Soldering Tips for Jewelers

Soldering Tips for Jewelers

Common Mistakes Jewelers Make When Soldering

• Overheating the solder. Excessive heat can cause porosity. Solder will not flow onto a piece until the temperature of the piece reaches its flow point. Use direct heat on the solder joint not the solder.

 

• Using the wrong solder on dissimilar metals. When soldering two dissimilar metals together, use the lower temperature metal for soldering. For example, when soldering silver to gold, use silver solder.

 

• Using soft or repair solder when sizing. Use a hard solder when sizing to prevent porosity and avoid seams.

 

• Buying only based on price. Quality is a lot like karma. Poor quality will come back to you. When choosing a solder provider, look for one with a wide selection, product knowledge, published temperatures and gold content.

Let us know about your experiences and any tips you might like to share.


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Palladium Care

Palladium

   Palladium needs care.  Like other precious metals, palladium

will need sprucing up from time to time.  Simply use a mild

       detergent or ammonia solution (one part ammonia to six parts

  water) and a soft bristle brush to gently clean inside intricate

 designs and under gemstones.  Rinse and wipe your

 jewelry after cleaning. (Palladium Alliance International)

Argentium Workshop coming to Michigan

Argentium Workshop

Learn a variety of basic techniques in Argentium Silver - you'll find many valuable tips and tricks that you will use as you work with this amazing new
silver alloy.            

“I see the use of Argentium as a way for someone’s work to stand out from the crowd. It is truly a metal of the new millennium."

Copyright © 2011 Ronda Coryell Designs. Rights Reserved.

  

   Ronda Coryell will conduct a Workshop for G&S Metals and Refiners, Inc. in Michigan on Sat. September 21^st and 22^nd.

                                   Reserve the dates!!  More information to follow.

Soldering Tips for Jewelers

Common Mistakes Jewelers Make When Soldering

• Assuming 14 = 14K.  "No K is a not known".  Karat laws do not govern items marked without a "K" (14YS vs 14KYS).  So if a solder is not stamped with a "K", the number is no indication of the true gold content.

• Thinking lower karat = lower temperature.  Lower karat does not equate to lower temperature.  If a lower temperature solder is needed, compare the flow points.  Flow points are listed with our solders on our web site.

• Using a word, not a flow point.  Soft, medium, and hard are ambiguous terms and differ greatly from solder to solder and supplier to supplier.  So compare temperatures, not terms.

• Using paste solder for sizing.  Paste solders are best for soldering small pinpoint joints and seams but will not fill a gap.  Size with sheet solder for better results.  Watch for our new paste silver solders on our web site which come with a fine point for your convenience.

Let us know about your experiences and any tips you might like to share.


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Silver Bar Alert

At G&S Metals the purpose of our Blog is to inform, educate and give you updated news of the market which you may not otherwise know about.

Alert as of 3/12/13  - An unsuspected jeweler became the victim of a silver bar scam.  These bars were double coated with silver so they passed the scratch test. 

The only way to detect fraud of this type is to cut the bar in half or have it refined.  When G&S Metals refines silver or gold bars, they are totally dissolved and a sample is taken from a homogenous molten melt for assay.  No chance of fraud!

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Hold your cursor over the link and left click to take you to G&S Metals FB page.

November Over Stock Sale!

Save Today!

Act Now! 

Supplies are Limited

Faceted Mirror Beads White and Yellow Gold

Traditional Spring Actions Leverback

Argentium Round Wire

 

Bangles- Checkerboard Pattern 

   

Sales prices may not be reflected correctly on the website. Prices will be corrected when invoiced.

Prices are valid through

November 30, 2012,

or while supplies last.  

*Terms and conditions subject to change without notice.

Tried, True & New   We carry a full line of Argentium® and Sterling Silver milled products!   We are and have been one of the largest suppliers of Argentium® Silver Filled Sheet with Color Match Core arriving soon! Check our Web Site for all NEW Items! ______________________________________________________  ARGENTIUM® SILVER CASTING GRAINS     Argentium™ 93.5% Casting Grain Product ID: SSAR935 Argentium™ 96.0% Casting Grain Product ID: SSAR960 ______________________________________________________ ARGENTIUM® and STERLING SILVER MILL PRODUCTS   and FINDINGS                                                                            Bezel Round Wire  Argentium Half Round Wire Sheet Square Wire Tubing Sheet solder  Round wire solder Findings  Casting Grain ______________________________________________________ STERLING SILVER SIZING STOCK  and SILVER FILLED FINDINGS!                         Sterling Silver Sizing Stock Sizes!   8x2, 6x2, 6x1.5, 6x1, 5x2, 5x1, 4x1, 3x2, 3x1 Silver Filled Findings! Eye Pins- 464SF, 465SF, 466SF Dome Head Pins- 252SF, 253SF, 254SF Ear Wires- 260SF, 265SF, 461SF, 462SF, 463SF Lobster-9111SF,  Spring Ring-1220SF Balloon Lobster- 1482SF Split Rings- 0110SF, 0210SF Kidney Wire- 009SF Ear Wire with perpendicular Loop with Bead. 468SS 468SF 468AR 468YGF