There are many different ways to connect one piece of metal to another or to connect an object like a gemstone to a piece of metal. But they all fall into one of two categories: cold connections and hot connections. Cold connections are made without heat or adhesive and require knowledge of only basic skills. Hot connections are made using high heat and molten metal; performing these techniques will require a new skill set as well as some new tools. Although both techniques produce roughly the same results, knowing how to properly execute both techniques will open up more exciting design possibilities.
Cold connections are connections made without the use of a torch, solder, or adhesive of any type. The cold connections introduced here will serve as a basic foundation that can be manipulated in design to fit the needs of your project at hand.
Riveting is the technique in which a piece of metal is used to connect two or more pieces of metal or other material. Typically made of metal wire or tubing, rivets can be solid or hollow and virtually invisible or used as a functional, decorative accent.
Two specialty tools need introduction; one is required and the other, while being very helpful, is not. The jeweler’s riveting hammer is a small hammer with a flat, round face on one end and a chisel-shaped face on the other; this is the required tool. The other tool is called a tubing jig or tubing cutter. This is an extremely helpful tool, especially when cutting small rivets. The jig can be adjusted so you can make identical pieces, eliminating constant measurement.
YOU WILL NEED
Tools
• saw frame and 5/0 saw blade
• chain-nose pliers
• half-round file
• center punch
• small ball-peen hammer
• riveting hammer
• tubing jig (optional)
• anvil or steel bench block
• flex shaft
•#52 (.0635") (1.613 mm) drill bit
•#42 (.0935") (2.37 mm) drill bit
Materials
• 2 flat pieces of scrap metal
• 14-gauge (.064") (1.63 mm) brass or copper wire
• 1.6 mm (.064") sterling silver tubing
• pencil or marker
SAFETY PRECAUTIONS
• Wear eye protection.
• Know where your fingers are at all times.
• Secure long hair, no loose clothing, and wear closed-toed shoes.
• Remove distractions and be mentally present.
1 Temporarily attach the two pieces of metal together with tape, and then mark where you want to drill a hole and center punch the mark. Using the #52 drill bit, drill through the two pieces.
2 Using the larger #42 bit and your fingers, remove the burs that were made by drilling. This will also slightly chamfer the hole to accept the rivet head; do this to both sides.
3 Insert a piece of the sterling silver round tubing through the hole. It should slip through the hole snuggly; if it is too tight, use a round needle file to slightly enlarge the hole until the tubing will slip through both pieces. Align the rivet so it extends slightly above the surface of the metal. Using a pencil or marker, mark the tube on the opposite side where you want to cut the rivet. The length of the rivet will depend on the finished look you desire. If you want the rivets to be flush, the length of the rivet should be about twice the thickness of the metal you are riveting together. If you want the rivet to stand proud of the surface, then experiment with the rivet length to get the look you want.
4 Cut the rivet using a jeweler’s saw and 5/0 saw blade. A tubing jig will help this process but is not required.
5 Using chain-nose pliers, gently hold the rivet and, with a half-round file, smooth and level the cut edges.
6 Insert the rivet into the hole and set the piece on an anvil or steel bench block. Insert the point of the center punch into the hole of the tube and lightly strike it with a hammer to slightly flair out the tube. Turn the piece over and repeat until an equal amount of the rivet protrudes on both sides.
7 Using the chisel-tip end of a riveting hammer, strike the tubing edge, working around the circumference. Work one side of the tubing; then flip and work the other side. It is important to work both sides evenly so flip often.
8 Once you have worked the tubing down evenly on both sides, turn the hammer around and use the flat end to drive the tubing tight. Again, work both sides evenly until the tubing is flush with the surface of the metal.
For solid rivets, steps 1–6 are identical; the difference is when hammering down the rivet. With the chisel-tip, strike the full rivet, spinning the piece between strikes to flair the rivet evenly. Work both sides as before, and set the rivet tight with the flat side of the hammer. Again, the rivet should be flush on both sides. This kind of rivet, if using the same metal as the pieces that you are connecting, can be sanded down and finished and become virtually invisible.
If you have ever folded over the corner of two pieces of paper to keep them together when you ran out of staples, then you have performed one type of fold-over retention. Like riveting, this technique requires no heat.
Tools
• bench pin
• saw frame and 5/0 saw blades
• set of #2 cut needle files
• 6" (15.2 cm) piece of 3/8" (1 cm) hardwood round dowel
• flat-nose jeweler’s pliers
Materials
• tracing paper
• rubber cement
• 25 mm x 18 mm oval stone of your choice
• 22-gauge (.0643 mm) copper sheet large enough to fit your design
SAFETY PRECAUTIONS
• Wear eye protection.
• Know where your fingers are at all times.
• Secure long hair, no loose clothing, and wear closed-toed shoes.
• Remove distractions and be mentally present.
1 Using a pencil, trace around your stone on a piece of paper. Determine where to place your retention prongs and draw them in place. On this piece they are triangular, but you can design them any way you like. Copy your design on tracing paper and adhere it to a piece of 22-gauge (.0643 mm) copper sheet with rubber cement.
• Wear eye protection.
• Know where your fingers are at all times.
• Secure long hair, no loose clothing, and wear closed-toed shoes.
• Remove distractions and be mentally present.
2 With a saw frame and 5/0 saw blade, cut the design out. Remember to cut on the outside of your line to leave enough that can be filed and finished.
3 File your cuts smooth and true up the design with a half-round file. Remember to use the flat side for outside curves and flat edges.
4 Set the stone in place and mark the edges of the stone where they meet the retention prongs. Use the edge of a square file and file grooves across your line, about half the thickness of the metal.
5 Use a pair of flat-nose pliers to bend the retention prongs up.
6 Set your stone in place and use a piece of 3/8" (1cm) hardwood round dowel to push the prongs over the top of the stone.
7 Work one prong over until it just touches the stone, and then work the prong that is diagonally opposite; this will keep the stone centered in the mount. Make sure all of the prongs are in contact with the stone and the stone is centered in the mount before you work the prongs tight. When you are finished, the stone should not move in any direction.
Use a piece of leather or rubber to stabilize the mount; this will also keep the back from getting scratched up.
Soldering and fusing are the hot connections used in making metal jewelry. And they are also the techniques that evoke the most angst in beginners. Annealing is not a hot connection, but like soldering and fusing, it is a crucial part of working with metal and so is included in this chapter.
Before we can use any of these techniques, let’s look at the equipment that is needed.
There are many different types of torches available as well as gasses that they use. The one you choose is primarily based on preference and your plans for it. Talk to your supplier to find the right fit for you. After selecting a torch, you will need a way to ignite it; a manual striker is very inexpensive and will work just fine. Or try electronic igniters; they are more convenient and allow you to light the torch with one hand. Never light a torch with a cigarette lighter. Also be sure to have a pair of tinted safety glasses rated for brazing and soldering to shield your eyes from the intense radiation produced by the torch.
There are many different fire-safe surfaces for soldering and annealing: firebricks, ceramic blocks, charcoal blocks, and fiber soldering pads to name just a few. For annealing, an annealing pan with pumice media is also great to have.
When metals have been annealed or soldered, especially copper-containing alloys, they develop an oxide crust referred to as firescale. Firescale, along with the residual flux, needs to be removed from the metal before further fabrication begins. This is done in a weak acid solution called pickle. Pickle is normally sold in a dry granular form and is mixed with water and warmed in a pot, called a pickle pot. You can find industrial pickle pots for this application, but a small slow cooker with a keep-warm setting will work just fine. Warning: Never boil the pickle; doing so releases dangerous fumes. Besides, the pickle works best at a temperature around 140° F (60° C). Along with a pickle pot, gather a container for clean water to quench metal in, a container with water and baking soda to neutralize the pickle, and a pair of copper tongs. You should never use steel tongs in the pickle solution, as the reaction between the steel and the pickle can copper plate your piece.
To make a neutralizing soda bath, combine 13/4 ounces (49.61 g) of baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) (approximately 1/4 cup) with 1 quart (.95 L) of clean water.
Mix the pickle per the manufacturer’s instructions and always ask for a material safety data sheet (MSDS) form for all chemicals. Know what you are using and what safety precautions to take.
Tweezers and soldering picks: A selection of different types of tweezers in varying sizes will be very helpful in securing pieces to solder, as well as in moving pieces into place. Soldering picks are helpful in positioning little pieces of solder and directing its flow when it melts. For soldering odd-shaped pieces where tweezers are ineffective, binding wire is great to use; just remember to remove the binding wire before pickling the piece.
Flux is a compound that helps clean the metal of impurities and reduce oxidation during the soldering process. It comes in paste and liquid form and is applied with brushes or a dispenser bottle. Solder comes in wire, sheet, chip, and paste form and in different melting temperatures.
Let’s see if we can explain this without getting too scientific: Metal is made up of atoms that form a crystalline structure. When the metal is worked, such as hammered, twisted, rolled, or formed, the crystalline structure is fractured and stressed. This makes the metal less malleable and harder to form. When the metal is annealed—that is, when the metal is heated to a certain temperature and cooled rapidly—the stress in the crystal structure is relieved, which makes the metal malleable and easier to form. The best way to experience this is to experiment a bit and anneal a piece of metal. Before you begin, remember to work in a well-ventilated environment whenever you are working with chemicals or gasses.
YOU WILL NEED
Tools
• wire cutters
• locking pliers
• bench vice
• torch and striker
• annealing pan with pumice media or fiber soldering board
• pickle pot with pickle mixed and warmed properly and a neutralizing soda bath
• copper tongs
Materials
• 14-gauge (1.626 mm) round brass wire
SAFETY PRECAUTIONS
• Ensure proper ventilation.
• Know where your hands and fingers are at all times.
• Make sure the area is clear of any flammables and work on a nonflammable surface.
• Secure long hair, no loose clothing, and wear closed-toe shoes.
• Remove distractions and be mentally present.
• Wear eye protection.
• Never light a torch with a cigarette lighter.
• Wear flame-resistant clothing.
1 Cut a 4" (10.2 cm) piece of the round brass wire. Secure one end in a bench vice and the other in a pair of locking pliers. Pull on the wire and twist in a clockwise direction, continue twisting until the wire is straight and stiff. If you do not have a bench vise, use two sets of locking pliers.
2 Remove the wire from the locking pliers and the vice. Grab both ends of the wire and bend the wire slightly. You will feel resistance and the wire will spring back. By twisting the wire, you have work hardened it.
3 Place the wire on a fiber soldering board or in an annealing pan. Light your torch and adjust the flame if your torch allows, per the manufacturer’s instructions.
4 Start to heat the wire, moving the flame across the entire surface of the wire; do not stop in one place.
5 Continue heating the piece until the wire glows with a medium cherry red glow. This is best seen in a darkened room. As soon as the metal reaches this color, remove the flame to stop heating the metal.
6 Turn your torch off and, using a pair of copper tongs, quench the piece of wire in clean water.
7 Using copper tongs, place the piece of wire in the pickle pot and leave for 5 minutes.
8 Using copper tongs, remove the wire from the pickle pot and place in a baking soda bath to neutralize the pickle. Rinse off and dry.
By heating the wire and quenching it, you have annealed the wire. Although the temperature/color indicator will vary with different metals and alloys, the process is still the same no matter what metal you use. For brass, copper, and bronze, the color indicator is a medium red heat. For sterling silver and lower karat gold, a dull red color is the indicator.
Both work hardening and annealing will be used in making metal jewelry. For instance, when making ear wires for earrings you will want to work harden the metal so the wire will hold its shape over time. When forming metal into intricate shapes, you will need to anneal the metal when it becomes too hard to form further. In some projects, you will need to anneal the metal before you even start.
Soldering is the process of connecting metal together by using high heat and solder—which is usually an alloy of the metal you are connecting; for example, silver solder for silver, gold solder for gold. The Metals and Alloys chapter (page 12) introduced the idea that alloying metal changes the characteristics of the dominant metal. These include changes in color, strength, and in the melting point of the metal. These changes in melting points are most apparent in the solders used for making metal jewelry. In this book, we will be using silver solders, but gold solders and gold fabrication are treated in the same way.
Silver solders are an alloy of silver, copper, and zinc in various amounts. Depending on the amount of each metal in the alloy, the melting point of the dominant metal—which is silver in silver solders—will change. There are five different silver solders with different melting points that are widely available and used in jewelry. Using solders with different melting points allows you to create more complex jewelry. For example, say you want to fabricate a pair of post earrings. On the front of these earrings you want to solder on a bezel to mount a stone; surrounding the earring you want to solder on a decorative frame; and on the back of the earring you need to solder on a post. This will require at least three different soldering operations. If you were to use the same solder for each operation, it is likely that while soldering the post on the back, the solder holding the bezel and the decorative frame on the front will melt and the pieces will move, if not fall off altogether. This is why, during the fabrication of a piece, you start with the solder that has the highest melting point and then use solders with decreasing melting points at each proceeding step.
Opposite is a chart of the five different silver solders, along with their approximate melting points and a general use for each. For most applications, it is best to design the piece with as few soldering steps as possible. Subjecting copper bearing alloys to multiple solderings and extended time at high temperatures can build firescale into the grain structure of the metal, which can be impossible to remove. So keep your solderings and annealings to a minimum.
Silver solder and solders used in making metal jewelry are high-temperature solders. They should not be confused with solders used for electronics, which are low-temperature solders and do not contain any precious metals.
A butt joint is a connection where two pieces of metal or two ends of metal are soldered together without overlapping. You would use a butt joint when soldering a ring shank together, for example.
The two most important factors that lead to a successful soldering job are how clean the metal is and how tight the joint is. Silver solder does not fill gaps, so the joint needs to be as tight as possible. The metal also needs to be free of contaminants like dirt, oils, or oxides.
YOU WILL NEED
Tools
• torch and striker
• pickle pot with pickle mixed and warmed properly and a neutralizing soda bath
• fiber soldering pad
• tweezers and soldering pick
• flux brush
• saw and 5/0 saw blade
• needle files
• 600-grit sandpaper
• brass brush
Materials
• 22-gauge (.0643 mm) brass sheet
• silver solders hard, medium, and easy
• flux
SAFETY PRECAUTIONS
• Ensure proper ventilation.
• Know where your hands and fingers are at all times.
• Make sure the area is clear of any flammables and work on a nonflammable surface.
• Secure long hair, no loose clothing, and wear closed-toe shoes.
• Remove distractions and be mentally present.
• Wear eye protection.
• Never light a torch with a cigarette lighter.
• Wear flame-resistant clothing.
1 Prior to soldering, the metal needs to be cleaned of possible oils and contaminants from the milling process and there are a couple of ways that you can do this. One would be to anneal the piece, quench, pickle, neutralize, and rinse clean. The other would be to clean it with soap and water, using a soft brass brush or an abrasive cleaning pad.
2 Using a saw frame and a 5/0 saw blade cut two 1" x 1/2" (25.4 x 12.7 mm) strips of 22 gauge (.0643 mm) brass sheet and file the edges smooth. You can tell if you have a tight fit by putting the edges together and holding them up to the light. If you see light passing through the joint then you need to file a little more. Once you have cleaned the metal try to keep from touching the edges that you want to solder together. Oils from your fingers can inhibit the solder from flowing properly.
These pieces have peen prepped with a slight bevel on the edges so that it is easier to see the solder flow.
This is how a joint should be prepped for soldering without a bevel. Holding it up to the light you can see no light through the joint.
3 To get you comfortable with soldering, we are going to break tradition by starting with easy solder (a) of which you will need to make “pallions” or chips. These can be cut from sheet solder. You can purchase solder in chip form, or if you chose to use wire solder, you can flatten out the wire with a hammer and anvil and clip them with small side cutters (b).
4 Place the two pieces of brass on a fiber soldering pad and using a brush, flux the entire surface. You do not need to worry about fluxing the edges of the joint; capillary action will draw the flux into the joint.
5 With a small pair of needle pointed tweezers, place three or four pallions of solder along the joint. The amount of solder needed will vary and you should use just enough solder to fill the joint; experience will be the best teacher.
6 Light your torch and begin moving the flame on and off, over the entire piece, removing the flame from the piece if you start to see flux begin to boil; you want to slowly heat the metal up to drive the water out of the flux. If you heat the metal too fast, it will boil and pop the pallions of solder out of place or cleanly off the piece. If this happens, you can reposition the pallions and continue heating. Once the flux has turned white (a) you can become more aggressive with heating your piece. The flux will then melt turning fluid and glassy and begin to flow across the piece, this is when you need to watch the solder carefully. Flux begins to melt at 1,100°F (593°C) and easy solder flows at 1,325°F (718°C) (b).
Solder has melted and flowed toward the heat source.
Completed joint.
7 When you see that the solder starts to melt (a), concentrate your flame on the solder but keep it moving (b). Solder likes to flow towards the heat and you can direct the flow of solder in this way. Continue heating the piece until solder has flowed the entire joint (c).
If your solder does not flow or it starts to flow and stops, either the metal is dirty or the joint is not tight enough.
8 Once the joint is complete, turn off your torch and, using copper tongs, quench the piece in clean water.
9 Place the soldered piece in a warm pickle solution for five minutes, remember to use copper tongs.
10 Using copper tongs, remove the piece from the pickle pot and neutralize the pickle by dipping in the baking soda bath, rinse with clean water and dry completely.
11 Inspect your solder joint, the solder should have flowed the entire length of the joint. Again this joint had beveled edges for demonstration purposes so that the flow of solder would be easier to see (a). The other finished piece is how your joint should look (b).
Proper solder joint
Another way of soldering is called sweat soldering and is used to solder metal components onto the surface of other metal pieces.
YOU WILL NEED
Tools
• torch and striker
• pickle pot with pickle mixed and warmed properly and a neutralizing soda bath
• fiber soldering pad
• tweezers and soldering pick
• flux brush
• saw and 5/0 saw blade
• needle files
• 600-grit sand paper
• brass brush
Materials
• 22-gauge (.0643 mm) brass sheet
• easy silver solder
• flux
SAFETY PRECAUTIONS
• Ensure proper ventilation.
• Know where your hands and fingers are at all times.
• Make sure the area is clear of any flammables and work on a nonflammable surface.
• Secure long hair, no loose clothing, and wear closed-toe shoes.
• Remove distractions and be mentally present.
• Wear eye protection.
• Never light a torch with a cigarette lighter.
• Wear flame-resistant clothing.
1 Clean the metal by either annealing or by cleaning with soap and water and using a brass brush or abrasive pad.
2 Using a saw frame and a 5/0 saw blade, cut two pieces of 22-gauge (.0643 mm) brass sheet, one piece that is 1" x 1" (2.5 x 2.5 cm) square and one that is 1/2" x 1/2" (1.3 x 1.3 cm) square.
3 Place the smaller brass sheet on top of the bigger piece, and check to see if they lie flat together. If they do not, use a mallet and anvil or steel bench block to flatten the pieces; the pieces need to lie together flush.
4 Place the smaller brass sheet on a fiber soldering pad and flux well.
5 Using needle-tip tweezers, place several pieces of easy solder on the brass sheet.
7 Continue to heat the brass sheet until the solder flows out. Remember that after the flux has turned white, you can be more aggressive with heating the piece.
8 Using copper tongs, quench the piece in clean water, place it in a warm pickle for 5 minutes, neutralize it in a baking soda bath, rinse in clean water, and dry.
9 Liberally flux the larger piece of brass.
10 Place the smaller brass sheet, solder side down, on top of the larger piece using tweezers. Remember, do not touch the soldered side with your fingers.
11 Light your torch and slowly heat the pieces to drive off the moisture in the flux.
12 Continue to heat the brass sheets until you see the smaller piece on top settle flush against the larger piece. You might also be able to see a thin line of solder form at the joint.
14 Place the soldered piece in a warm pickle solution and leave for 5 minutes.
15 With copper tongs, remove the piece from the pickle and neutralize it in a baking soda bath. Rinse with clean water and wipe dry.
16 Inspect the solder job; the top piece should be soldered to the bottom piece and a thin line of solder should be visible at the junction of both pieces.
These are the basic soldering techniques used in making jewelry. If you can master these, you can perform any soldering job. Further in this book will be examples of soldering applications that are variations of these two processes.
Fusing is a technique in which metal is connected without the use of solder; the metal pieces at the joint melt and become one. Although there have been some successes in the fusing of other metals, this technique works best with high-karat golds—22k and above—and fine silver.
Tools
• torch and striker
• fiber soldering pad
• saw and 5/0 saw blade
• needle files
Materials
• 18-gauge (.040") (1.02 mm) fine silver round wire
SAFETY PRECAUTIONS
• Ensure proper ventilation.
• Know where your hands and fingers are at all times.
• Make sure the area is clear of any flammables and work on a nonflammable surface.
• Secure long hair, no loose clothing, and wear closed-toe shoes.
• Remove distractions and be mentally present.
• Wear eye protection.
• Never light a torch with a cigarette lighter.
• Wear flame-resistant clothing.
1 Cut a 2" (5.1 cm) piece of the fine silver round wire.
2 File both ends completely flat and form the piece into a ring with your fingers, putting the ends together and ensuring you have a tight fit.
4 Continue to heat the piece until it starts to glow.
5 As soon as it begins to glow bright red, concentrate your flame on the joint. The metal at the joint will flash with a wet appearance as the metal on the surface melts and begins to flow; as soon as you see that flash, remove the flame from the piece. This happens very quickly once the metal reaches the melting temperature, and there is a thin line between successful fusing and a puddle of molten silver. Let the color disappear before picking up the piece with tweezers and quenching it in clean water. There is no reason to pickle the piece; fine silver does not contain copper and will not form oxides like copper-bearing metals.
6 Inspect the joint; it should be connected and virtually invisible.
