Johanna, thanks for sharing your great idea for the metal cart and metal pan instead of a flammable-surface table!

Barbara, thanks so much for sharing these valuable tips!

About your paste flux question, there is liquid flux which I like because it doesn’t get crusty and move the solder chips around so much like paste.. But the paste flux will hold up longer if you have a job that takes longer. If the flux disappears too early, you’ll have to reflux again or the solder will not flow. Jump rings? You can save a lot of time by buying silver or other metal rings instead of making them yourself although that’s not rocket science either. The micro-torch or “creme brulee” torch is perfectly adequate for small jobs like the rings but not for larger pieces. I like my propane/oxygen plumber’s torch.

Another good piece of advice that I got from a teacher was: Always know where your torch is aimed at. Don’t go swinging it around while you’re moving your piece around. Rest your arm on something or turn the torch off if you need to adjust something on your piece.

Learn the basics in a class and you’ll be off on a marvelous adventure!

Bev, what a smart bead store owner! And a great way for you to get started with silver clay and a torch.

I use a large old anvil as my sturdy fireproof work surface when annealing or soldering because I haven’t gotten a better setup yet, but it works fine. I’m in my garage with a fire extinguisher. But I’ve done electronics soldering at the kitchen table with a benzo-matic micro torch with the soldering tip on (flame still come out the sides while heating it). You can practice with your scrap. That’s my night-time ritual now. I hit the garage and practice soldering/ fusing metal.

Definitely don’t use any kind of floor tile as a work surface. Slate will blow back at you when heated and any tiles with air pockets in them could potentially explode. I want to build a little fire-brick nook in my workspace.

Ventilation is important. Make sure you aren’t burning off any solvents/glue/paint – they can be hazardous.

This is a cool site with a lot of good information. Glad I found it!

DON’T get a kitchen tile. A metalsmith told me that there could be some moisture within the tile that will cause it to break or shatter. Get a heavy duty metal cookie sheet with rimmed edge. This is to protect your STABLE work surface. Then you have choices of bricks to place your work on, like charcoal, or you could use a tripod with mesh to heat from underneath.

You’ll need a pickle pot. Just pick up a cheap little crock pot at WalMart for $15. For the pickle, go to a pool supply store and buy some pH down, or whatever chemical they have to decrease the pH in a pool. Google how to mix it.

You’ll need tweezers to pick up the pieces to quench them in water and place in the pickle. You’ll need copper tweezers to pull the pieces from the pickle to place in water.

For solder, you can pallions or paste, and you’ll need an implement to put it on your piece. I use tiny pallions of hard solder and place them with a tiny-tip painting brush. You can also use a titanium soldering pick.

For ventilation, I use a bathroom ceiling fan that is vented out the window.

And after dropping my first chunk of sterling on my plastic top table and watching the plastic smoke and burn, I bought an apron. Also, staring at a hot flame can damage your eyes, so get some darkened safety glasses.

Flux protects metal from oxidation and cleans the surface so that the solder can flow. So you can spray it on or brush it on. It’s personal preference, and I still haven’t figured out which flux I want to use. Still experimenting, as should you.

Jump rings are a piece of cake. Line the edges up properly, spray some flux on them on a charcoal brick, put a tiny pallion of solder on the seam, heat the entire piece, and watch the solder flow.

I’m glad you are feeling better about everything. Don’t get discouraged!

Just to explain, hopefully in enough detail that will make more sense: I know how to use flux and solder, but not the flux paste ..that is new to me, no videos I saw mentioned it, so I asked about it. I’m not even sure if I need it, but jewelry making is different than stained glass, which is why I asked. All the jar I have says is to put it on the metal prior to the soldering. Does it replace flux? Is it used in addition to flux? (those are now rhetorical questions as I’ve got to get through the craftsy.com lessons which I’m sure will answer them.)

In asking “how to get started”- I want only to learn to solder jump rings and create a layer or two using base metals to start practicing on until I can find a lapidary class somewhere. I thought if I asked how to “get started” I’d get answers such as what some people gave me which definitely did help me out, such as the link to craftsy.com like Sarah S. gave me, the name of NancyL. Hamilton you gave me for videos… suggestions of sites people knew, books, etc. as some of the others gave me.

I don’t know where people assumed I didn’t want to do my homework or that I was trying to get all I could get out of you all in how to create jewelry using what would obviously be advanced metalsmithing techniques, and to be honest, it did sting to hear the replies that inferred that. I did say what I wanted to do, (solder jump rings and layer a couple metals together.) I'm 54 years old and I do know that I need true education in lapidary to do advanced torch work as I'd like to do down the road…in time. I truly just hoped to get links, books, etc., as I said that would get me started.

So thanks very much, Diane, for giving me a little peace of mind here. Now, to go find a photo and description of that creme brulee torch to see if it looks like the one I do have.

There is much I can learn from many of the replies, and again, I thank everyone who gave me such info. I'll be especially cautious before I write another post asking anything!

Have a wonderful Sunday,

Lisa

I’ll have to find a solution to the card table, as it’s true that I did presume that if I put something on it, I could use it. You all must think I’m nuts to have only that- but it’s just my son and I living where we do, and I have very little company except on holidays. Not having a permanent table makes my living room much bigger, which I prefer. M, every person I know uses their torches in their homes…why not in my apartment? I really don’t understand that, though I do understand all the other safety issues you brought up and can certainly appreciate them and will follow that advice.

The other thing, the jeweler’s torch I bought was something another jewelry maker said to get- she said it was just like a creme brulee torch, so again, why I shouldn’t use it at home, I just can’t understand. My living room has a huge sliding door which I can run out of to reach the outdoors in seconds flat. And my dad did lapidary in his home/mine that I grew up in…and my apartment is bigger than that, even (no, it wasn’t a mobile home, lol.) I’m a cautious person and do want to take all precautions I can, but if I can’t work from here, I may as well sell my torch.

I appreciate everyone’s suggestions on books, videos and all your safety concerns. When I get through the lessons on craftsy.com I’ll let you know. Jump rings first! 🙂 I looked into taking a class at the local college, but none are being offered this semester. THAT would be ideal! I can hope that they’ll offer something for summer school!

Thanks so very much for all your input- I’ve written down the name of the books, and will likely purchase them. I know I have one called The Complete Metalsmith…something like that…in a spiral bound cover…but haven’t seen it around in a long time, I just have to keep looking for it.

I hope you are all off to a great start in the New Year, and many thanks, again!

Namaste~

Lisa

Under NO circumstances, for example, should soldering be done on an unfixed structure like a card table. Ever. Even with a “fireproof” surface laid on top. Certainly not in an apartment, and certainly not by anyone who has not yet learned how to do it safely (preferably in person from someone experienced and accredited).

Two other things are so rarely mentioned, but should always be considered non-negotiable:
1) FIRE EXTINGUISHER. Right there, within easy reach. All the time.
2) Adequate *ACTIVE* VENTILATION. (No, an open window is not enough when soldering, fusing, lampworking glass, or using volatile chemicals—not even with a household fan next to it).

We all accept risks in life for ourselves, sure, but it’s not anyone’s place to increase the risk for others who share our environment, whether that’s an apartment building or a professional studio.

I realize this is blunt. But I hope you can see this is coming from a place of respect for my fellow artists, respect for your enthusiasm, respect for our safety, and respect for the processes we use. So often I see, especially with self-taught crafters and artists, safety being overlooked, undervalued, or ignored. It’s not about “common sense.” It’s about recognizing the responsibility each one of us has for own education (self-directed and otherwise–preferably otherwise when chemicals, fire, and fumes are involved), and for the safety of those around us as well as ourselves.

So that we can all keep making and enjoying wonderful art over the course of a long, healthy life.

Seriously now, you really shouldn’t start soldering without first learning the basics, like what sort of surface to work on.

I have several torches. micro, butane, oxygen, propane etc. The micro & butane are great for small jobs, like soldering jump rings, bails, and many other small jobs, setting stones with silver etc. However if you are doing full on silver smithing as in making a complete silver pendant with stone set etc, I would also have the more powerful torches.

Once you get over the initial apprehension of using a torch it will open a whole new world of creativity for you.

As for your work area, there are several choices and again you must find what works best for you. For the micro and butane torch you can simply use inexpensive fire boards, charcoal blocks etc. However no matter what torch you use I would suggest creating a fire brick area where you can place any torch working surface that pleases you on top of. I would even make it like a little fireplace where you have the fire brick built up on three sides. You can move them as each project needs. This gives you alot of protection. They are inexpensive and you can buy them at your local hardware store etc. You can also use them as your work surface but be careful not to scratch your piece.

Remember to have good ventilation, a fire extinguisher close by and if using propane & oxygen, the golden rule: POOP, when starting your torch, open propane first then oxygen when closing close oxygen then propane. And I would not use a wood surface, again find some kind of non flammable sheet to put over your work area, then your firebrick etc.

Learn how the torch works, all your clamps, how to check for leaks etc. And most of all have fun!!!

You should really start with that craftsy minicourse. It’s free. Most of the other courses cost, but that one is free and it helped me so much. It will also tell you how to make a little portable set up for the mini-torch. Once you have gotten comfortable with that, you can start doing more research on how to make a set up for a large torch.

Anna, I didn’t realize Rio Grande had so many tutorials. I used to live in Albuquerque and went there a lot, but looking for bali silver…now with their website I’ll be sure to check into their videos.

I’ve seen a number of the You Tube videos…one thing I haven’t found is anyone telling me what kind of surface I can work on. I mentioned I’ve got only a card table here- do you think I could lay down a peice of scrap wood e.g. fiberboard and work on that? Do you put a sheet of some kind of metal on your workshop desk before starting to use your torches? I’m really concerned about what kind of surface to start working on.

I’ll keep looking thru the You Tube videos but if anyone has an idea they think would work well for me, I’d appreciate your advice! Now, to go look at the links you gave to me and see what I can find! (Sometimes there is just TOO MUCH info out there, it seems, but the basics get forgotten…or I’m just not finding the right videos!!)

Again, thanks for your help- I’ll keep checking here and see if anything else comes up and let you/others know what I came up with myself.

Lisa

youtube.com/watch?v=tLhgDRcUOhc

It will go over the basics of getting set up and started.