Soldering Steps on 3 piece Bolo Slide

[brad]

I am making a bolo slide.  It has 3 pieces to be soldered together.  1) back piece:18 ga jewelers bronze. Hammered border. 2) front piece: slightly small in dimension to over back piece, of hammered sterling silver or argentium silver 18 ga. 3) a soldered together: 2 heavy sterling wire rings for the clasp.
I need to solder these all together to create the slide. I was considering using a sweat solder to attach the sliver to the bronze, and before or after solder ring clasp to back of the bronze.  (I was thinking that the solder of the ring clasp to the back should have the strongest joint/solder.)
     So what order of soldering, what solder, and what solder methods to put this piece together?

  I am a fairly experienced hobby jewelry etc maker, incorporating silver smithing methods, but I don't want to mess this  piece up.
I look forward to your suggestions.  Brad

[DawninCal]

Hi Brad and welcome to JAC!

Irith is our resident metalsmith. Hopefully, she will see your post and offer some advice. I wish I could help, but soldering isn't one of my skills.



Dawn

[brad]

I have been thinking of options solder hammered 18 ga silver sheet over jewelers 18 ga bronze sheet; and solder silver double ring onto back of bolo slide for the clasp.
1) First, solder silver ring clasp onto back of bottom bronze sheet with hard solder.
2) Then, solder silver sheet on top of bronze sheet with easy solder (sweat solder technique).
Issue: heating up from bottom to attach silver over bronze, will my soldered joint of clasp on back of bronze melt before I get enough heat between the two sheets to melt the easy solder?
or,
1) solder the two sheets together first with hard solder.
2) then, solder silver ring clasp to back of bronze sheet with a medium solder, without melting first solder joint? (The only pressure a soldered joint will get is on the clasp as one slides the thick bolo up and down through the tension on the rings.)

Thank you, Brad

[Irith-Rita]

Hello Brad,

Thank you for your description of your soldering steps. As I am not sure whether I will serve you with the correct advice (I need to see what you intend to do perhaps if you could attach photographs.

In the meantime I searched and found this on the net. I liked this one. I've learned from it too:)

www.youtube.com/watch?v=StxPpq7ZFfE

And there is one I found from the Ganoksin project on soldering Bronze and Silver, where you may find the correct answers:

orchid.ganoksin.com/t/soldering-bronze-and-silver/34779

I hope this helps.

[brad]

attached is a pic of the parts for my bolo, still remaining is soldering and final buff.

The hammered fine silver will be soldered on top of the bronze with the hammered edges.  The sterling silver double-ring clasp will be soldered to the back of the bronze layer.  The sterling silver tubes have one end with a base soldered on.

So I will need to choose solders and soldering steps to put it together.   The bolo is black leather (8mm) that will be inserted into the silver tips with glue.

Brad

[brad]

Irith-Rita. Thank you for the links. Brad

[Irith-Rita]

You are welcme Brad, I hope they helped.