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Few questions about saws, soldering, chain making



 
 
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  #1  
Old August 19th 04, 07:36 AM
Nicki
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Default Few questions about saws, soldering, chain making

Hi,

I am just starting out, and I am most interested in making all sorts of
sterling silver chains. I have practiced making links using copper wire and
I have sterling silver wire and I'm ready to start on that. In the books I
have read, they say to use an adjustable Jeweler's saw with #0 blades to cut
the jump rings. I live in PA and we have limited craft stores, and none of
them seem to carry anything like this. The jump rings I am starting out on
are 4mm. Is this the proper saw blade i should be using on these? Also, in
these books they are using bigger propane torches and sheet solder for
soldering the links. Is it ok to use the small butane torches and wire
solder? What is the proper solder to use on sterling silver? Sorry for all
the questions, I'm really new and I've tried reading a lot of different
things, it just seems everyone has a different opinion. I'd appreciate any
recommendations of any books making wire jewelry and/or supply sites.

Thanks for any insight
Nicki


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  #2  
Old August 19th 04, 03:48 PM
Burt Lewis
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You want to get "Making Silver Chains: Simple Techniques, Beautiful
Designs"
by Glen F. Waszek. It will walk you through everything you want to
know about making sterling chains. Hope it helps.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/1579...04#reader-link
  #3  
Old August 20th 04, 07:32 AM
Nicki
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That is one of the books I have. In it, he just says use a basic plumbing
torch with a long flexible tube and a small tip that you can use on jewelry.
He doesn't say why not to use one of those small butane torches, but I do
know why now thanks to some replies I received. I have tried to do as much
reading as I could but I just wanted some opinions, which proved to be very
helpful.
Thanks.

"Burt Lewis" wrote in message
...
You want to get "Making Silver Chains: Simple Techniques, Beautiful
Designs"
by Glen F. Waszek. It will walk you through everything you want to
know about making sterling chains. Hope it helps.


http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/1579...04#reader-link


  #4  
Old August 20th 04, 07:32 AM
NE333RO
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Default

I am just starting out, and I am most interested in making all sorts of
sterling silver chains. I have practiced making links using copper wire and
I have sterling silver wire and I'm ready to start on that. In the books I
have read, they say to use an adjustable Jeweler's saw with #0 blades to cut
the jump rings. I live in PA and we have limited craft stores, and none of
them seem to carry anything like this.


It's nice to see someone do their homework before asking questions. For
blades and saw frames you can try either Guesswein or Rio Grande (among
others).

The jump rings I am starting out on
are 4mm. Is this the proper saw blade i should be using on these?


It's a good average size. You want to go as thin as you can (less
waste/closer tolerance) without using a size that you break all of the time. As
your skills get better, you will find your blade sizes getting thinner. You
might want to go with an assortment of sizes until you get it figured out. Buy
bees wax for lubrication.

Also, in
these books they are using bigger propane torches and sheet solder for
soldering the links. Is it ok to use the small butane torches and wire
solder?


If the small torch will heat the whole piece, to get your solder to melt,
it will work. If not (as I suspect will be the case), you will have to buy a
larger torch. I used one of those cheapy handheld propane plumbers torch for
years as a kid, and it worked just fine (still do when I run out of oxygen for
my Hoke). It doesn't have the pinpoint accuracy the smaller torch has, but it
offers the needed heat. With silver, where you have to heat the whole piece
anyway, the heat is usually more important.
As far as sheet over wire, I find wire a bit more versitile, sheet a bit
less wasteful/more accurate. If you want a "snippit" of round wire just cut a
small piece and flatten it with a hammer. As your skill grows you will be able
to put the wire solder in a pinvise and feed it to the solder joint by hand.

What is the proper solder to use on sterling silver?


Hard ) (inside newsgroup joke). The standard answer is that you use
progressivly softer (lower melting point) solder to keep earlier pieces from
falling off. As you get better, and plan your solders better, you can use hard
for everything on most designs.

Sorry for all
the questions, I'm really new and I've tried reading a lot of different
things, it just seems everyone has a different opinion.


Everyone has their own way of doing things. What works for some, doesn't
work for others. My recommendation is to try it the way the book says (at least
the one that sounds best to you), and when you run into roadblocks, ask. As you
get more experience, you will get a better idea of questions to ask to refine
your skills.

I'd appreciate any
recommendations of any books making wire jewelry and/or supply sites.


As is suggested often on here, Tim McCreights book "The Complete
Metalsmith" is a good all around book. It's not geared specifically towards
wire jewelry, but has great background and alot of good information.
  #5  
Old August 24th 04, 04:44 AM
Shane
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Default

Try this site.
WWW.TheRingLord.com

 




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