live benchtips - soldering tips for jewellers
We regularly run a a free Live Benchtips Session, a Q&A for you to ask an expert jewellery your questions. This month we were answering your questions about soldering. Watch the replay now or skip to the question you want the answer to.
Soldering is one of the key skills that a jeweller needs to master. Whether you are a beginner in jewellery or more advanced, there is always more to learn so do check out this live Q&A with goldsmith Hayley Kruger. Thank you for all your brilliant questions!
Do watch the whole thing or skip to the question you want answered that are timestamped below:
2.56 What is the process of soldering?
5.06 What are the different types of solder?
8.00 What is flux?
9.46 Remember, solder will not fill a gap
10.38 Tips for soldering earring posts on fine silver
13.20 Remember that steel tweezers will be a heat sink so you need to heat these up too
14.05 tip for work hardening earring posts
15.36 What’s your favourite flux?
20.07 tips for when solder moves
21.42 Do I need a larger torch for firing larger pieces?
23.18 Tip using mesh to conduct more heat
26.39 Tips on different torches and what they are used for
31.23 What is the best way to place solder?
35.17 What about wire solder?
37.07 What is happening if my bezel plate warps when I am soldering on bezel wire?
39.48 What tweezers do you recommend for handling solder?
40.49 What solder do you use when soldering chain jump rings, and how do you avoid unsoldering the previous ones?
42.36 When soldering multiple joins, I use different hardnesses of solder and Tippex with the windows open. Well done, Rosie. Sometimes, despite this, the solder from the 1st join has partially or completely disappeared. To that the join becomes very thin, or even comes apart. How can I ensure this doesn't happen?
43.41 Products that can inhibit solder from flowing
48.39 I was taught to spray my piece with alcohol, flux and borax. Is that necessary?
50.09 What's the difference between fire stain and fire scale?
50.48 How do you clean soldering blocks?
52.57 How do you keep your liquid spray flux nozzle from clogging up?
53.52 Do you have any recommendations for soldering gold filled?
56.17 Tips for adding keum boo to a soldered piece
56.59 How do you solder a piece with small parts e.g. filigree?
If you would like to learn to solder more effectively and open up so many more design opportunities for you, check out the online course Soldering Masterclass.
Learn how to solder:
Earring posts
Soldering jump rings to make your own chain
Sweat soldering
Soldering a closed cylinder
And much more
ABOUT hayley
Hayley Kruger is a jewellery designer and jewellery industry professional who has worked in many aspects of the trade since 2002. With a BA Honours in Jewellery and Silversmithing, Hayley went onto work as a designer for many of the UK's most recognisable retailers such as Top Shop, Marks & Spencer, River Island, Next, Lola Rose, Orelia, Morgan and many more. She taught for many years at the London Jewellery School and has been a mentor for the Jewellers Academy Diploma courses since the beginning, currently mentoring on the Advanced Jewellery Diploma. Hayley was invited to show her work at the Victoria and Albert Museum, has been published in Vogue, Stylist and Marie Claire to name a few. And she was invited to be an ambassador for Triumph Lingerie's Women in Making campaigns 2013 and 2014. Using the experience she gained, Hayley now works from her studio in Cirencester on private commissions including engagement rings and shares her knowledge on various aspects of the jewellery industry.