Home / Jewelry Making Tips and Techniques / Soldering Jump RIngs

Soldering Jump RIngs

by Kylie Jones
Jump rings can be easily soldered with a small butane torch. They need to be closed perfectly so that both ends meet and the edges are flush. Where the jump ring ends meet must be free of grease and any tarnish. Running a folded piece of sandpaper through the join works well to clean it.
Instructions
I dip my jump rings in Cupronil or Firescoff so they don't get firescale and I also use this on the piece of solder to act as a flux. I use hard solder to solder single jump rings closed. I flatten wire solder with a hammer on my bench block and cut a tiny piece. I try to image the surface area of one of the ends of the ring and then cut just enough solder that would cover the area. If you use too much solder you then have to file away the excess which takes time and also filing a ring does slightly change the profile of the ring and makes it look uneven. So the best join is one with no excess solder.
I place the solder on a solderite board and place the join of the ring on top, making sure the join is in the centre of the solder piece. Heat the ring evenly, keep moving your torch so you don't melt the ring, the heat of the jump ring is what causes the solder to flow. The jump ring will move slightly as the solder melts and flows up towards the heat of the torch and you will see a tiny glisten at the top of the join. Stop heating the ring and quench it in water.
Kylie Jones's Soldering Jump RIngs - , Findings & Components, Toggles & Clasps, Earwire & Headpin, Butane Torch, Soldering, Solder, soldering jump rings
Kylie Jones's Soldering Jump RIngs - , Findings & Components, Toggles & Clasps, Earwire & Headpin, Butane Torch, Soldering, Solder, soldering jump rings
Kylie Jones's Soldering Jump RIngs - , Findings & Components, Toggles & Clasps, Earwire & Headpin, Butane Torch, Soldering, Solder, soldering jump rings
Kylie Jones's Soldering Jump RIngs - , Findings & Components, Toggles & Clasps, Earwire & Headpin, Butane Torch, Soldering, Solder, soldering jump rings
Kylie Jones's Soldering Jump RIngs - , Findings & Components, Toggles & Clasps, Earwire & Headpin, Butane Torch, Soldering, Solder, soldering jump rings
Kylie Jones's Soldering Jump RIngs - , Findings & Components, Toggles & Clasps, Earwire & Headpin, Butane Torch, Soldering, Solder, soldering jump rings
If you use Firescoff or Cupronil you don't need to pickle the rings to remove the firescale. Firescoff and Cupronil are both designed to be sprayed onto the pieces when they are warm but I don't do this with jump rings, I dip them in and warm them with my torch, this causes a slight frosty coating to form. If the coating doesn't fully cover the ring then I just dip it in again and warm it again. I originally tried both of these products because they both don't produce hazardous chemicals when heated.

Materials

18 Gauge Round Half Hard .925 Sterling Silver Wire
H8-18H
  • Lesson Quantity: 2.00 feet
  • Purchase Quantity: 1.00 1FT
  • Price: $5.94
  • Gold Club Price: $4.45
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Tools

Blazer GB4001 Stingray Torch, Blue
TRCH-4002
  • TRCH-4002
  • Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
  • Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
  • Price: $49.95
  • Gold Club Price: $37.46
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Solderite Soldering Board 6 Inch by 6 Inch Soft
SOL-421.10
  • SOL-421.10
  • Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
  • Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
  • Price: $14.76
  • Gold Club Price: $11.07
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Silver Sheet Solder - Hard 75, 5 Pennyweights
SOL-858.20
  • SOL-858.20
  • Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
  • Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
  • Price: $16.97
  • Gold Club Price: $12.73
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  • Category: Findings
  • Technique(s): Butane Torch Techniques

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