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
Last time I had to solder a piece with a gemstone that needed protecting I used ‘heat shield’ that I purchased @riogrande, before that I cut off a small piece of potato to cover the stone while soldering, a trick I picked up from @hnossdesign ANOTHER... more
Just want to piggyback off of my previous post. If you are concerned about your tanks leaking fill a cheap spray bottle with soap and water and keep it handy to spray your tanks. You will detect a leak right away. BOOM. #metalsmithsociety #metalsmithy... more
Thank you so much for sending me this unique technique @sophiabrand -“My tip is glass beads when you solder a moving mechanism (hinge). It's easy to loosen them and they prevent small parts from soldering together!” 🙏🏻 anyone else ever try this? Or... more
Here is a two part tip if you use #handyflux - found in an article on the @riogrande blog where jeweler @marknelson5121 shared some wisdom - “ The stuff (Handy Flux) comes thick as paste that can be hard to use, so I mix it in a separate container... more
I’ve used whiteout for years to prevent solder flow on hinge projects but I never thought to use it this way. Thank you for sharing @hjjewellerydesign - “My favourite tip is to use Tippex (whiteout) as an anti flux while soldering stamped details onto... more
Here is a soldering tip for those that use wire solder - insert your solder into a piece of copper tubing (a snug fit is ideal) for better precision and ease of holding. Thank you so much for sending this @ajoiadoleo definitely trying this.... more
Thank you to every last one of you that responded to my story yesterday (over 50 messages 🙏🏻😘💕) to help a member of our community fit a bezel on a curved ring. The overwhelming consensus was to tape sand paper to a steel ring mandrel. If the ring is... more
When your silver pieces come out of the pickle black, it’s time to change out your pickle! There could be several culprits as to why my chain turned black: steel contamination in the pickle pot (which can cause plating but usually it looks red) or my... more
Amazing hinge tip from @elmharris - “I use graphite pencil leads to keep the hinge knuckles in place and to keep the inside of the knuckles “dirty” so solder doesn’t flow inside. I also paint a little rouge or white out (the green label, water based... more
Here’s a way to get your prongs to stay in position while soldering from @sweetbellajewelry - “For prongs I use a soft solderite tile. It’s soft enough to push the wire prongs right into it.” 🤯 You know, the Metalsmith Challenge this month just so... more
When I’m soldering a clasp onto a chain, I protect the clasp with heat shield. It helps prevent the small elements of the machine made clasp from melting. This heat shield is also great for preventing chain from melting or accidentally getting... more
Love this #diy revolving solder chip holder from @leafandbadger - “Screw a watercolor pallet onto the underside of a surface to get a revolving solder chip holder. It usually has 12 cups which works great for easy, medium, and hard solders for silver,... more
Here is a simple solution to keep your liquid flux tips from getting clogged from @brandys_crowtotem “Cut an eraser off a pencil and use that as a stopper—it works great to keep it from getting blocked, as long as I remember to put it back on when I... more
When you need a little lift during a solder job @amyy50 has multiple options for you! T Pins, paper clips, and pieces of steel sheet she cut to suit her needs! “The solder won't stick once the lift is dirty with firescale.” Thank you so much for... 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
When your flux is hard as a rock, use this tip from @tkiplinger - “Here’s a humble tip for my peers. It looks weirdly pharmaceutical, but I mix my dried up HandyFlux in a tiny mortar and pestle with distilled water. Then I store it in a small... more
Recently in my stories I asked for some solder storage solutions. Thank you to everyone who reached out! 🙏🏻😘 Here are a few solutions: 1️⃣ @meritmade shared these fun dishes by @artbyjenf to keep on the soldering table. 2️⃣ @meritmade also shared her... 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
