introduction to structural jewellery City&Guilds course - week 2

SWEAT SOLDERING

In week 2 of our exciting course we have learned about sweat soldering, negative cut and drilling. Sweat soldering is used to solder one piece of metal on the top of the other. For this exercise each of us had to cut out using piercing saw blade two shapes out of cooper and brass, file it to make it look smooth. Then we had to cut out a hole (in the shape we want) in a smaller piece of metal using first stationery drill. To do it you have to use piercing tool first to mark a pleace of drilling hiting it with hammer (remember to do it only once otherwise you can damage your metal piece) and then using drill and do not forget to put a protective glasses whilst you using it. Another stap is to put a saw blade into a hole, cut out a required shape and file it. Now is a time for swaet soldering. First you have to file a bit edges of the smaller piece in an angle shape to prevent solder to flow out whilst soldering. Put flux and few pieces of hard/medium solder on a back of the smaller piece and picke it. Then Flux both parts and put one on the top of the other (pin it together with a small metal split pins to avoid the movement) and heat it with torch until very red, pickle it, wash it, DONE! :))