Hi friends! Today I'm going to utter near soldering irons used for making soldered jewelry. In this article I'll plough over you lot some helpful tips for how to select the right soldering atomic seat out 26 for jewelry making, in addition to I'll also explicate why I recommend a 100 watt soldering atomic seat out 26 for jewelry making.
This type of jewelry - that is, jewelry made alongside a soldering atomic seat out 26 - is sometimes called "low temp soldered jewelry" in addition to the term "low temp" is used to differentiate this type of soldering from "high estrus soldered jewelry" which would live jewelry that is made alongside a torch in addition to a flame, such equally when you lot are torch soldering sterling silver. That type of soldering requires an opened upwards flame.
Low temp soldered jewelry does non require an opened upwards flame. It alone requires a soldering iron. It is also sometimes known equally "soft soldered jewelry" but I intend "low temp soldered jewelry" is a to a greater extent than accurate title. For the sake of this article, when I tell "soldered jewelry" I am talking near jewelry that is created yesteryear using a soldering iron.
This type of jewelry - that is, jewelry made alongside a soldering atomic seat out 26 - is sometimes called "low temp soldered jewelry" in addition to the term "low temp" is used to differentiate this type of soldering from "high estrus soldered jewelry" which would live jewelry that is made alongside a torch in addition to a flame, such equally when you lot are torch soldering sterling silver. That type of soldering requires an opened upwards flame.
Low temp soldered jewelry does non require an opened upwards flame. It alone requires a soldering iron. It is also sometimes known equally "soft soldered jewelry" but I intend "low temp soldered jewelry" is a to a greater extent than accurate title. For the sake of this article, when I tell "soldered jewelry" I am talking near jewelry that is created yesteryear using a soldering iron.
An instance of soldered jewelry - the metalwork just about the hearts is soldered
You tin purchase soldering irons in unlike wattages. Look at whatever stained drinking glass catalog in addition to some jewelry making catalogs, in addition to you'll honour soldering irons called "irons for the hobbyist," or "irons for professionals," or "craft soldering irons," etc. But precisely what variety of soldering atomic seat out 26 exercise you lot necessitate for making soldered jewelry?
First of all, I acquire tons of emails from people who desire to know what construct soldering atomic seat out 26 they should buy. In my books I convey recommendations for wattage but non for brands. Why? Because construct is a affair of personal preference.
Do I convey my favorites? Sure I do. But I've alone ever tried a duet unlike brands of irons thus I actually can't tell you lot which is the best. It wouldn't live fair to the ones I haven't tried! But I tin tell you lot this: you lot acquire what you lot pay for.
Soldered jewelry - from my book, Boho Chic Jewelry
If you lot purchase something really cheap called a "hobby soldering iron" that has a depression wattage, you lot won't live able to acquire expert results alongside it. How exercise I know this? Because start of all, it won't accomplish a high plenty temperature to melt lead-free solder, in addition to that's what you lot convey to utilisation to construct jewelry.
Most soldering irons are made for the stained drinking glass manufacture in addition to thus they are made to melt Pb which is used to exercise stained glass, in addition to Pb melts at a depression temperature. Because nosotros are making jewelry nosotros necessitate to utilisation lead-free solder. Lead-free solder melts at a higher temperature than Pb does, thus you lot necessitate a higher wattage atomic seat out 26 to live able to piece of job alongside lead-free solder.
Note: If you lot utilisation Pb solder to construct jewelry you lot are making poisonous jewelry. Using Pb to construct jewelry is against the constabulary in addition to you lot could become far much problem for this. How exercise you lot tell the divergence betwixt Pb solder inwards jewelry in addition to lead-free solder inwards jewelry? First of all, The weight. Lead solder is heavy. Second of all, the finish. Lead solder tin live polished to a super shiny complete that has virtually no visual imperfections. Lead-free solder volition frequently convey a hazy spot hither or at that spot in addition to that is just the nature of the beast. It all the same volition smoothen upwards to a prissy shine alongside a piffling flake of elbow grease. Another means to tell whether it is Pb or non is to just exercise a Pb examine on that you lot tin purchase at a hardware store. And live advised, fifty-fifty if you lot seat a patina on it or other coating, it is all the same Pb in addition to it is all the same against the constabulary to utilisation it inwards jewelry. So my indicate is, never utilisation Pb to construct jewelry. Only ever utilisation 100 percentage lead-free solder.
OK, thus nosotros convey established that you lot necessitate a high wattage atomic seat out 26 thus that it tin melt the lead-free solder. I recommend a 100 westward soldering iron. Sometimes people write to me in addition to inquire where they tin honour one, but all you convey to actually exercise is await on the Internet. Can you lot utilisation an fourscore watt iron? You mightiness live able to, but you lot mightiness non acquire equally prissy of a complete on your jewelry in addition to it mightiness non await equally professional. Have you lot ever seen a slice of soldered jewelry where the metalwork is total of lumps, bumps, in addition to sudden peaks? That is because they did non utilisation the right temperature - in addition to in all likelihood non the right watt atomic seat out 26 - to solder.
So if you lot can, acquire a 100 watt soldering iron. You volition also necessitate a rheostat which is used to accommodate the temperature of your iron. You tin purchase soldering irons that convey these built inwards or you lot tin purchase an external i that you lot plug your atomic seat out 26 into. I recommend the external one, but over again that is my personal preference. I intend they piece of job much ameliorate in addition to I intend it volition prolong the life of your atomic seat out 26 inwards instance the rheostat breaks you lot tin ever acquire a novel i if it's external. If the rheostat is built into your atomic seat out 26 in addition to it breaks, you're variety of out of luck.
Soldered jewelry - from my book, Boho Chic Jewelry
I utter a lot to a greater extent than near soldering inwards my books, Boho Chic Jewelry in addition to Soldered Alchemy. If you lot are just starting out alongside soldering I highly recommend that you lot start alongside the Boho Chic Jewelry book. The Soldered Alchemy mass is my instant mass in addition to it is a flake to a greater extent than focused on using solder inwards a unlike way, thus I ever tell folks to start alongside Boho Chic Jewelry. There you lot volition also honour my tips in addition to techniques for decorative soldering in addition to you lot volition larn how I exercise those perfect piffling solder droplets to decorate my designs.
If you're already a soldering pro, in addition to then you lot definitely necessitate to cheque out Soldered Alchemy. It volition modify the means you lot encounter in addition to utilisation solder in addition to you lot volition live amazed when you lot encounter these novel techniques! And if you lot didn't know, I also convey workshop DVDs of i projection from each book, but I highly recommend reading the books first, in addition to then watching the DVDs. (there are links to the books in addition to DVDs on the sidebar to the right of this article.)
If you're already a soldering pro, in addition to then you lot definitely necessitate to cheque out Soldered Alchemy. It volition modify the means you lot encounter in addition to utilisation solder in addition to you lot volition live amazed when you lot encounter these novel techniques! And if you lot didn't know, I also convey workshop DVDs of i projection from each book, but I highly recommend reading the books first, in addition to then watching the DVDs. (there are links to the books in addition to DVDs on the sidebar to the right of this article.)
Soldered jewelry - from my book, Boho Chic Jewelry
If you've never soldered jewelry before, or fifty-fifty held a soldering iron, this mightiness appear similar a lot of overwhelming information, but it actually isn't. Soldering is super fun, in addition to if you lot convey alone ever worked alongside beads or wire in addition to convey never used estrus to construct jewelry, I definitely recommend giving soldering a try. You don't convey to become straight from "cold wire" working to using a torch. Try soldering atomic seat out 26 soldering! Once you lot acquire the hang of it you lot volition live addicted!
You tin exercise thus many things alongside a soldering iron! What's particularly neat near it is that you lot tin solder items that you lot wouldn't live able to solder alongside an opened upwards open fire torch, such equally drinking glass in addition to plastic - which would interruption or melt from the open fire of a traditional torch. So at that spot are definite benefits to soldering atomic seat out 26 soldering!
Note: for my consummate suggested materials in addition to tools listing for soldering, cheque out my book, Boho Chic Jewelry.
You tin exercise thus many things alongside a soldering iron! What's particularly neat near it is that you lot tin solder items that you lot wouldn't live able to solder alongside an opened upwards open fire torch, such equally drinking glass in addition to plastic - which would interruption or melt from the open fire of a traditional torch. So at that spot are definite benefits to soldering atomic seat out 26 soldering!
Note: for my consummate suggested materials in addition to tools listing for soldering, cheque out my book, Boho Chic Jewelry.
I promise this article was helpful in addition to informative. Please acquire out me a comment below, in addition to allow me know what you lot intend of soldering! Also allow me know if there's anything else you'd similar to encounter on my blog, in addition to live certain to subscribe to my YouTube channel, where I volition live adding novel jewelry making in addition to arts and crafts videos equally I construct them!
Love, Laura
My broken china jewelry is ever available for purchase at https://www.etsy.com/shop/dishfunctionldesigns
