Closed Jump Rings Soldering vs Fusing

by Judy Larson
In jewelry making, there's rarely just one "right" way to do things, which is why staying open to new tools and techniques is so valuable. In the final part of this four part series, Judy Larson shares methods for turning open jump rings into closed ones, along with practical advice on soldering, tools, and tips for keeping your workflow efficient. It's an insightful look at how preparation and practice can make your designs more seamless.

Jump to Each Lesson in the Jump Ring Series
  • #1 Coiling Wire for Jump Rings
  • #2 Cutting Coil into Jump Rings
  • #3 Opening & Closing Jump Rings
  • #4 Closed Jump Rings Soldering vs Fusing
  • Instructions
    The following steps explain different ways to turn open jump rings into closed jump rings, along with my reasoning for when each method is useful.

    Soldering Trifecta with Kim St. Jean is an excellent class full of tips and tricks that help you achieve professional results with different solders and techniques.

    To find the method that works best for your tools and skills, practice each technique before moving into full production.
    Judy Larson's Closed Jump Rings Soldering vs Fusing - , General Education, Jump Rings, Jump Ring, Making Jump Rings, soldering trifecta kim
    Note: You may not need closed jump rings often, but when you do, it can feel like a hassle to bring out all the soldering equipment for just one ring.

    Once you know which size and gauge you use most often, it's smart to make several of those in advance.

    That way, you'll always have the right closed rings on hand when you need them.
    Judy Larson's Closed Jump Rings Soldering vs Fusing - , General Education, Jump Rings, Jump Ring, Making Jump Rings, closed jump rings
    Making Closed Rings
    For good seam joins, the rings must be clean. If they've been sitting out for several months, give them a quick cleaning in a silver dip. Rinse and dry them thoroughly before working.

    The rings must also be tightly closed, with both ends flush and even.

    No light should show between the ends of the jump ring. If there is any light, the join can easily fail.

    The example shown uses 16-gauge Argentium wire. The top row displays finished rings, while the bottom row shows the method.

    Use a smaller amount of paste solder and a smaller chip of solder than pictured. The photo uses extra solder only for visibility.

    Use half the amount shown. The less solder you use, the less clean-up will be needed around the seam.

    In the image shown are jump rings made in different formats, from left to right:

    FusingMedium paste solderMedium chip/sheet solder



    Judy Larson's Closed Jump Rings Soldering vs Fusing - Making Closed Rings, General Education, Jump Rings, Jump Ring, Making Jump Rings, six jump rings soldered with different techniques

    Soldering:

    If you are using gold filled, sterling, or base metal wire, solder must be applied.

    When working with paste solder, there is no need to add flux since it is already included in the formula. With traditional wire and chip solders, flux is required or the solder will not flow. Without flux, solder may melt but only ball up instead of spreading.

    Argentium and fine silver do not develop fire scale when torch heated, so flux is not necessary. However, flux can still be useful as an indicator. Once it turns clear and glassy, solder flow is close.

    Sterling silver embellishments and findings should be fluxed to protect them. Even when using paste solder on sterling silver rings, I still fluxed them to avoid dealing with fire scale.

    When soldering, paste and chip solder behave similarly. Place the solder beneath the jump ring seam on the soldering surface. Since solder follows heat, torching the ring will cause it to liquefy and flow up into the seam.

    When you see the silver flash on top of the jump ring, remove the heat immediately. The ring is closed.

    After cooling, check the seam and refine if needed.
    Judy Larson's Closed Jump Rings Soldering vs Fusing - , General Education, Jump Rings, Jump Ring, Making Jump Rings, soldering examples

    Fusing:

    Argentium and fine silver jump rings is simple, but like any new skill, practice makes perfect.

    As with soldering, the rings must be tightly closed, with both ends flush and even. No light should show between them. If there is any gap, the join can fail.

    One drawback of fusing is that it does not always create the strongest join. In my experience, solder joins are often stronger than fused ones.

    So why use fusing at all? The biggest advantage is no solder clean-up.

    Another benefit is when making chains that must be pulled through a drawplate, such as foxtail or loop-in-loop chains. These chains need to be annealed before the first draw and again during the drawing process. If each link were soldered, it would be too easy to overheat a section, causing the solder to flow and fuse multiple rings together. This would leave an unbendable section of chain.
    Judy Larson's Closed Jump Rings Soldering vs Fusing - , General Education, Jump Rings, Jump Ring, Making Jump Rings, double foxtail chain
    Judy Larson's Closed Jump Rings Soldering vs Fusing - , General Education, Jump Rings, Jump Ring, Making Jump Rings, chains being pulled through drawplate

    Fusing Rings:

    To fuse rings, use a Butane Torch Head attached to a butane canister for larger rings. For smaller rings, a Jumbo Max Flame Butane Torch works well. Keep rings spaced out on a soldering surface and work on one at a time. Place each ring with the seam facing away from you so you know exactly where to watch.

    Move the flame around the ring and carefully heat it. The surface will go from shiny, to dull, to frosty, then back to very shiny and slightly molten. Use a heat-and-pull-back rhythm until the seam begins to fuse. Once the seam starts to fill in, immediately remove the heat. The seam will finish fusing as the ring cools. Repeat for each ring.

    Let the rings cool on the soldering surface, then flip them over. If the seam isn't fully fused, repeat the process on the other side.

    Do not quench too soon after fusing, as the join may crack. Allow the rings to cool for 20-30 seconds, then dump them into a metal bowl set on a bench block to finish cooling.

    If a seam wasn't tightly closed, let the ring cool, flip it, and reheat just that area to fuse it. If the ends ball up instead, continue to ball the wire. You'll have a perfect embellishment to use in another project.

    Fusing many jump rings can be repetitive, and it's easy to let your mind wander. If a ring overheats, it may shrink in size. Save those smaller rings for the beginning or end of a chain, or repurpose them in other designs.
    Judy Larson's Closed Jump Rings Soldering vs Fusing - , General Education, Jump Rings, Jump Ring, Making Jump Rings, three jump rings demonstrating fusing

    Base Metals:

    I mainly work with silver, but I also have tips for soldering copper and other base metal rings.

    This coil of copper solder already contains flux, so you don't need to spray or paint flux onto the soldered areas. Adding flux to the entire piece will still help prevent fire scale.

    One drawback is that joins made with this solder are very brittle. If the seam is hammered, bent, or stressed, it will likely fail.

    A seam that won't be stressed after soldering will hold up fine.

    Always clean the solder wire before use. Since round wire tends to roll, it helps to hammer the end flat before cutting off small pieces. This keeps the solder in place instead of rolling around.

    Another drawback: even though the coil looks copper-colored, the finished join will show a definite silver cast.
    Judy Larson's Closed Jump Rings Soldering vs Fusing - , General Education, Jump Rings, Jump Ring, Making Jump Rings, round wire for soldering
    Judy Larson's Closed Jump Rings Soldering vs Fusing - , General Education, Jump Rings, Jump Ring, Making Jump Rings, example of silver showing during a demo

    Using Paste Solder:

    I prefer using paste solder formulated for base metals, since it includes flux and works well for soldering. I'll even use it for pick soldering. To avoid confusion, I paint the tops with copper and brass or bronze colors so I can tell them apart from the silver paste solders in the same container.

    The drawback is that, like copper wire solder, it doesn't create an invisible seam. The overflow is harder to clean up compared to paste, wire, or sheet solders for silver.

    Base metal wire and paste solders come in only one flow temperature. This makes layering more challenging, though not impossible.

    They also don't take patina as well as silver solders, which makes it harder to cover or disguise solder overflows that can't be removed.
    Judy Larson's Closed Jump Rings Soldering vs Fusing - , General Education, Jump Rings, Jump Ring, Making Jump Rings, paste solder
    Judy Larson's Closed Jump Rings Soldering vs Fusing - , General Education, Jump Rings, Jump Ring, Making Jump Rings, paste solder example
    Making Consistent Large Size Closed Rings
    Sometimes coiling wire to make consistently sized large rings, meant to be soldered or fused closed, does not work well even with specialty pliers.
    Judy Larson's Closed Jump Rings Soldering vs Fusing - Making Consistent Large Size Closed Rings, General Education, Jump Rings, Jump Ring, Making Jump Rings, coiling wire on pliers
    In that case, coil several rings at the desired size, then cut them apart.
    Judy Larson's Closed Jump Rings Soldering vs Fusing - , General Education, Jump Rings, Jump Ring, Making Jump Rings, several wire coils
    Open each ring, straighten the wire, measure the shortest piece, and cut the rest of the wires to match that length.
    Judy Larson's Closed Jump Rings Soldering vs Fusing - , General Education, Jump Rings, Jump Ring, Making Jump Rings, matching lengths of wire

    Miter Joint Jig Vise:

    File both ends of each wire flat, making sure they are all the same length. The ends must be perfectly flat for a proper solder join.
    Judy Larson's Closed Jump Rings Soldering vs Fusing - , General Education, Jump Rings, Jump Ring, Making Jump Rings, vise holding wire to file
    Ideally, use a Miter Joint Jig Vise. Secure one end of the wire in the larger diamond-shaped opening so the cut marks can be removed. File the end flat and flush with the vise surface.

    Repeat the process with the other end of the wire.
    Judy Larson's Closed Jump Rings Soldering vs Fusing - , General Education, Jump Rings, Jump Ring, Making Jump Rings, filing wire in the vise
    Note: The vise shown here is designed for 45 and 90 degree angles. Use the flat 90 degree portion.
    Judy Larson's Closed Jump Rings Soldering vs Fusing - , General Education, Jump Rings, Jump Ring, Making Jump Rings, vise and file being used in demo
    If you don't have a Miter Joint Jig Vise, you can use flat nose pliers instead.

    Place the wire as close as possible to the fulcrum of the pliers. This area creates a 90-degree angle that lets you file the wire end flat.

    Positioning the wire here also reduces the pressure needed to grip the handles, lowering the chance of marring the wire.

    Hint: Wrap electrician's tape around the plier jaws to help protect the wire from marks.

    Rest the end of the plier jaws on the edge of your work surface, then file the wire flat and flush with the top of the pliers.
    Judy Larson's Closed Jump Rings Soldering vs Fusing - , General Education, Jump Rings, Jump Ring, Making Jump Rings, Image 15
    Shape the wire lengths into oval or "D" shapes, matching the ends as closely as possible.

    No light should be visible between the wire ends from any angle.

    Form the wire into a "smile," then pull the ends back together to create a flush connection.

    If using square wire, ensure the corners align precisely.
    Judy Larson's Closed Jump Rings Soldering vs Fusing - , General Education, Jump Rings, Jump Ring, Making Jump Rings, shaped wire into a D shape
    Solder or fuse the seam closed.
    Judy Larson's Closed Jump Rings Soldering vs Fusing - , General Education, Jump Rings, Jump Ring, Making Jump Rings, rings soldered closed
    Shape the large ring on a ring or hoop mandrel.
    Judy Larson's Closed Jump Rings Soldering vs Fusing - , General Education, Jump Rings, Jump Ring, Making Jump Rings, Image 18
    Make Lists and Charts
    I don't like to figure things out over and over, so I take plenty of notes, photos, and make lists and charts to reference often.

    You may find the following two charts from Mix "O" Match Earrings helpful, especially when making larger rings.

    Wire lengths in relation to plier barrels: Wire, especially half hard, is springy and creates coils slightly larger than the barrel size after wrapping.

    I made a list of approximate wire lengths needed to wrap around the barrel of three different 3-step pliers. I also added extra length to account for trimming with flush cutters and filing the ends.
    Judy Larson's Closed Jump Rings Soldering vs Fusing - Make Lists and Charts, General Education, Jump Rings, Jump Ring, Making Jump Rings, Image 20
    Wire Length Reference Chart by Pliers
    Pliers3 Step Wire Wrapping Flat NoseSmall Barrel Wrap 'N' TapLarge Barrel Wrap 'N' Tap
    Step123123123
    18 Gauge Wiren/a3/4"13/16"5/8"1 1/4"n/an/an/an/a
    16 Gauge Wiren/an/an/a5/8"1 1/4"1-11/16"2"2 1/2"3"
    14 Gauge Wiren/an/an/an/a1 1/4"1-11/16"2"2 1/2"3"

    Visual comparison of ring gauges and sizes:

    It is helpful to me to keep photographic size references.

    The approximate inside diameters of the ripple rings on the left are as follows:

  • Large- 22mm or 7/8"

  • Medium- 18mm or 11/16"

  • Small- 14mm or 9/16"
  • Judy Larson's Closed Jump Rings Soldering vs Fusing - , General Education, Jump Rings, Jump Ring, Making Jump Rings, Image 21

    Materials

    Wire - Wide variety of gauges, tempers and metals
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    Wide variety of Sterling Silver Jump Rings
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    Copper Solder Paste, 1/2 ozt, Soft
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    Silver Solder Paste Hard SS75 - 1/4 T.O.
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    Silver Solder Paste Medium SS70 - 1/4 T.O.
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    Tools

    Deluxe Soldering Kit
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    Heavy Duty Wire Shear
    PLR-460.00
    • PLR-460.00
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    Lindstrom Multi-Purpose Shear, 5-3/4 Inches
    G2-6000
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    Multi-Size Wrap 'N' Tap Pliers, Large Barrels
    PLR-746.03
    • PLR-746.03
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    WireJewelry - Ultimate Wire-Pliers Jewelry Pliers with Case, Set of 5
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    Multi-Size Wrap 'N' Tap Pliers, Small Barrels
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    Optional Tools
    Soldering Trifecta with Kim St. Jean DVD Set
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    • Category: General Education
    • Technique(s): Making Jump Rings