Old Habits are sometimes hard to break, and unless I can see WHY I need to change, I usually won’t. I am kinda stubborn that way. I have mentioned today’s soldering concept before to jewelers, but today I decided to show in pictures and video why I do what I do.
I use a “Powdered” Boric Acid and Denatured Alcohol Dip as a Jewelry Soldering Protective Covering to protect against Fire Scale and Fire Stain. I dip my jewelry into this solution and allow it to sit for a minute or two. Here I show an example of why I let the alcohol EVAPORATE instead of burning it off with fire. You can see a visible difference, and it works better. I have put together a quick video to show the difference as well below.
CLICK HERE FOR VIDEO
Here is a quick explanation of what Denatured Alcohol and Powdered Boric Acid does. The denatured alcohol is a “carrier” of the powdered boric acid, and when the 2 are mixed, a little of the boric acid dissolves in the alcohol. When the jewelry is dipped into the solution, there is a thin layer applied to the entire surface of the piece. When the alcohol is gone, you can see this layer. This thin layer acts as a protective barrier to keep oxygen away from the metal, and OXYGEN is what causes the fire scale and fire stain.
If you look closely at the 2 pieces above, the first image is of a piece that was dipped, then lit on fire to burn off the alcohol, the second piece was dipped and allowed to let the alcohol dissolve in the air, which took less than 2 minutes. The second picture has more protection for the jewelry from the elements (oxygen) and will do a better job of keeping the fire stain away. The first example will protect better than no dip at all, but a little patience will go a long way.
Hope this makes sense, and I hope to break your bad habits of burning off the alcohol by example.
Thanks as always for stopping by and supporting all I do in the world to increase jewelry skills, and make jewelry creating an easier and fun experience.
Now, Go Make Something Shiny, and Let’s get ready to Make the BEST Jewelry of Your Life!
Doug