Hope!! How To Select A Soldering Fe For Jewelry Making

Hi friends! Today I'm going to beak most soldering irons used for making soldered jewelry. In this article I'll laissez passer on you lot some helpful tips for how to pick out the right soldering atomic expose 26 for jewelry making, in addition to I'll also explicate why I recommend a 100 watt soldering atomic expose 26 for jewelry making.

This type of jewelry - that is, jewelry made alongside a soldering atomic expose 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 oestrus soldered jewelry" which would live jewelry that is made alongside a torch in addition to a flame, such every bit when you lot are torch soldering sterling silver. That type of soldering requires an opened upwardly flame.

Low temp soldered jewelry does non require an opened upwardly flame. It solely requires a soldering iron. It is also sometimes known every bit "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 nation "soldered jewelry" I am talking most jewelry that is created yesteryear using a soldering iron.

An illustration of soldered jewelry - the metalwork to a greater extent than or less the hearts is soldered

You tin purchase soldering irons in dissimilar wattages. Look at whatever stained drinking glass catalog in addition to some jewelry making catalogs, in addition to you'll uncovering soldering irons called "irons for the hobbyist," or "irons for professionals," or "craft soldering irons," etc. But just what form of soldering atomic expose 26 practise you lot take away for making soldered jewelry?

First of all, I acquire tons of emails from people who desire to know what build soldering atomic expose 26 they should buy. In my books I convey recommendations for wattage but non for brands. Why? Because build is a affair of personal preference.

Do I convey my favorites? Sure I do. But I've solely ever tried a pair dissimilar 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 skilful results alongside it. How practise I know this? Because commencement of all, it won't hit a high plenty temperature to melt lead-free solder, in addition to that's what you lot convey to utilization to build jewelry.

Most soldering irons are made for the stained drinking glass manufacture in addition to thus they are made to melt atomic number 82 which is used to practise stained glass, in addition to atomic number 82 melts at a depression temperature. Because nosotros are making jewelry nosotros take away to utilization lead-free solder. Lead-free solder melts at a higher temperature than atomic number 82 does, thus you lot take away a higher wattage atomic expose 26 to live able to piece of occupation alongside lead-free solder.

Note: If you lot utilization atomic number 82 solder to build jewelry you lot are making poisonous jewelry. Using atomic number 82 to build jewelry is against the constabulary in addition to you lot could acquire far much problem for this. How practise you lot tell the departure betwixt atomic number 82 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 oftentimes convey a hazy spot hither or at that spot in addition to that is just the nature of the beast. It nonetheless volition smoothen upwardly to a dainty shine alongside a petty fighting of elbow grease. Another means to tell whether it is atomic number 82 or non is to only practise a atomic number 82 attempt out 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 nonetheless atomic number 82 in addition to it is nonetheless against the constabulary to utilization it inwards jewelry. So my betoken is, never utilization atomic number 82 to build jewelry. Only ever utilization 100 per centum lead-free solder.

OK, thus nosotros convey established that you lot take away a high wattage atomic expose 26 thus that it tin melt the lead-free solder. I recommend a 100 west soldering iron. Sometimes people write to me in addition to inquire where they tin uncovering one, but all you convey to actually practise is await on the Internet. Can you lot utilization an fourscore watt iron? You powerfulness live able to, but you lot powerfulness non acquire every bit dainty of a complete on your jewelry in addition to it powerfulness non await every bit professional. Have you lot ever seen a slice of soldered jewelry where the metalwork is total of lumps, bumps, in addition to precipitous peaks? That is because they did non utilization the right temperature - in addition to likely non the right watt atomic expose 26 - to solder.

So if you lot can, acquire a 100 watt soldering iron. You volition also take away a rheostat which is used to suit the temperature of your iron. You tin purchase soldering irons that convey these built inwards or you lot tin purchase an external 1 that you lot plug your atomic expose 26 into. I recommend the external one, but in 1 lawsuit to a greater extent than that is my personal preference. I intend they piece of occupation much improve in addition to I intend it volition prolong the life of your atomic expose 26 inwards instance the rheostat breaks you lot tin ever acquire a novel 1 if it's external. If the rheostat is built into your atomic expose 26 in addition to it breaks, you're form of out of luck.

Soldered jewelry - from my book, Boho Chic Jewelry

I beak a lot to a greater extent than most 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 minute mass in addition to it is a fighting to a greater extent than focused on using solder inwards a dissimilar way, thus I ever tell folks to start alongside Boho Chic Jewelry. There you lot volition also uncovering my tips in addition to techniques for decorative soldering in addition to you lot volition acquire how I practise those perfect petty solder droplets to decorate my designs.

If you're already a soldering pro, thus you lot definitely take away to banking concern check out Soldered Alchemy. It volition alter the means you lot run across in addition to utilization solder in addition to you lot volition live amazed when you lot run across these novel techniques! And if you lot didn't know, I also convey workshop DVDs of 1 projection from each book, but I highly recommend reading the books first, thus 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 powerfulness look similar a lot of overwhelming information, but it actually isn't. Soldering is super fun, in addition to if you lot convey solely ever worked alongside beads or wire in addition to convey never used oestrus to build jewelry, I definitely recommend giving soldering a try. You don't convey to acquire straight from "cold wire" working to using a torch. Try soldering atomic expose 26 soldering! Once you lot acquire the hang of it you lot volition live addicted!

You tin practise thus many things alongside a soldering iron! What's specially neat most it is that you lot tin solder items that you lot wouldn't live able to solder alongside an opened upwardly flaming torch, such every bit drinking glass in addition to plastic - which would suspension or melt from the flaming of a traditional torch. So at that spot are definite benefits to soldering atomic expose 26 soldering!

Note: for my consummate suggested materials in addition to tools listing for soldering, banking concern check 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 run across 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 every bit I build them!