bigger pieces and I think you really have to keep practising as you forget techniques very quickly (well I do) something to do with muscle memory?
I saw you heating up a piece of solder and make it bubble up in a tiny ball in one of your other video’s. When would you use that technique and when not, like in this video?
Thanks for all the info Andrew!
Hi Andrew, I love your video's. I'm new to soldering and I've watched your video for basic soldering. I'm making a ring and I cut the ends flush and I added flux to the piece, do I have to use special silver solder to melt on the ring or can I use a small piece of silver? Why doesn't the silver melt. I need help!
Can you use this method to solder a bezel wire to a pendant back? I love your videos and have watched EVERY one.
I was taught to solder ring shanks the second way and have never had any issues. I prefer to pick solder if the ring isn't able to be laid directly on to the block to save messing around with sticky flux etc
Have you ever done a type of soldering, where you melt a puddle of solder, on a flat piece of metal. Then you take your piece of decorative wire and place it in that puddle, heating it up, to where the solder coats the wire. Then you place the wire on the flat piece of metal, that your working with, and your wire solders to your flat piece of metal. This method is to avoid overflow of solder onto your piece of metal, so there isn’t any solder clean up. I can’t remember the name of this type of soldering-maybe flood soldering? Not sure. I’d really love to see you do a video on this.
sweat soldering?
i wonder if the alternative solder method is more effective when soldering small or lighter pieces, such as a light gauge bezel wire or a delicate repair on a light gauge ring for example.i will certainly give it a try.
I also place the ring on its side with the solder inside-even if the pallion moves, it can’t go far. And the solder is on the inside, so less clean up.
great instructions - do you have specific info. to work with hard silver solder? - I cannot get it to flow when soldering a .925 ring - I'm sure that others have the same problem, so a tutorial on working with hard, medium & easy solder would help.
Do have any tips on getting joint 100 % contact in the fitting ? My bezels often come up short on complete flow to one or both edges due to less then 100% I have compensated for that by starting with a taller bezel and sanding it flat on each edge, thereby wasting time and material. How can I achieve a proper "no daylight" fit where the ends meet efficiently ?
Thank you for your great videos.
Thank you Andrew for the wonderful video. You have inspired me to make jewellery of my own that I am proud off. I tried using sterling silver wires to make my ring but I am stuck with soldering part. I don't know which solder to buy. I tried searching for solder specifically for sterling silver but can't find any in my area. Will a lead free solder do instead? PS: I have never soldered anything in my life ×_×. A bit scared but I want to give it a try. It's exciting!!!!
A lot of sellers on etsy have all the silver smith materials and tools you will ever need if you do not have local shops that supply them. Start with medium solder :]
I do place my bands on top of the solder, so much easier and foolproof. So here’s a good question for you Andrew, I’ve made hundreds of bezels and have always placed my solder snips on the inside of the Bezel when soldering to the backplate. These snips are the same size as yours in this video. Recently, I’ve seen several people using larger (wire solder) snips, that are about 1/4” long, so they’re not cutting as many, and they are placing them outside of the bezel. Wondering what your reflections on this are and does it make a difference in the constitution of the final result. ? Thanks so much for all of your fantastic videos. 🙏
I've been sitting the jump ring on top of the snipet of solder - but - in another video you picked up the snipet with the pic. Is there an easy way (other than melting the snipet) to carry it to the jump ring? Thank you so much.
Wow I am flabberghasted,This to me indeed is defying gravity.But My goodness this would save so much time,grief,energy and supplies.I also just in the last year have been watching your videos and not sure why someone with your talents would bother with us but so very grateful that you do .God bless you Andrew for your time . I do have a question because I am confused and watch a lot of you tube .My question is when to use pickling and Liver of sulfur? A fresh water bath versus water with baking soda bath . I haven't tried any of this yet because I want to make sure that I have everything I need to do the job before I start. Otherwise what would be the point? Help.
Baking soda neutralises acid. So i wouldn’t use it with liver of sulphur
Thank you. On my first ring. Did not use enough math in the beginning, plus using paste solder added up the mistakes. I will use strip solder next and start with this method.
Any tips on getting the right thickness without a rolling mill? Starting from a 3/4 ounce silver bar and using hand tools. Thanks.
Earl of Sandwich you can buy the strip solder in the correct thickness and correct alloy. You have hard, medium and soft solder. Always do the first soldering in a hard solder, if you have to solder something else on the same piece, use a medium and maybe use a soft solder for very small parts. If you don’t have complicated pieces and only want to buy 1 type of solder strip to try, buy a medium solder 😉
I like to put the joint on top of the solder, to keep it trapped but I'm seriously confused now, as I'm sure I picked that up from quite an old video of yours...
I have a question about the soldering blocks you use. Is there a a rule about the use of different soldering blocks, charcoal, honeycomb etc..
Wow, I didn't know ti can flow upward :)
Hi Andrew, I just can't get the sizing right for rings what am I doing wrong please could you do a video just on sizing?
Your videos are so easy to follow thank you so much for sharing with us.
I have the same probleme. After sandpaper and file it's not the right size.. thank you
Yes Andrew, A video on ring sizing would be most helpful. Thank you very much!. Your videos have taught me so much! Wishing you a beautiful day!
did you decide not to use firescoff going forward?
Hey Andrew, how can you easily tell if your flame it hot enough for soldering vs too hot/not hot enough? Every time I solder, it seems I am waiting quite a long time for the solder to melt and slide in between joints or in between a collett and a ring. I unfortunately ruined a ring because of my bad technique :/
Thank you for this demo. I use a charcoal block and put the ring in a third hand with the joint down and lay the solder chip on top. I can't do your new way with the chip on the block because of bits of charcoal getting stuck on the solder, right?
Too can do it my way with a charcoal block with no problem
This demo reminds me of a question to ask: We are taught to create a bit of tension on rings and jump rings to get the metal to snug together in preparation for soldering the join together. That done, I find that sometimes the heating relaxes the metal and the ring opens up - this even if I anneal before (or am using dead soft). What do you think/do for this situation? Thanks, heaps. Oops, one more important one: why is paste solder inferior? I've heard that it is, but never why. Thanks again and again...
Try using binding wire for larger rings that can spring open. Paste flux tends to pit when used for larger surfaces and isn't great if you need to solder additional steps. It breaks down for lack of a technical explanation. Hope this helps!
Great info! But at what point does one decide which type of torch to use on which type or jewelry piece? For example, do I use a propane small torch on a 16 gage cuff? Or do I use acety/oxy torch? My concern is to avoid fire scale. TIA :)
Use the largest torch you can to do the job. The less time a piece is heated the less chance you have of getting fire scale on it.
can I use this technique for copper jewellery i.e use same borax and solder wire, I'm a beginner
Hi do you use hard medium or soft solder also can you make a sheet out of your scrap silver and use that
+Mike Spence I usually use hard solder. The high melting point solder. Yes you can melt down the scrap silver and roll it out
Hi Andrew. Based on your instructions, I've dutifully bought myself the borax cone and dish from a reputable supplier. I have a real hard time getting it to make a creamy solution as you describe. The borax cone feels really hard, almost like a rock. I've also read the Safety Data Sheet and it says it contains 15% caustic potash. Is it safe to handle it with bare hands? Wouldn't it be easier to just use Borax powder with water? Your advice would be really appreciated. Thanks for the wonderfully instructive videos.
The cone is really hard and the dish has to be unglazed. You do have to rub it hard on the dish for a minute or so with some water at the start
Huge other question: Why do some (many) teachers say to pre-polish certain areas because you won't be able to reach them later" before doing an additional soldering step? I have never had a polished surface remain so after ANY soldering step. Thank you so much, Andrew.
By polishing you are removing all marks. After you have soldered the surface is still smooth and polished but not high shine. It Faust takes a quick go in a mag polisher, tumbler or a wipe with a polishing cloth to restore the high shine
Plus it is usually easier to pre polish with nothing soldered onto it. You get a more even polish and it is often easier
@@Atthebench I am sending you a huge hug for answering that question, sounds like basically, if you have no nasty scratches no need to pre-polish unless you need the surface to be as smooth as possible before adding another piece via soldering. Phew! Thanks so much! THAT actually makes sense!!
Hi Andrew, love your channel. I've learned so much in the one day I've been watching. I'm not a jeweller or a student( more of a backyard DIY junkie) but I have decided to undertake the daunting task of my own engagement/wedding rings. My question is, can I use some excess melted gold( perhaps hammered quite flat) in lieu of soder or should I just try to buy the smallest amount of solder possible. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Cheers
-Jeff
Jeff Hall what a nice idea that you’ll make your own wedding rings!
Solder has a lower melting point (different alloy) than 18ct gold, so you should buy just a very small piece of solder. Good luck!
@@korneliajewelry I thought that might be the case. Maybe I'll try working something out with my local jeweller. Thanks for the help kornelia jewelry
Cheers
-Jeff
Even better do the second way but ball up the solder first. That way the piece is raised and the flame hits it easier. Then the piece collapses when the solder flows
Hi Andrew, great video thank you!
Trying to solder a bangle 2mm wire but every time the solder
Goes into a ball and doesn’t flow, can you help me? Every thing
Is very clean. Thanks Helen
Sounds like the metal is not hot enough. Heat the metal and not the solder. The solder will melt when the metal is hot enough for it to flow
Andrew Berry Thank you I will try this, should I keep the flame away from the joint until the metal is hot enough, or keep moving the fame right around the bangle several times? Watch all your videos, they’re Great, thank you!!
Helen Langer Hi Helen, did you manage to solve this issue? I have been having the same issue?
Hayley Ilievski Hi Hayley, I did what Andrew suggested, I heated the metal first and when the flux turned a red colour I I brought the flame onto the solder joint 😊 just have to persevere.
Helen Langer thank you Helen, im glad you made headway, i will keep trying.
I recently bought some fine silver 999 bezel wire and I’ve tried 7 times to solder it and have melted it 7 times now. 😢
I think the choice of method both depends on personal preference and application. The shown methode works well with many simple items, while paillette soldering is in it's right, when you can't rest the item on the solder. When soldering chain, my metode of choice is heating the soldet until it balls up, pick it up with the solder probe, shift the heat to the link and set the ball on the joint, when the link is hot enough. The show method could be used, but I think it requires too much fidelig when the things to be joint are small.
Obviously you are correct in what you say. There are plenty of other techniques one can use under numerous situations but I feel the methods shown in this film are the best for the application shown
What material rings is that .I try this at home and my ring melts
I am using sterling silver
What is the best material to solder a skull ring to a Zippo lighter
Genuine question. Why do jewellers call silver brazing silver soldering?
I suppose because we use silver solder so the act of using solder is soldering
If I ever have the need for it. I would cast weld a piece. What ever it takes to get the job done efficiently. Support the planet Earth. Its the only planet with Beer!
BORAX CAN ONLY BE USED ON SILVER, CORRECT? U CAN'T USE IT ON COPPER???
Yes it works with copper. It also works with brass, silver, gold, platinum, etc...
@@gilbartolomeu ooh ok. Thank you. I never bought it because I read that it didnt work on copper. Now I will purchase it knowing that it does. Thanks again.
I use it on copper and mixed metals - works a treat.
I use it on most anything. I use it on steel when forge welding layered billets.
Excellent