How to solder a gold chain?

Wearing gold jewelry has been fashionable at all times. They add elegance to any look and style for both men and women. The only drawback is that such products are distinguished by their fragility. Their breakdown is far from uncommon. In order to repair a gold item, you need to contact jewelry craftsmen. However, it is not always possible to take your favorite chain to a jewelry workshop. Therefore, many people wonder whether it is possible to solder it at home? Many people mistakenly believe that soldering a chain at home requires a lot of knowledge and skills. In reality this is far from the case. In this article we will look at all the nuances of this procedure.

Reasons for broken chains

Gold is a soft metal, so all jewelry made from it tends to break.

There are a number of reasons why a gold chain can break:

• A light weight. This is the most common reason for gold jewelry to break. In particular, this applies to products that were made from tubes.Repairing such a chain costs more than its purchase price.
• In an attempt to unravel the chain. Very often the chain breaks after the owners try to untangle it. Over time, the links in the chain become loose. Accordingly, the older the jewelry, the greater the likelihood of breakage. To detect such a problem, you should examine the links through magnified glass. If the links are worn out, then they need to be replaced as soon as possible.
• Heavy pendants on the product. The weight of the pendant should correspond to the thickness of the chain. Otherwise, breakdown cannot be avoided.
• Hollow product. Such gold jewelry easily breaks due to mechanical stress. They wear out quickly. Therefore, you should not hang heavy pendants on them.
• The product is of poor quality.

Important! To identify a hollow gold item, you need to hold it in your hand. The weight must correspond to the size.

How to solder a gold chain yourself?

Many owners of gold jewelry are intimidated by the thought of repairing gold jewelry with their own hands. There's really nothing complicated about it. To complete this process, you only need to have the desire and tools. Below are step-by-step instructions on how to solder a gold chain.

What is needed to solder a chain?

In order to solder the chain, you should stock up on the necessary tools, namely:

• gas-burner;
• special solder, which is necessary for soldering gold;
• flux;
• awl;
• sheet of refractory metal;
• vice;
• a set of files (ideally a bur machine);
• tweezers.

The instruments that are needed for this procedure must be small in size. You can buy them in the market.

If they are not available there, you should look into a jewelry workshop.

If there is no solder and there are no places where you can buy it, do not be upset. It is possible to get out of such a situation.

For this you need purchase the following tools and materials:

• the container in which solder will be cast;
• gold;
• silver;
• copper;
• brass;
• crucible.

How to make soldering?

To start soldering, you need to prepare the solder, for this you need:

• Place gold, silver and copper in the crucible. The proportions of the metal composition are 585: 115:186. In any jewelry repair, maximum precision is required.
• Also, this composition requires brass in the amount of 135 parts. If it is not available, brass will do; it is required in the amount of 112 parts.

Next we proceed as follows:

• We heat gold, copper and brass on a gas burner.
• When the ingredients are heated to a molten state, brass or cadmium must be added to them.
• We wait for the moment when the composition is completely mixed and pour it into the container.
• We deform the slightly cooled metal into the required shape on an anvil. The metal must be in the form of a plate or wire.
• We wait until the metal cools down and roll it into a position convenient for you.

Soldering steps

In order to perform soldering, it is necessary to first prepare the surface of the product. Therefore, the first step is to clean the soldering area and treat it with flux. During these actions, a protective film is formed on the gold, which will prevent the formation of oxides. This will allow the solder to spread evenly over the surface of the gold.

Before you start soldering, perform the following steps:

• Using the part that was damaged, the links should be connected.
• Place a metal cylinder of the appropriate size inside the damaged link.
• Then, using pliers or tweezers, crimp the link.

After the soldering area has been treated with flux and the chain has been connected, you can proceed to the final stage of the procedure. For this we need pre-prepare a piece of solder that is suitable in size for repairing the breakdown. It should be close to you.

Heat the parts with a torch

Then we proceed according to the following algorithm:

• We adjust the gas burner so that the result is a thin stream of plasma.
• We heat up the soldering area. It is impossible to control the temperature at home. Therefore, the main indicator will be the color of the gold. If the gold changes color during heating, this indicates that the place is ready for soldering.
• It is important to prevent the metal from overheating. Pay close attention to its color.
• When the solder is equal in level to gold, and all the cadmium has burned out, the chain can be considered soldered.

Treating the adhesion site

Now we need to give our product a marketable appearance. A drill is ideal for grinding gold. However, not everyone has it. In such cases, you should use a needle file.

Useful tips

If your jewelry breaks, you will definitely benefit from the following tips:

• The parts of the broken product should be placed in a bag. It should be clean and close well.
• Find out information about the location of the jewelry workshop.
• The cost of repairing gold jewelry depends on the complexity of the damage. Therefore, the price of repairs must be agreed upon in advance with the repairman.
• If you want to carry out repairs yourself, you should consult with specialists.You can also purchase the necessary parts and tools in the workshop. The technician can clearly show you the entire soldering process.
• If the fastener is faulty, it must be replaced. It can be purchased separately and made from any type of metal, the main thing is that it matches the color of the decoration. Installing the clasp yourself is not difficult.

It is very unpleasant when your favorite jewelry breaks. The cost of repairing a product is not always affordable. Carrying out repairs at home is much cheaper. However, you should not do this without soldering experience. Jewelry repair requires maximum precision and care.