How to solder a silver chain at home

Why do silver chains break? Top 3 reasons

• Defective product. But the store will not simply accept a broken chain back: an examination must be carried out to prove a manufacturing defect. If the examination confirms that the manufacturer is at fault, then the buyer will return the money spent - both for the decoration and for the examination.
• Hollowness. Yes, chains are often made hollow - this is not very practical, but it reduces the cost of decoration. Heavy pendants cannot be hung on such chains, and they can also break from the slightest mechanical impact.
• Wearing heavy pendants. To avoid putting too much stress on the chain, consider the weight ratio of the chain to the pendant.

Chain repair at home

Is it possible to repair gold chains at home and charge money for it? It is possible if you comply with all the laws of the Russian Federation on business activities. But everyone can repair their jewelry, and it is also not forbidden to help friends and acquaintances free of charge. This requires not only skillful hands and a keen eye, but also special devices, such as a miniature vice. The procedure for repairing gold chains at home will be as follows:

1. Determine the nature of the damage. If the lock is broken, you won’t be able to make it yourself and it’s better to buy a ready-made one. If the chain is seriously deformed, then it is almost impossible to repair it at home. Repairs at home can be carried out for simple damage - a rupture or rupture with deformation of several links.
2. Remove damaged links.
3. Prepare jewelry solder: 58 measures of gold, 11 measures of cadmium, 12 measures of silver and 19 measures of copper. To ensure accurate proportions, you should use a pharmacy scale.
4. Clamp the links in a vice. If you need to solder one broken ring, then for convenience you can pass the two links adjacent to it through a needle (thin awl or knitting needle).
5. Heat the joint with a soldering iron. Apply solder.
6. Remove excess solder. Finish the seam with a fine file to give it a more aesthetic appearance.

Large and medium-sized products are connected in this way; smaller ones require a different soldering technology (phosphorus soldering). Items made from solid wire are easier to repair at home than jewelry made from a hollow tube.

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What you need to know about silver soldering

• Silver melts at a temperature of 960 degrees. Of course, this indicator differs for different metals - for example, the melting point of copper is 1083 degrees. The melting point of the alloy will depend on how much pure silver it contains (exact values ​​can be found in specialized literature).
• To ensure high-quality soldering, it is important to carefully select silver solder. It is advisable to use refractory solder, which melts at temperatures above 240 degrees. All solders are marked for convenience; the number in the marking indicates the percentage of silver content. For example, in PSR-45 solder there is 45% silver, the rest is copper and zinc. In some cases, solders with a silver content of 70% are used. The higher the silver content, the stronger the connection.

Properly soldered seams are strong and resistant to corrosion. If the soldering is done well, the seam is not prone to deformation. To repair a silver chain, we recommend choosing solders with a high silver content: they give the best results. Ordinary tin should not be used for soldering silver: over time it will darken, the soldering area will become noticeable and unaesthetic.

Tools for repairing a silver chain at home:

• small soldering iron or gas torch;
• silver solder;
• flux;
• alcohol-containing liquid;
• acid solution;
• clips for fixing jewelry;
• wire cutters;
• small brush;
• sandpaper;
• asbestos sheet or brick (if using a gas burner).

Section question - answer

Is it possible to solder silver with a regular soldering iron?

Expert opinion

Grishanov Mikhail Petrovich

Jeweler, director of the Grishanov and Co. workshop

Unfortunately, soldering silver with tin is not possible due to the different densities of the metals. Tin is able to connect the edges, but even with the slightest mechanical force the decoration will collapse again.

How to repair a silver chain with your own hands at home, is it real?

Expert opinion

Pribrezhny Gennady Valentinovich

Jeweler 6th category

You need to buy special tools and accessories, ensure your workplace and work safety, use the manual and carry out the repairs yourself.

How to repair a silver chain using a gas torch

Before starting work, the product must be cleaned and degreased - treated with an alcohol-containing solution. The next steps are:

• Secure the broken parts of the decoration to a fireproof base. An asbestos sheet or ordinary brick is suitable for this purpose.
• Coat the places where the chain breaks with a thin layer of flux (this is convenient to do with a small brush). Place a piece of solder between the broken parts of the chain (it is convenient to separate the alloy strips with wire cutters).
• Gently heat the joint with a gas torch, moving the torch from the side. Try to ensure even heating. When the flux is hot, increase the flame, continuing to weld the metal and forming a solder joint.
• Wait for the soldered decoration to cool down.
• Clean the surface of the product from flux, remove any remaining solder with sandpaper, and polish the soldered area.
• The final treatment is to lighten the surface using an acid solution.

How to solder a product: basic methods

At home, you can use one of two soldering options applicable for silver:

1. Gas burner. This method is not only simple, but also cost-effective. You need to proceed as follows:

• Clean the entire surface of the parts being soldered from visible dirt and blackness;
• Apply a thin layer of flux to the elements. You can cook it yourself. To do this, borax is poured with water and heated in a water bath. The mixture is cooled, and the resulting crystals are crushed in a mortar.

• Place a pre-prepared piece of solder at the soldering site. It can be cut with wire cutters;
• Use a gas burner to heat the product from its side, paying attention to the position of the solder. It should not be blown away by the flame;
• As the flux melts, the flame should be increased until the solder forms a seam. If there are insufficient materials, they can be added during work;
• After soldering is completed, allow the product to cool and wipe all parts of the item being soldered at the junction with sandpaper to remove traces of flux. It will also remove excess solder.

2. Soldering iron. To solder parts of a product with a soldering iron, you should choose a device with a thin tip. It is better to buy POS-60 solder for such work. It begins to melt at a temperature of 180 degrees.

This solder is somewhat different from the usual types. It is made in the form of a tube, the inside of which is filled with resin. It is this that is an alternative to borax flux and performs the function of protecting the alloy from possible oxidation. The procedure will be as follows:

• The surface of the product is cleaned from oxides and other contaminants;
• The joints are heated to such a temperature that it becomes above the melting point;
• Solder with flux embedded in it is placed at the melting site;
• The surface of the product is heated with a soldering iron. Under the influence of high temperature, the solder begins to melt and spread evenly over the surface;
• The product is allowed to cool and the joints are cleaned with sandpaper.

How to fix a silver chain using a soldering iron

For jewelry work, use a soldering iron with a thin tip and POS-60 solder with a melting point of 180 degrees. This solder is produced in the form of thin tubes filled with resin, which acts as a flux (protects the metal surface from oxidation). The procedure is the same:

• the surface of the decoration must be cleaned of blackness and dirt;
• heat the joints to a temperature above the melting point;
• place a piece of solder with flux at the joints;
• heat the surface of the product with a soldering iron so that the solder begins to melt and distribute evenly;
• You should wait until the decoration has cooled, and then clean the remaining joints with sandpaper.

Solder joint strength

Soldering allows you to join dissimilar materials. This is the main advantage of the method. But it is important to evaluate the strength of the solder joint, which is an indicator of the quality of work. This is affected by the size of the gap. At low values, the effect of capillary flow is best manifested, that is, the metal of the product dissolves in the solder. This effect increases the strength of the connection by 30-60%.

During work, we must not forget about safety measures. This applies to wearing gloves and a respirator. We must not forget about high temperatures, which can cause a fire.

Security measures

When repairing jewelry at home, be careful, the soldering process can be dangerous. In particular, when flux and solder are heated, toxic substances are released into the air, so you need to solder the chain in a well-ventilated area. An acid solution can cause a chemical burn (not only to the skin, but also to the respiratory tract), and a fire can occur from an open burner flame.

If you have never soldered anything before (we are not just talking about jewelry, but in principle about working with a soldering iron or torch), then think again before you start repairing the chain yourself. Maybe you should entrust the repair of your favorite jewelry to professionals?

The Importance of Silver in Ancient Times and Today

In ancient times, silver was considered a sacred metal. It was used to create amulets that protected people from dark forces and evil spirits. Gradually, this metal began to gain popularity as jewelry. In addition to making rings, earrings, pendants and chains, people made silverware.

Silver was often called lunar material and could only be worn by members of the nobility or people associated with religious teachings. This material was not available to ordinary peasants. Gradually money (coins) began to be made from silver. Now this metal is used for making jewelry, as well as in electrical engineering (silver plating, contacts).

Ultrasonic cleaning: high technology

This procedure allows you to clean the item not only from visible dirt, but also from microbes, which feel good having chosen such an unconventional place to live as jewelry. Firstly, cleaning returns the lost shine and charm, and secondly, gold becomes truly safe in a medical sense.

Sometimes cleaning can extend the life of your jewelry. Locks on chains, bracelets, and earrings often break. If we are talking about a carabiner lock, then it has a spring made of ordinary metal. When a person washes and sweats, the metal rusts and breaks down. As a result, the lock needs to be changed. But cleansing may well delay the problem or even completely eliminate it.

Ultrasonic cleaning technology is as follows: in a bath filled with a special liquid, all possible contaminants are destroyed (as jewelers say, “knocked out”) using sound vibration. An absolute plus of the procedure: it tests the strength of stones. If the stone does not fit well, it will be knocked out. This means that it needs to be secured and prevented from being lost.

The peculiarity of this cleaning is that it cannot be used for some products.