Thanks for sharing this helpful tip for soldering earring posts @seattlefindings - “When soldering an ear post, make sure to make a notch where your post will sit. It makes a stronger and straighter joint. We like doing this by hand, with a drill bit... more
Here is a DIY soldering station built by @dehvaughn “Built my soldering station on an XL lazy Susan, so my third arm can now be easily rotated along with my piece! The metal pan is a steel stovetop cover and it’s filled with river rocks” LOVE THIS!!... more
Here is a tip that is super helpful for securing things when soldering from @auldmoon “Make horseshoe shapes out of binding wire and stick them into the brick to secure pieces when soldering!” Works great to secure wire pieces! This is awesome! I’d... more
For this #tooltalktuesday @melissa_gisele shared her fume extractor with me! I frequently get asked for solutions to help improve our studio environments, I thought this could be a great option for some - “My current soldering situation is pretty... more
Here is a soldering tip from @kkbmetalstudio - “Use copper pennies (prior to 1982) when you need to hold things in place or as a lift, while soldering! I keep a stack of them around and pickle them when they get gross!” Love this!! Isn’t half the... more
Here is an awesome solution for keeping decorative elements in place while soldering from @thesovereigncrow - ““ I make a lot of wide bands fabricated with various wire soldered to sheet. It’s hard to get wire to lay perfectly flat when soldering down... more
Here is a tip for holding your piece while soldering a hinge (or a multitude of other tricky situations) from @elmharris - “These honeycomb blocks and pins are AMAZING for holding work in place for soldering hinges! They’ve changed my whole hinging... more
Here is a technique for holding a bail in place while soldering from @shinynotions - “I use a honeycomb soldering board with pins. Pins help hold the pieces in place and you can put some under the metal to lift if needed.” Thank you @youmnaelsabry who... more
Here is a soldering tip from @marionwild - “I use binder clips on the ends of cross locking tweezers for help with soldering things in place. I prefer this over the swivel base because it’s using gravity to keep the tweezers in place, making pressure... more
Here is a technique for when you want to solder near fragile item like shells from @sassylemonade - “I’ve been asked a few times about how do I save the shell from getting burnt? I use Vigor Heat Shield, you form it all around the shell. It does get... more
For this week’s #tooltalktuesday I’m excited to show off the Spider Hold Tool and the Mini Spider Hold Down Tool created by @silversmithingretreat These tools are designed to help you position, and secure different elements when soldering various... more
Here is an awesome tip for your soldering station from @metalwerxstudio - “The lip of the soldering table is steel – the magnetic part is in the handle! We bought 2” heat shrink tube and rare earth magnets. To create the magnetic handle you heat the... more
Here is a tip for soldering gold bezels to silver from @susanfauman - “Soldering a gold bezel to silver: Start by closing the bezel with medium or hard gold solder. Check to see the bezel fits the stone well. Sand the bottom edge to ensure good... more
Here is some great advice on soldering granules from @sophie.cunliffe.jeweller - "I love granulation detailing, I have used both fused and soldered techniques in my making. Fused granulation is wonderful however I find it can be restrictive for my... more
TIP OF THE YEAR 🏆 Here is a soldering tip from @marionwild - “I use binder clips on the ends of cross locking tweezers for help with soldering things in place. I prefer this over the swivel base because it’s using gravity to keep the tweezers in... more
Here is a soldering tip from @madalaynas_fire - “To protect elements while soldering I’ve been using a product called Thermo Trap and it is working great! For this example I put a generous dollop of the paste onto the stainless steel chain I want to... more
Here is a soldering tip from @tennessee_rose_jewelry - “I’ve modified something I learned from my teacher and it works great for me. On my soldering board (Silquar High Heat Board) I’ve used an oval template to mark out area for solder bits I’m using... more
Here is a tip for cleaning your soldering brick from @jenivyjewelry - “Thought I'd share this quick tip to freshen that soldering brick. I also tried it with a small solderite brick and it worked. I just took it outside to my sidewalk and gave it a... more
Here is a soldering tip from @pyrus_designs - “When making a piece or several pieces that require consistent and specific angles or symmetry, use the flat side of a honeycomb block to create a grid. Use a ruler and fine point sharpie to draw the grid... more
Here is a soldering tip from @meritmade - “To solder these spoon handles to their scoops, I used a nice flat solderite pad. After chasing the scoop around for a bit, the easiest solution was to set up a few t-pins. Nothing fancy, just regular old pins... more
