How to solder a silver chain at home?

Jewelry made of silver is loved by all girls, without exception. They are great both as everyday accessories and as evening ones, and they are cheaper than other precious metals, and in appearance they are not inferior to them. Unfortunately, sometimes beloved silver things need repair, and the owner has a question: how to solder a silver chain at home? Of course, you can entrust the repair to a professional, but sometimes it is quite realistic to do this work yourself. This article will look at exactly how to do this.

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Features of silver soldering

Soldering any metal requires certain knowledge about its physicochemical properties. The melting point of silver is 960 degrees. For metals used to make jewelry, this temperature is average.

Important! A similar indicator for copper is 1083, and for gold - 1063 degrees.

Alloys with silver also have different melting points. Exact values ​​can be found in special references.

Materials for work

Solders with silver are marked with a set of letters and numbers. In this case, the number indicates the percentage of silver.

Important! Important advantages of silver solders are their strength and corrosion resistance. You can buy them in specialized stores.

It is advisable to use refractory solder with a melting point in excess of 240 degrees for soldering parts. These are alloys marked with PSR2 or PSR2.5, or special solder paste.

It is possible to make solder on your own. The optimal ratio of metals is the following:

• Copper - 25%.
• Silver - 45%.
• Zinc - 30%.

Instruments

Melting of the components is carried out in a muffle furnace. The finished alloy is poured onto a special substrate, and after cooling is passed through a rolling machine, to obtain leaflets with a thickness of about half a millimeter.

Important! When soldering at home, you can not use compounds with cadmium, since the fumes of this metal are harmful to health.

Protective measures

To protect the soldering place from oxidation, fluxes are used. The flux is distributed evenly over the metal surface and isolates it from atmospheric oxygen.

As a flux at home, apply:

• A mixture (in equal proportions) of borax and potash.
• Instead of potash, you can use baking or technical soda.

Important! Borax is sold as an aqueous solution and requires preliminary drying. To do this, you can use a conventional gas burner:

• Borax is poured into a chemical container from porcelain or a special cup for evaporation.
• After the evaporation process is completed, the crystals are cooled, crushed in a mortar and mixed with soda or potash.

The removal of flux from the surface of the repaired product is carried out using a heated weak acid solution.

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What is needed for repair - we are preparing step by step:

• Base made of refractory material (asbestos board or ordinary brick).
• Silver solder.
• A mixture of borax and potash as a flux.
• Acid solution.
• A small brush.
• Tweezers.
• Nippers.
• Copper tongs.
• Gas fuel burner.
• A piece of clean cloth.

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How to fix a silver chain at home - procedure:

• Place the parts that need to be soldered on the refractory base, fix them firmly.

Important! The smaller the gap in the weld zone, the more accurate the joint.

• Thoroughly clean the surface of the parts from oxide films. Only in this way can a quality connection be achieved.
• Coat non-fat elements with a thin layer of flux. Dilute the flux with water to a mushy state and apply with a brush.
• Place a piece of solder at the weld spot. It is convenient to use pieces of size 2x1 and 2x2 mm. Separation of the strip of alloy into parts is done with nippers or side cutters.
• Bring the burner to the side of the product. Gently warm the junction. Make sure that the gas does not blow off the flux and solder, control the uniformity of heating. After the flux has melted, gradually increase the flame strength until a soldered seam is formed. If there is a shortage of flux and solder, carefully add both.

Important! A light solder with a small percentage of silver, with a lower melting point (for example, to solder a silver ring at home), is enough to close the cracks. To connect the parts together, an alloy with a higher silver content is required. In this case, the connection is stronger.

• The final step is to clear the compound of flux. The surface is blackened with “sulfuric liver” (an alloy of potash and sulfur) or lightened with an acid solution.

Important! Sometimes, lead-tin solder is used to solder silver products. However, the thing at the same time loses its aesthetics. In addition, this method cannot be used several times, so as not to spoil the thing completely.

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Soldering iron application

For soldering jewelry use a soldering iron with a thin sting. POS60 alloy is used in the work, with a melting point of 180 degrees. This solder is sold in the form of tubes with resin inside. The resin acts as a flux that protects the metal surface from oxygen.

Important! Soldering at home should be carried out in a well-ventilated area, since heated solder and flux emit toxic compounds.

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Stock footage

Soldering jewelry - the work is quite delicate. But with perseverance and accuracy, you can perform it quite successfully.