Soldering Setup

A lot of jewelry makers get nervous when they are faced with using a torch to make jewelry for the first time.

However, one way to make sure you work safely with a torch is to create an area in your studio (or porch or garage or where ever you work), that is dedicated just for soldering.

This will help you keep your metal clean, which is essential for successful soldering, and assist you in working safely. Also make sure to always solder in a well ventillated area.

To solder, you will need the following tools and supplies:

solder (soft, med., hard)
flux
thin paint brush
jar of water
fire brick
copper tweezers
pickle solution
torch
ceramic tile
fire brick or heat resistant pad
over head light

1. Set the ceramic tile in the middle of your work area.
   
2. On top of the tile, set the fire brick or pad.
   
3. To one side, set the jar of water, paint brush, copper tweezers, pickle solution, flux, and solder.
   
4. On the other side, set up your torch.
   
5. Set the over head light so that it shines over the brick and tile. ]/ol]

   See the drawing to your right for an example of this set up.