58 Art Jewelry ■ March 2016
10
Repeat to solder two
small tubes to the long
tube assembly. Pickle, rinse,
and dry the locket bottom.11
Use a round or half-round needle file to file a shallow
lengthwise groove in the two remaining small tubes so
that they will be less likely to roll off the larger tube. Sweat
easy solder onto the tubes.
Use the marker or a pencil to draw a vertical line down
one side of the locket bottom from one soldered small tube
to where you will attach the next small tube. (Try not to draw
where the solder will flow; ink and graphite can act as a resist
when soldering.)
Paint yellow ochre on all joins to prevent the solder from
reflowing. Use T-pins to position the locket bottom on the
soldering pad. The two previously soldered small tubes
should extend beyond the edge of the pad (to allow the
assembly to lie flat) and align vertically to prevent the next
small tube from rolling off.
Place one small tube on the lower end of the locket
bottom on the marked line. Apply flux to the join. Heat the
area around the assembly; direct flame will make the small
tube jump off. Once the flux becomes glassy, heat the piece
in a circular motion until the solder flows. Pickle, rinse, and
dry the assembly.NOTE: If the small tube is out of alignment, reheat the
assembly and reposition the small tube with a soldering
pick. Don’t press, just lightly push it with the pick.12
Rotate the assembly so the side with the two small
tubes rests on the soldering pad. Secure the piece
with T-pins, and paint yellow ochre on the soldered joins.
Solder the final small tube in place. Pickle, rinse, and dry
the locket bottom.13
Cut a^1 ⁄ 4 x 1^1 ⁄ 8 -in. (6.5
x 29 mm) strip of
24-gauge (0.5 mm)
sterling silver sheet, and
use a bezel mandrel to
form it into a ring. Make
sure the ring fits snugly
inside the top of the locket. If it doesn’t, trim it and test the
fit again. Solder the ring closed with medium solder, then
pickle, rinse, and dry it. File off any excess solder that may
prevent the collar from fitting into the top.14
Insert the collar into the locket top. Most of the collar
should show. Coat prior solder joins with yellow ochre.
Apply flux to the join, and place a small amount of easy solder
on the inside wall of the top, leaning against the inside edge
of the collar. Heat the assembly until the flux turns glassy and
the solder flows, periodically concentrating on the collar.
Pickle, rinse, and dry the locket top.COLLAR