Soldering mini silver or gold barbell beads

Hi, Lately I've seen many necklaces made from fine silver chain with
what looks like mini silver or gold barbells inserted between the links
of the chain. I assume from looking at them that they are made by
soldering a headpin, say on some silver wire, inserting the wire
between the small links on the chain and then soldering a small ball
onto the other end of the wire. But, either my torch isn't hot enough
or I am just daft because I can't seem to do it. If I leave enough
length on the wire I'm fine but I can't cut the wire short enough to
make a nice small barbell. Does anyone have experience/suggestions for
how to do this?

Thank You
MB

m10b wrote:
Hi, Lately I've seen many necklaces made from fine silver chain with
what looks like mini silver or gold barbells inserted between the links
of the chain. I assume from looking at them that they are made by
soldering a headpin, say on some silver wire, inserting the wire
between the small links on the chain and then soldering a small ball
onto the other end of the wire. But, either my torch isn't hot enough
or I am just daft because I can't seem to do it. If I leave enough
length on the wire I'm fine but I can't cut the wire short enough to
make a nice small barbell. Does anyone have experience/suggestions for
how to do this?

Thank You
MB


I don't know the chain you are trying to describe, could you provide a
link to a picture please?

--
Regards, Gary Wooding
(To reply by email, change feet to foot in my address)

--
Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com

m10b wrote:
Hi, Lately I've seen many necklaces made from fine silver chain with
what looks like mini silver or gold barbells inserted between the links
of the chain. I assume from looking at them that they are made by
soldering a headpin, say on some silver wire, inserting the wire
between the small links on the chain and then soldering a small ball
onto the other end of the wire. But, either my torch isn't hot enough
or I am just daft because I can't seem to do it. If I leave enough
length on the wire I'm fine but I can't cut the wire short enough to
make a nice small barbell. Does anyone have experience/suggestions for
how to do this?

Thank You
MB


The easiest way to do this is to use a oxy-acetelyene or oxy- propane
torch. You take your silver wire hold it in a soldering tweezers and
ball up one end of the wire. Slip the wire through the two links of your
chain. Clip your balled up wire to proper size which means how big of a
ball do you want on the other end of the wire you have already balled
up. Hold the wire with the balled up end and the links of the chain
together and ball up the other end of the wire. This will lock the links
together. It is best to use a sharp and hot flame. As the wire balls up
pull your torch away when the ball has formed to the size you would like.

Michael
MichaelKnottDesigns.com

--
Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com

I'm sorry, it took me a while to find a suitable image:
http://www.twistonline.com/DetailCloseup.aspx?ID=2085

lemel_man wrote:
m10b wrote:
Hi, Lately I've seen many necklaces made from fine silver chain with
what looks like mini silver or gold barbells inserted between the links
of the chain. I assume from looking at them that they are made by
soldering a headpin, say on some silver wire, inserting the wire
between the small links on the chain and then soldering a small ball
onto the other end of the wire. But, either my torch isn't hot enough
or I am just daft because I can't seem to do it. If I leave enough
length on the wire I'm fine but I can't cut the wire short enough to
make a nice small barbell. Does anyone have experience/suggestions for
how to do this?

Thank You
MB


I don't know the chain you are trying to describe, could you provide a
link to a picture please?

--
Regards, Gary Wooding
(To reply by email, change feet to foot in my address)

--
Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com

Maybe they are just melting the ends of the wire up into balls.

--
Connie Ryman
Cryman Studio

"lemel_man" wrote in message
...
m10b wrote:
Hi, Lately I've seen many necklaces made from fine silver chain with
what looks like mini silver or gold barbells inserted between the links
of the chain. I assume from looking at them that they are made by
soldering a headpin, say on some silver wire, inserting the wire
between the small links on the chain and then soldering a small ball
onto the other end of the wire. But, either my torch isn't hot enough
or I am just daft because I can't seem to do it. If I leave enough
length on the wire I'm fine but I can't cut the wire short enough to
make a nice small barbell. Does anyone have experience/suggestions for
how to do this?

Thank You
MB


I don't know the chain you are trying to describe, could you provide a
link to a picture please?

--
Regards, Gary Wooding
(To reply by email, change feet to foot in my address)

--
Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com

Thank you Michael. Given my novice status it would really help to see
it done. I guess there are some disadvantages to the virtual community.
I'm going to try it again, with my beginner butane torch. I think I
wasn't leaving enough wire or letting the ball get big enough. If I
can't make it work I'll invest in a better torch, and perhaps some
lessons. By the way, your work is really beautiful! Both organic and
architectural.

-MB

Michael wrote:
m10b wrote:
Hi, Lately I've seen many necklaces made from fine silver chain with
what looks like mini silver or gold barbells inserted between the links
of the chain. I assume from looking at them that they are made by
soldering a headpin, say on some silver wire, inserting the wire
between the small links on the chain and then soldering a small ball
onto the other end of the wire. But, either my torch isn't hot enough
or I am just daft because I can't seem to do it. If I leave enough
length on the wire I'm fine but I can't cut the wire short enough to
make a nice small barbell. Does anyone have experience/suggestions for
how to do this?

Thank You
MB


The easiest way to do this is to use a oxy-acetelyene or oxy- propane
torch. You take your silver wire hold it in a soldering tweezers and
ball up one end of the wire. Slip the wire through the two links of your
chain. Clip your balled up wire to proper size which means how big of a
ball do you want on the other end of the wire you have already balled
up. Hold the wire with the balled up end and the links of the chain
together and ball up the other end of the wire. This will lock the links
together. It is best to use a sharp and hot flame. As the wire balls up
pull your torch away when the ball has formed to the size you would like.

Michael
MichaelKnottDesigns.com

--
Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com

lemel_man wrote:
m10b wrote:
Hi, Lately I've seen many necklaces made from fine silver chain with
what looks like mini silver or gold barbells inserted between the links
of the chain. I assume from looking at them that they are made by
soldering a headpin, say on some silver wire, inserting the wire
between the small links on the chain and then soldering a small ball
onto the other end of the wire. But, either my torch isn't hot enough
or I am just daft because I can't seem to do it. If I leave enough
length on the wire I'm fine but I can't cut the wire short enough to
make a nice small barbell. Does anyone have experience/suggestions for
how to do this?

Thank You
MB


I don't know the chain you are trying to describe, could you provide a
link to a picture please?

Michael is quite right, its made by melting the end of thin wire into a
ball. Its actually surprisingly easy to do, but you must use a small,
hot flame if you want to avoid melting the chain too.
Try practising on some wire without the chain. Dip the end into some
flux, hold it vertically with the fluxed end downwards, apply the flame
to the end and when it melts (which happens pretty quickly with thin
wire) follow the ball with the flame until its a size you like. If the
ball gets too big it becomes pear shaped instead of spherical, and if
you don't hold the wire vertically the ball gets a little lop sided, but
it can sometimes be corrected by bending the wire near the ball. If you
don't flux the wire the surface of the ball becomes somewhat rough and
pitted.
Give it a try, it really is one of those things that is easier than you
think it should be.

My post is late 'cos I'm in UK.

--
Regards, Gary Wooding
(To reply by email, change feet to foot in my address)

--
Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com

m10b wrote:
Thank you Michael. Given my novice status it would really help to see
it done. I guess there are some disadvantages to the virtual community.
I'm going to try it again, with my beginner butane torch. I think I
wasn't leaving enough wire or letting the ball get big enough. If I
can't make it work I'll invest in a better torch, and perhaps some
lessons. By the way, your work is really beautiful! Both organic and
architectural.

-MB

Michael wrote:

m10b wrote:

Hi, Lately I've seen many necklaces made from fine silver chain with
what looks like mini silver or gold barbells inserted between the links
of the chain. I assume from looking at them that they are made by
soldering a headpin, say on some silver wire, inserting the wire
between the small links on the chain and then soldering a small ball
onto the other end of the wire. But, either my torch isn't hot enough
or I am just daft because I can't seem to do it. If I leave enough
length on the wire I'm fine but I can't cut the wire short enough to
make a nice small barbell. Does anyone have experience/suggestions for
how to do this?

Thank You
MB



The easiest way to do this is to use a oxy-acetelyene or oxy- propane
torch. You take your silver wire hold it in a soldering tweezers and
ball up one end of the wire. Slip the wire through the two links of your
chain. Clip your balled up wire to proper size which means how big of a
ball do you want on the other end of the wire you have already balled
up. Hold the wire with the balled up end and the links of the chain
together and ball up the other end of the wire. This will lock the links
together. It is best to use a sharp and hot flame. As the wire balls up
pull your torch away when the ball has formed to the size you would like.

Michael
MichaelKnottDesigns.com

--
Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com



If you give some thought to it
it would be logical as I frequently stress here,
to run some trials first with the wire you are using OFF the chain.
To put it simply, get the technique right and quick to implement, then
transfer it to the product your working on.
Now no one has mentioned that you should ALSO use a spot of flux on
the wire end to stop it oxidising. Save a lot of pickling and polishing.
where is the "what if?" mind set these days.?
Whats the matter with people, arnt folk taught to think these days?.

as for using oxygen and propane , make the flame slightly oxidising ,
not good for the silver iuuuuuuuuif you didnt use flux, but it makes it
much hotter. Again run trials first
varying one paremeter at a time and youll get there.

On Tue, 15 Aug 2006 21:56:07 -0700, in rec.crafts.jewelry "m10b"
wrote:

Given my novice status it would really help to see
it done. I guess there are some disadvantages to the virtual community.
I'm going to try it again, with my beginner butane torch. I think I
wasn't leaving enough wire or letting the ball get big enough. If I
can't make it work I'll invest in a better torch, and perhaps some
lessons.

Butane torch? Given that most of them on the market are of the small little
versions similar to those also sold in kitchen supply stores for fancy cooks
wishing to singe their Creme Brule or the like, I suspect that we've found at
least one essential componant of her problem. Those torches just aren't hot
enough and precise enough to have a good chance of doing this sort of thing.

A better torch, and some lessons, sounds like a fine plan to me. :-)

Peter

ted frater wrote:
m10b wrote:
Thank you Michael. Given my novice status it would really help to see
it done. I guess there are some disadvantages to the virtual community.
I'm going to try it again, with my beginner butane torch. I think I
wasn't leaving enough wire or letting the ball get big enough. If I
can't make it work I'll invest in a better torch, and perhaps some
lessons. By the way, your work is really beautiful! Both organic and
architectural.

-MB

Michael wrote:

m10b wrote:

Hi, Lately I've seen many necklaces made from fine silver chain with
what looks like mini silver or gold barbells inserted between the links
of the chain. I assume from looking at them that they are made by
soldering a headpin, say on some silver wire, inserting the wire
between the small links on the chain and then soldering a small ball
onto the other end of the wire. But, either my torch isn't hot enough
or I am just daft because I can't seem to do it. If I leave enough
length on the wire I'm fine but I can't cut the wire short enough to
make a nice small barbell. Does anyone have experience/suggestions for
how to do this?

Thank You
MB


The easiest way to do this is to use a oxy-acetelyene or oxy- propane
torch. You take your silver wire hold it in a soldering tweezers and
ball up one end of the wire. Slip the wire through the two links of your
chain. Clip your balled up wire to proper size which means how big of a
ball do you want on the other end of the wire you have already balled
up. Hold the wire with the balled up end and the links of the chain
together and ball up the other end of the wire. This will lock the links
together. It is best to use a sharp and hot flame. As the wire balls up
pull your torch away when the ball has formed to the size you would like.

Michael
MichaelKnottDesigns.com

--
Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com


If you give some thought to it
it would be logical as I frequently stress here,
to run some trials first with the wire you are using OFF the chain.
To put it simply, get the technique right and quick to implement, then
transfer it to the product your working on.
Now no one has mentioned that you should ALSO use a spot of flux on
the wire end to stop it oxidising. Save a lot of pickling and polishing.
where is the "what if?" mind set these days.?
Whats the matter with people, arnt folk taught to think these days?.

as for using oxygen and propane , make the flame slightly oxidising ,
not good for the silver iuuuuuuuuif you didnt use flux, but it makes it
much hotter. Again run trials first
varying one paremeter at a time and youll get there.

Ted you are absolutely right about the flux. I was thinking about the
steps I use to ball up the end of a wire and writing them down and
somehow that one never made it to the page. Not only does it help with
the oxidation it helps keep the balled end spherical.
Michael

--
Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com