ANASTASIA YOUNG

THE WORKBENCH
GUIDE TO

Engraving • Chasing and repoussé • Fusing • Riveting • Enameling •
Drilling • Piercing • Filing • Annealing • Soldering • Pickling • Wire work
• Fold forming • Bending • Hammering • Cutting • Carving • Mounting
and setting stones • Polishing • Stamping • Doming/swaging • Forging
• Anticlastic raising • Hydraulic press • Wax carving and modeling •
Vulcanized rubber molds • Precious metal clay • Silicone • Casting
resin, ciment fondue, and porcelain • Plaster • Bending wood, horn,
and Perspex • Carving natural materials and wood • Textiles • Plastics
• Beads and pearls • Hinges • Findings • Catches • Chain • Etching •
Rolling mill textures • Hammer textures • Sandblasting • Frosting
wheel • Reticulation • Granulation • Anodizing • Tooling leather •
Patinas • Dyes • Laminating • Metallic powders • Gold leaf • Stone
setting templates • Inlay • Mokume gane • Bezel or tube settings •
Collet settings • Claw settings • Flush settings • Pave and grain
settings • Channel settings • Illusion settings • Spectacle settings •
Fancy settings • Stringing beads • Gemstones • Outwork • CAD/CAM
2 Techniques • Core techniques
ANNEALING METAL
TECHNIQUE
Annealing is the process used to soften metal
once it has become work-hardened. These
steps show the annealing of metal wire, rod,
and sheet. Lengths of wire should be coiled and
loosely bound with binding wire, which will
help to prevent overheating any areas. Use a
soft, bushy flame to heat the coil evenly until
it reaches annealing temperature.
1 To anneal thick wire or
rod, angle the torch flame
along the length of the rod,
and start heating at one end
(or, as shown here, at one
edge of the loop). When the
end becomes a dull red color,
move the flame along the rod,
making sure that the whole
length or loop has reached
annealing temperature.
2 Anneal sheet metal with a
bushy flame—circulate the
flame to bring the whole piece
of sheet to a dull red color.
3 Allow silver to cool to
black-heat before quenching
in water. Allow larger pieces
of sheet to air cool, which
will prevent distortion from
rapid cooling.
FILE
04
Precious Kiwi-
skin necklace
By Alena Joy
Precious metals
were used alongside
dried kiwi skins
to construct this
delicate necklace.
on a heatproof mat and start heating, using a
soft, bushy flame—you will soon see color
changes on the surface of the metal, and once the
metal starts to glow red (check the chart for
particular metals and their annealing color) stop
heating. These color changes are most visible
in low light levels.
The method you use to cool the metal
will affect its temper (hardness)—in order to
achieve optimum results, use the recommended
method of quenching or cooling for your
particular metal.
The annealing process causes a coating of
oxides to be formed on most metals, and they
will need to be cleaned in an acid solution called
pickle (see page 98).
When not to anneal
For certain tasks, such as making earring wires
where no soldering is required, it is often
desirable to retain the hardness of the metal so
that the piece will not easily bend out of shape.
The piece will be less easily formed, but will be
a more durable structure.
 Annealing • S oldering 3

Technique finder Metals are most often joined together using the soldering
process. Solder is a metal alloy with a lower melting point than
Core techniques
(pages 82–108)
the metals it is joining; precious metals each have their own
solder alloy, but base metals are usually joined with silver solder.
• Cutting and piercing
• Drilling
• Filing SOLDERING
• Annealing
Soldering
▼

Materials and tools a good general-purpose flux, and comes either as

• Pickling
Solder is available in different grades—hard a solid cone that is mixed with water in a dish
• Bending metal
silver solder has a melting point just below that to form a thin paste, or as a powder. Soldering
• Cleaning up of silver, medium has a lower melting point, gold requires relatively high temperatures, and
• Polishing and easy solder melts at a lower point still. Hard you may get better results using a flux especially
solder is used predominantly, as it color-matches for that purpose, instead of borax. Easy and
Construction
silver better than medium or easy, and flows extra-easy solders, and stainless steel will also
(pages 109–119)
along seams better, too. Enameling solder has a perform better with a flux designed for the
Forming techniques very high melting point and can be used to join specific purpose.
(pages 120–149) elements that are going to be enameled (see page Heat-bricks, charcoal blocks, and soldering
Carving and casting 229); extra-easy solder should only be used for mats, including ceramic mats that have holes for
(pages 150–168) repair work. Every karat and color of gold has its pinning pieces in position with binding wire,
own solder alloys of hard, medium, and easy. are necessary to protect surfaces from torch
Mechanisms
Flux is used to aid solder flow by preventing flames. Mats can be used on a turntable, which
(pages 169–189)
the metal from oxidizing when heated. Borax is will allow the piece to be rotated while heating
Color and texture takes place.
(pages 190–234) Small, inexpensive hand-torches are useful,
Stone setting but only for small soldering jobs such as chain-
(pages 235–247) making. Torch heads that automatically mix air
and bottled propane or butane gas are easy to
Stringing beads
(pages 248–251) use, and are a worthwhile investment. You can
interchange different sizes of head attachment to
Outwork give suitable flame sizes for most soldering jobs.
(pages 252–269)

Plant cell brooch

By Laura Baxter
The intricate silver and
gold elements of this
brooch were skillfully
soldered together.
4 Techniques • Core techniques
SWEAT SOLDERING A HOLLOW FORM
TECHNIQUE
Hollow forms can be awkward to solder, as
there is often no place for pallions of solder to
be placed easily. Sweat soldering allows you
to melt solder accurately in position. Here,
two domed circles are soldered together to
make a spherical form.
1 Apply borax and plenty
of pallions of solder to the
flat edge of one dome.
2 Heat the dome until the
solder slumps—overheating
may cause the solder to run
down into the concave surface.
Ensure that all of the edge of
the dome has solder on.
3 Don’t pickle the soldered
half—but you may lightly
rub the soldered surface with
emery paper to flatten it
if necessary. Flux the two
halves and bind them
together with binding wire.
4 Heat the form evenly to
bring it all up to temperature
at the same time. You will see
liquid solder appear along the
seam—ensure that this has
happened all the way around
the seam, and then stop
heating the piece.
FILE visible around the edge of the seam. Remember
07 to make an air-hole in a hollow form if it is going
to be heated again—trapped air can make pieces
explode. This technique can also be used to join
flat sheets of metal together neatly.
Awkward soldering jobs
Confidence in soldering comes with practice.
When things don’t go as planned, try to work
out why—mistakes can be learned from and the
knowledge used to your advantage.
Each soldering job may be slightly different
than the last, but a few general points should be
taken into consideration.
• Build a wall from soldering mats or bricks
around the soldering area, because this will help
to reflect heat back onto the piece, which will
help it heat up more quickly.
• Time spent setting up pieces is time saved if
the elements move when they are being heated
and need to be quenched, repositioned, and
fluxed again.
• Always try to use gravity to your advantage when
balancing pieces—reverse-action tweezers are a
great help here, but remember that they will draw
heat out of the metal they are holding, and so it
will take longer to reach the correct temperature.
This fact is useful when you are soldering thin
wire on to larger forms—using tweezers will help
prevent the wire from overheating.
• Binding wire is incredibly useful for holding
pieces in place, but it can cause damage—silver
expands more than binding wire when heated, so
make sure you use thin enough wire that will not
resist expansion.
Multiple joins
While it is possible to use hard solder only to
solder multiple joins within one piece, medium
and easy solder are often used for the final
seams. This means that the piece will not have
to be heated to such a high temperature for the
solder to melt, and so there is much less risk of
the hard solder re-melting. In a piece with three
solder joins, the first should be made with hard
solder, the second with medium, and the final
join with easy solder. For pieces with more than
three joins, hard solder should be used for as
 S o l d e r ing 5

Clockwise from top:

Petals rings by Rui Kikuchi;
Ping ring by Gilly Langton;
Ring by Margareth Sandstrom;
“5R1” Ring by Anastasia Young.
6 Techniques • Core techniques
SOLDERING AN EARRING STUD
TECHNIQUE
Thin wires soldered on to larger forms, such
as pins for earring studs, can be a challenging
soldering job. The trick is to avoid overheating
the wire. The setup of the pieces is crucial—
try to use gravity to your advantage!
1 Hold the rod in place using
pins in the soldering mat, and
balance the wire in position
using insulated tweezers. Apply
borax to both parts and place
a pallion of hard solder so that
it is resting on the rod, and
touching the wire, too.
2 Heat the soldering mat first,
to allow the borax to dry out
slowly. Once you are sure
that the solder will not move,
start to heat the rod, which is
thicker than the wire and will
take more time to get up to
soldering temperature.
3 As soon as the rod is glowing
dark red, allow the flame to
“lick” the wire while continuing
to heat the rod. Don’t allow
the wire to get too hot, or the
solder will travel up the wire,
away from the rod.
4 When the solder melts
and joins the two parts,
remove the flame. Quench
and pickle the piece.
FILE
08
The different types of solder
Silver solder is available in different types;
hard, medium, and easy solder strips are
shown above.
many of the initial joins as necessary, and the
joins masked off with rouge powder mixed to
a paste with water after they are made. This
will help to keep the solder from melting again.
Heat-resistant gel can also be used to protect
solder seams, thin areas that may be at risk of
overheating, and gemstones.
Easy solder should only ever be used for the
final solder join in a piece as it can melt holes in
silver if it is overheated.
Solder seams can become “dry” from
overheating or too much annealing. This can
cause pin-holes along the seam. Every time solder
is heated, some components will burn out of the
alloy, which effectively gives the solder a higher
melting point and it will require heating to a
higher temperature in order to get it to melt. If
necessary, run fresh solder along the same seam
to reinforce it.
Mixed metals
When soldering gold to silver, it is necessary to
use silver solder, regardless of the karat of the
gold. This is because silver has a lower melting
point than that of gold solder. Take care not
to overheat the gold during this process or any
subsequent heating because the silver solder can
melt pits in the surface of the gold.
Base metals, including steel, can be soldered to
silver using borax for the flux and silver solder.
 S o l d e r ing 7

MULTIPLE SOLDER JOINS IN ONE PIECE FILE

TECHNIQUE
09
This technique demonstrates how to use the three main grades
of silver solder—hard, medium, and easy—when soldering a
piece that has several different solder joins in it.

1 Form a ring shank from
9-gauge (3-mm) round silver
wire (see page 112). Use
26-gauge (0.4-mm) fine silver
sheet to make a bezel that
fits around a cabochon stone.
Solder the ring shank and bezel
using hard solder. Pickle and
clean up both pieces.
2 True the bezel on a triblet
and rub the base on emery
paper to ensure it is flat.
Place the bezel on a piece of
22-gauge (0.6 mm) silver sheet,
flux, and place medium solder
pallions around the outside of
the bezel. Solder the wire on
mesh, so that the flame can be
applied from underneath to
avoid overheating the bezel.
3 Pierce out the bezel cup from
the surrounding sheet and
carefully file the base flush with
the sides. Use emery sticks to
clean up the outer surfaces.
File a flat area on the top of
the ring shank, in the same
position as the hard solder join.
The bezel cup should be a bit
larger than the flat surface.
4 Place the bezel cup upside-
down on the soldering mat
and balance the ring shank on
top. Support the shank using
tweezers. Flux around the join
and apply several pallions of
easy solder. When soldering,
concentrate the heat mainly on
the shank. Pickle and clean up.
See page 236, for Bezel setting,
where this project is continued.

SOLDERING MIXED METALS FILE

TECHNIQUE
10
When soldering mixed metals, always consider the melting points
of the component parts, and use a solder and flux suitable for the
metal with the lower melting point.

1 Solder an 18-karat yellow-gold
wire ring with 18-karat yellow-
gold hard solder, using Auroflux.
Pickle, clean up the join, and
true the form.
2 Use borax to flux the silver
base sheet and position the
gold ring. Apply hard silver
solder pallions around the
outside of the gold ring.
3 Place the piece on steel mesh
so that the silver can be heated
from underneath. The solder will
melt when the silver reaches the
correct temperature. The gold
solder should not be affected.
4 Clean off any excess silver
solder with a needlefile and then
refine the surface further with
emery sticks.
 ANASTASIA YOUNG

Your go-to reference book

This comprehensive and ambitious workshop reference for jewelers brings
together a vast range of skills, techniques, and technical data in one
volume, to provide an essential look-it-up resource for both students and
professionals. The focus in The Workbench Guide to Jewelry Techniques
is on detailed explanation—with clear step-by-step photography.

All of the techniques demonstrated are illustrated with photographs

THE WORKBENCH
of remarkable cutting-edge jewelry pieces by jewelry designers and GUIDE TO
makers from around the world.

In addition to detailed explanations of jewelry techniques there is:

n an extensive directory of tools and materials
n a key to identify tools for a “beginner’s kit”
n a historical introduction to jewelry
n a guide to the design process and to photographing and
promoting your own work
n a comprehensive reference section with a directory of gems,
tool shapes, glossary, standard sizes and measurements,
conversion tables, and an extensive list of resources

The Workbench Guide to Jewelry Techniques covers traditional

metalsmithing skills and techniques for alternative materials, such as plastics
and resin in expert detail, as well as discussing issues such as the process of
outsourcing work to specialist external suppliers.
Anastasia Young is a practicing designer, jeweler, and
artist whose work has been exhibited internationally.
She is the author of The Jeweler's Technique Bible.
She is a graduate of the Royal College of Art, and
Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design
in London, where she now teaches the BA jewelry
design course.
Hardcover, 8 1⁄2 x 10, 320 pages
400 photographs, 200 illustrations,
100 charts
ISBN: 978-1-59668-169-9
$34.95
Available February 2010
Engraving • Chasing and repoussé • Fusing • Riveting • Enameling •
Drilling • Piercing • Filing • Annealing • Soldering • Pickling • Wire work
• Fold forming • Bending • Hammering • Cutting • Carving • Mounting
and setting stones • Polishing • Stamping • Doming/swaging • Forging
• Anticlastic raising • Hydraulic press • Wax carving and modeling •
Vulcanized rubber molds • Precious metal clay • Silicone • Casting
resin, ciment fondue, and porcelain • Plaster • Bending wood, horn,
and Perspex • Carving natural materials and wood • Textiles • Plastics
• Beads and pearls • Hinges • Findings • Catches • Chain • Etching •
Rolling mill textures • Hammer textures • Sandblasting • Frosting
wheel • Reticulation • Granulation • Anodizing • Tooling leather •
Patinas • Dyes • Laminating • Metallic powders • Gold leaf • Stone
setting templates • Inlay • Mokume gane • Bezel or tube settings •
Collet settings • Claw settings • Flush settings • Pave and grain
settings • Channel settings • Illusion settings • Spectacle settings •
Fancy settings • Stringing beads • Gemstones • Outwork • CAD/CAM