Stay-brite on Metal Clay

[beehive]

I've had 2 sterling silver findings pop off my metal clay brooches.  Unfortunately both have cabachons that would not withstand the heat of a hard solder.

So... I tried using Stay-brite with my soldering iron.  The solder melted, but stayed balled up, then rolling off, on the brooch back.  I did flux both the brooch and the pin back prior.  What am I doing wrong?

Thanks
Janet

[Metalman]

Sorry to hear that, this is a very common event - you are heating the solder rather then the metal you wish to solder.  This will cause exactly the problem you have described.  The larger metal part needs to be hot enough to melt the solder. If it is, one assumes that the smaller parts are also hot enough.
A clean way to do this is to heat the parts separately and apply a small amount of solder to them - this is called 'pre-tinning',  then fit them into place and heat again until the solder flows.  Remeber not to move the pieces at all until they are completely cooled.
Stay-brite and most soft solders form their strength as they cool. If they get jostled or moved, the joint losses strength.

[Polly]

Beehive - I don't think you need this warning, since you noted that the cabochons wouldn't withstand high temp soldering -- so I'm posting this for other readers.

This is a warning that MetalMan recently reminded me of (when I took a soldering class he recently offered in our Spokane, WA warehouse):  Once you solder a sterling or fine silver item with soft solder, you can't ever expose it to hi-temp soldering temperatures.  When the soft solder gets exposed to those high temperatures, it takes on a life of it's own and frantically eats holes in your other metal.
So ... all readers: don't ever do a temporary soft-solder repair on your sterling or gold jewelry, and plan on taking it to a "formal" jeweler later for a permanent repair...... it will destroy itself when the torch hits it.

[beehive]

'> Just wanted to let you know that by following those instructions, it worked!  I cleaned up and reapplied my LOS patina and they look great.  Thank you so much for saving my pieces...  I won't be so nervous about using the torch next time either.