SOLDER

Solder is the "glue", although that term doesn't really give an accurate idea of what happens during soldering. The solder is usually an alloy (two or more metals combined) of the metals being joined. Silver solder is often used for everything except gold and platinum, whose solders are alloys of those two metals. Silver solder comes in four grades: IT, Hard, Medium and Easy. Each of these grades melts (or "flows") at a different temperature. Easy is the lowest, and IT is highest. IT is not used very often since it's melting point is very close to that of the metal itself. For practical purposes, most jewelers only use Hard, Medium and Easy grades.

The reason there are several grades of solder is for pieces that contain multiple soldering steps. If all solder melted at the same temperature, you risk unsoldering an earlier join as you attempt subsequent soldering steps on the same piece. The rule of thumb is to start with hard solder, and work through medium and easy in following steps. If you have more than three solder steps, you have to get creative... but that's another topic. If you only have one join, well, take your pick. I guess easy would make sense since it requires less heat, and therefore, reducing the amount of time under the torch.

"Soft" solder, like that used in electronics, is usually avoided completely, with the possible exception of repair work. It doesn't really solder, in the sense that the metal doesn't get hot enough for the solder to join with the metal... it just lays there on the surface, not providing a true bond of metals. This solder can also become corrosive if heated to normal soldering temperatures.

Solder comes in two forms: sheet and wire. The choice of form is a matter of personal preference. In either case, the solder is cut into little pieces, commonly referred to as "snippets".

It is important that the solder be clean and oxide free. For this reason, don't cut up a bunch of solder in advance. Clean the uncut solder with a little steel wool (but avoid the steel wool debris) or fine sand paper, then cut just enough solder to do the immediate jobs. It's a lot easier cleaning the solder for a couple seconds before it's cut than to clean it, or keep it clean, after it is cut. This also saves you from having to toss out a bunch of precut snippets if they get mixed up.

Be sure to mark your solder with the grade as soon as you buy it. One grade is visually indistinguishable from another. If you lose track of which grade is which, you could run into serious trouble when doing multiple soldering jobs on one piece of work.

The most common technique for cutting solder snippets from sheet solder is to cut a fringe along one edge of the sheet, then cut across the fringe, cutting free the solder snippets. Lay a finger across the solder when cutting it so that the snippets don't go flying when they are cut free. A method will be needed to segregate the different grades of snippets once they are cut. A three-tier sugar packet holder liberated form a local restaurant does the trick for me.