Are you a closet pyromaniac? If you like playing with fire, then perhaps you might like to expand your range of skills with silver wire fusing - making metal joints without solder. It is a lot easier than traditional soldering but you still get to play with a micro-torch. This post covers the basic differences. Even if all you do is fuse jump rings closed, that will add a broader range of possibilities to your jewelry designs. Really.

Soldering involves using a filler material (solder)and flux which helps the solder flow and prevents metal from oxidising and discoloring (fire stain or scale). The videos above don't show what he had to do after soldering. He had to "pickle" or clean the piece with an acid solution to remove the flux and the oxides which formed during the heating process. Then there's the rinsing, filing to get rid of the solder bumps and polishing.

If soldering sounds like too much work, then silver wire fusing may appeal. No solder, no pickle - just some quick licks with the micro-torch flame. There is one catch. You have to use fine silver which is virtually pure silver (99.9%). Pure silver will melt more easily and will not fire stain. By comparison, sterling silver (92.5% silver and 7.5% other metals, usually copper) will discolor in the heating process and you'll have to clean it.

If you'd rather have something more tangible and want to add to your library collection, then check out Liz Jone's Book : Jewelry Studio: Silver Wire Fusing. The first part of the book includes fusing fundamentals - what you need to get started and how to use a butane micro-torch.

UPDATE
Here are more videos :

Introduction to Fine Silver Fusing



How to Fuse Sterling and Fine Silver :




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Original Post by THE BEADING GEM
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