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Soldering of jewelry chains?

There was a jewelry chain making machine on diplay and in operation at Cabin Fever. My daughter, who makes wire jewelry, was facinated by the machine, and wanted to search Ebay for another. I disabused her of the idea of competing with the Chinese and Indians but we would still like to explore the method. How are the individual chain links soldered as a bunch? The only method I can come up with is to dump the chain in a molten metal bath, like galvinizing an anchor chain. How does one keep the individual links from sticking to each other?

Kevin Gallimore

Reply to
axolotl
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Years ago, on TV, there was such a machine featured in a special on gold. Could have been a National Geographic production, but at this point in time, I'm not sure. Needless to say, I was focused on the set, for that was when I was refining precious metals and had a keen interest in all phases of gold.

The one in the special had a torch that soldered each link as the chain was made. The torch was attached to a cam mechanism that moved in and out as required.

I'm not suggesting that is the method for the machine in question, but the idea of dipping a chain to solder links makes no sense. I doubt that's the procedure. As you alluded, it would border on the impossible to keep solder from areas where it is not desired.

Harold

Reply to
Harold and Susan Vordos

I _think_ I've seen somewhere that special, solder-filled, wire is used. For gold or silver chains, the solder is an alloy of lower melting point but same purity as the wire proper. The machine makes a link, heats the join to make the solder flow (possibly with a flame or electric resistance heating) and then proceeds with next one.

Reply to
lemelman

One youtube video here

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at about 4:15, indicates the links are heated in a furnace at 815C to perform the end soldering en mass, it doesn't mention how the solder component gets there which would be interesting.

Reply to
David Billington

Ive seen a chain making machine that used an inductive heater ring to heat each link as it passed through the machine and a wire feeder to apply solder alloy. The links then went through a rotating die that pressed each link so the join was nearly invisible.

Ran pretty damned fast

This was making silver chain when I saw it.

Gunner

Whenever a Liberal utters the term "Common Sense approach"....grab your wallet, your ass, and your guns because the sombitch is about to do something damned nasty to all three of them.

Reply to
Gunner Asch

Take a look through these patents:

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or

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If you feed the patent numbers into Google patent search you can pickup on other patents that refer/cite them too. Like this one for example:

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A bunch of reading, but it should give you some idea on how others are doing it.

Reply to
Leon Fisk

Solder paste is a possibility, applied post-cut but before final bending.

Dave

Reply to
spamTHISbrp

Thanks, all.

Research thus far points to a two step process: A batch of chains are tumbled with powdered solder (with sticky flux?). The batch of chains are then placed in a vibratory finisher, taken out, and fired in a furnace. My current guess is that the media in the vibratory polisher are made the ideal size to scrub off the solder everywhere except at the butt ends of the wire that forms the link.

Kevin Gallimore

Reply to
axolotl

You really need to ask this question on a jewelery specific group. There you will get more specific answers. Try Rec.Crafts.jewelery or the Ganoskin site. Sorry no link.

Bob

Reply to
Bob Miller

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