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Post by galadryl on Feb 17, 2014 11:25:15 GMT -6
4 bangles soldered !!! It was a real pain. I pickled them again, brushed them (no dishwashing liquid this time), cleaned them with 96% alcohol, washed them in water, dried them with fresh paper towel, fluxed them twice, used that copper solder that worked yesterday.... it took ages and a half, if not longer, in the end the solder finally melted. I definetely had the feeling it did not want to but had no choice but to give in. I hope the other 31 bangles are done faster or I will be finished by the time I get a senior citizen pass Btw is it correct that a blue flame is really hot, a red flame not so much ?.....what about when the flame itself is blue, the spot where it hits the copper red and a bit further away green? Got a whole rainbow here.....
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Post by rocknwow on Feb 17, 2014 14:44:18 GMT -6
That might be one of the problems. Sounds like you're not heating up the entire bangle. Are you only heating up the area where the solder is? What can happen is that the solder will melt but it wont flow because the copper is not hot enough. Copper tends to absorb heat throughout the entire piece.
I don't know what torch you're using but if it's propane/oxygen then there should be a slight hiss. The cone of blue, should be about 1/2"/12mm long and the flame itself about 30-35mm.
Yes the blue cone is the hottest part of the flame.
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Post by galadryl on Feb 17, 2014 16:05:23 GMT -6
No, I don't have an oxygen tank. Yep, same flame size here.
Yes, that could be a reason, I don't heat up the entire bangle, only the near surroundings (an inch both sides). I thought only silver needs the full treatment.
I will try that tomorrow. Thanks, Kevin. I am getting excited here.
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Post by nicker on Feb 18, 2014 10:28:20 GMT -6
I'd try borrowing a oxy set up and seeing if that goes faster I think that's your problem.
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Post by galadryl on Feb 19, 2014 4:30:05 GMT -6
I don't know anybody who has got one. But that is ok, I would be too scared to use it anyway. A few years back I did a gold-smithing course and I was really scared to even get the torch going, we had to do it with a cigarette lighter and the room was always smelly of gas (at least to me), it took me about 5 years to overcome that fear and get a proper torch (before only micro and max flame) and operate it on my own. Just having it for a few months now. I have got a lot of respect for fire and gas. Maybe in another 5 years
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Post by nicker on Feb 19, 2014 11:16:05 GMT -6
Wish I was closer I'd help you work through it, one of the only good skills I have is helping people through fear based stuff.
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Post by galadryl on Feb 19, 2014 18:16:21 GMT -6
It is a shame we live so far apart, I would love to meet you
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Post by rocknwow on Feb 20, 2014 14:31:21 GMT -6
Hmmmm...
We all live in a yellow submarine, a yellow submarine, a yellow submarine...
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Post by galadryl on Feb 22, 2014 4:47:05 GMT -6
I used to love that song....
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Post by galadryl on Feb 26, 2014 13:59:56 GMT -6
I had another try. I have got two "heads" for my torch, a small one and a larger one. I was told the small one is for soldering and the big one for annealing. Ok, I used the big one for soldering one of the bangles. It did work but the solder and the surrounding reticulated a bit. That is at least what it looks like. I guess I used too much heat but at least it worked. Try to do better next time
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