I cant tell you how much this technique has helped me! I was ready to give up on silversmithing because I could never get chip solder to flow! Thank you Chad, you’re the best!!!!
Good content, I intend to try to speed up my Soldering. One small suggestion, I view with a 12" Tablet screen, but could have seen more if zoomed in closer. Would you consider zooming in closer, in general, for your videos? I think your videos are very informative.
Thank you for the suggestion. I'm trying to get a better zoom in on key parts in more recent videos. I'm also working on improving overall picture quality and resolution. Its a learning curve for me:)
Hi Chad I am a fellow ‘back’ sufferer and usually UA-cam while waiting for some relief! You know I like your dedication and commitment to this teaching stuff, and admire your skills too. It might be an idea to remind your viewers occasionally that they can pinch and expand the picture to zoom in on the important bits. DaintyAnne highlights this in the older Picksoldering video and it does help even though the resolution drops at 4x you can still see the colour change and judge the time to touch in with the pick. Again thanks for the hard work you do and for sharing your skill so well. Cheers man at age 76 this old dog is loving my new tricks. Thank you.
@@woodndrum303 Sorry that you have back problems Keith. Chronic pain is no fun. That’s a good piece of advice. I’ll try to remember to tell people to zoom in if they need to. Thanks Keith!
Thanks Jim. Some of my newer videos should have some closeups of pick soldering. That one was from a while back, and my video editing skills are getting better:). Thanks for watching!
I’m really glad Cristina! This one skill sped up my process immensely and allowed me to do things that were not easily accomplished without it. Thank you for the nice comment:)
Great video! I am making my first forays into metalsmithing, and now I understand the reasons pick soldering is so popular. I've been placing tiny bits of solder wire and cursing when the flame causes them to migrate across the board!
Hi Chad. I love watching your tutorials. I just started silversmithing. Thanks for all your time. I learned at the John Campbell school in Murphy NC. They have tons of classes. Worth a look.
As an aspiring jeweler, I've been very frustrated lately. I had forgotten what I was taught years ago. Because it'd been so long since I did anything. Thank you so much, this is a game changer. I am a subscriber now and I'm looking forward to More of your videos! keep them coming!
One word for you: WAX! 😂😅😂😅😂 Kidding around of course, pick soldering is a fantastic technique and you demo’d it beautifully here. Great job (as usual)!
Nice, thanks for the work. I suspect bicycle wheel spokes would make a very good pick, sharpened on a grinder. Quit a hard spring steel, easier to unscrew rather than cut unless you have spring steel wire nippers.
Hello Mary! I am using a Smith Acetylene/air torch called "The Silversmith" model set up in a standard way. It's attached to a B tank which is under my work surface. I generally use a #1 tip, but put my #3 on when melting silver for free-form castings or making ingots. Hope this helps:)
How do you clean in all the small areas between the wire, such as polishing? I'm fairly new to this and am hit/miss with my soldering being a success but am practicing.
Hello Dean! I use silicone abrasive wheels, and felt wheels with polishing compound. Many use 3m bristle discs as well. My friend Flying Chef recommends those as well as using q-tips with polishing compound in your rotary tool.
This is super helpful Chad, just getting into silversmithing and I'm loving your videos! I'm still feeling unsure about how you gauge when the piece is at the right temperature to take in the solder... I guess just experimentation and practice? I'm always worried about heating it up too much and starting to melt it - are there particular signs to look for in terms of knowing when it's hot enough and when it's getting TOO hot?
A couple of clues: if the metal starts to look slightly reddish, you are getting close, and if you have previous solder joints they start to get a little shiny prior to remelting. If the surface of the piece itself starts to look shiny, you are getting close to melting it:). Thanks for the good question Michelles!
Hi Chad! Thank you so so much for helping me along on my metal smithing journey through your videos:) I’ve have been struggling with pick soldering and I’m wondering if it’s my torch…I’m using a butane Proxxon and I’m working with copper as a newbie:) I have no problem picking up the bead of solder and placing it onto my little ring band (two pieces of 20 gauge wire twisted onto itself). I’m using AquiFlux on the piece first and a tungsten pick. I am heating my copper to a red glow before dropping the bead and then focusing on the bead with my torch. Does anything here sound incorrect? What can I do differently? Again, thank you for your videos! They are awesome 😊
Thanks Ashley! For me getting the timing right as far as when to move your solder into contact with the pieces you are connecting was the part I had to figure out. I mostly use this for silver, so I can't speak to the specific problem you are having. From your description it sounds like you are doing things correctly:). Keep practicing and you will find the trick!
@Chad’s Silversmithing Everyone elsa always says you must put flux on solder. I make cloisonne, so I need to make bezels with step wire, and too much solder can really be a pain and ruin the piece. Your tips will really help!
Do you need to have a really powerful Torch to do this? I’m not sure my little one would keep going for this long 😬 the technique is amazing though and makes so much sense
@@chadssilversmithing yeah I found that out shortly after I made that comment actually. Right now it’s mainly chandelier earrings I make and rings so all the joints are fairly small so hopefully I’ll be ok for now, although I’m excited to get an upgrade when the times right and money allowing of Course. Thanks so much for the reply 🥰🙏
I definitely need to master this! Thx! Question unrelated to pick soldering. When you bent the ring with the fancy filigree around the ting mandrel, did any of the joints break?
Hello John. The tungsten seems physically harder to me while the titanium transmits less heat up the pick. This is anecdotal experience though, as I haven’t really researched much about the differences:)
I got a question about the pick you said it's made of tungsten Can something other be used like nichrome wire for instance kind the same thing in terms of heat
That's a really good question David, and I don't know the answer. Most picks I've seen are either tungsten, which work great, titanium which is interesting in that it doesn't seem to transfer a lot of heat towards your hands, or stainless steel which some people use, but I haven't tried. The guy who taught me used to stick a stainless t-pin through a pencil's eraser and use that:). Sorry I don't really know the answer to your question!
@chadssilversmithing I deeply appreciate your honesty in this matter I will continue my efforts to find that answer and a wise man you still are in this craft I then will gather a piece of wire and try the one thing I do know is it can not be soldered but as a pick maybe a good tool nothing left but to experiment Thank you 😊
Hi Nikki. I use a Smith Acetylene/air torch, so it’s just got the one acetylene tank, and draws in atmospheric air to mix with the gas through little holes near the base of the tip.
Holy crap, I am so glad I found this video!
Hehe:). I’m glad you found it useful! Thanks for the comment!
Holy smokes! Thank you thank you
You are very welcome!
Awesome!!!❤
Thanks Julie!
I cant tell you how much this technique has helped me! I was ready to give up on silversmithing because I could never get chip solder to flow! Thank you Chad, you’re the best!!!!
I'm so glad that I could help Katie!
Good content, I intend to try to speed up my Soldering. One small suggestion, I view with a 12" Tablet screen, but could have seen more if zoomed in closer. Would you consider zooming in closer, in general, for your videos? I think your videos are very informative.
Thank you for the suggestion. I'm trying to get a better zoom in on key parts in more recent videos. I'm also working on improving overall picture quality and resolution. Its a learning curve for me:)
I just zoom in by on the parts of his video I want to zoom in on. You can do just like you do zooming in on a picture.
@@daintyanns41 Good solution for my less recent videos. Thanks for the good advice for people, and thanks for the comment!
Hi Chad I am a fellow ‘back’ sufferer and usually UA-cam while waiting for some relief! You know I like your dedication and commitment to this teaching stuff, and admire your skills too. It might be an idea to remind your viewers occasionally that they can pinch and expand the picture to zoom in on the important bits. DaintyAnne highlights this in the older Picksoldering video and it does help even though the resolution drops at 4x you can still see the colour change and judge the time to touch in with the pick. Again thanks for the hard work you do and for sharing your skill so well. Cheers man at age 76 this old dog is loving my new tricks. Thank you.
@@woodndrum303 Sorry that you have back problems Keith. Chronic pain is no fun. That’s a good piece of advice. I’ll try to remember to tell people to zoom in if they need to. Thanks Keith!
Very good to see you demonstrate in real time. Perhaps a couple of close up views would have been useful as well. Thanks for the video. Cheers. Jim
Thanks Jim. Some of my newer videos should have some closeups of pick soldering. That one was from a while back, and my video editing skills are getting better:). Thanks for watching!
Thank you so much for this tutorial. You’ve earned an atta boy.
Well, thanks:)
Can't wait to get good at this. Soldering usually takes me forever. Good explanation 👏
Thanks Caleb! Glad you found it useful:)
@@chadssilversmithing yes I did, tried it today, it made a ring go way faster, had a braided band so a lot of solder to place, thank you.
@@calebgibson1999 You’re welcome Caleb!
Thanks so much for this video!!! I can always get the solder on the pick but not on the piece. Now I know now what I was doing wrong...😆
Once you get the timing down right, it works pretty slick:). Thanks BriarthornAJ!
Thanks Chad for the pick soldering tips! Soldering has and still is a Constant challenge
You’re welcome Holly! Keep practicing. It eventually gets easier:)
Awesome thank you
Thank you Sabreking!
Your videos are great thank you very much. I watch them while working in my studio and hope to really get good at soldering.
Thank you Lindsey:). You will, just keep practicing!
Thanks!
Thank you Ron! Your generosity is appreciated!
Love you Chad, you have helped me a lot. From AU.
Aww, thanks Gisella! I’m really glad to have helped:)
Yes, I'll try it now! Thank you!
You're welcome!
great tips thank you so much for your videos
My pleasure Andrea!
Thank you so much! This was so helpful.
I’m really glad Cristina! This one skill sped up my process immensely and allowed me to do things that were not easily accomplished without it. Thank you for the nice comment:)
Very helpful. 😊😊😊😊😊
I’m glad you found it helpful Sylvia. This is in my opinion the thing that improved my ability to make far more advanced pieces!
Thanks made me laugh😂
I’m glad! Thanks for the comment:)
Great video!
I am making my first forays into metalsmithing, and now I understand the reasons pick soldering is so popular. I've been placing tiny bits of solder wire and cursing when the flame causes them to migrate across the board!
Thanks Tracee! You might try getting some sheet solder as well. Less rolling around:). I appreciate your nice comment!
Hi Chad. I love watching your tutorials. I just started silversmithing. Thanks for all your time. I learned at the John Campbell school in Murphy NC. They have tons of classes. Worth a look.
Hello Monica! You're welcome:). I will check it out.
They would love a teacher such as yourself I am sure. People come from all over the country to learn but I live 5 mins away. I watch all your lessons.
As an aspiring jeweler, I've been very frustrated lately. I had forgotten what I was taught years ago. Because it'd been so long since I did anything. Thank you so much, this is a game changer. I am a subscriber now and I'm looking forward to More of your videos! keep them coming!
What a nice comment Violet! Thank you so much. I’m really glad you are finding these useful:)
wow this is just what i needed, thank you
One word for you: WAX! 😂😅😂😅😂
Kidding around of course, pick soldering is a fantastic technique and you demo’d it beautifully here. Great job (as usual)!
Thanks!
Thanks Chad! Definitely need to practice this more.
You're welcome Kate!
This is very helpful Chad. Thank you!
I'm really glad you found this useful Rebecca! You're welcome:)
Thankyou so much for this video i intend to get faster with this method. 💗
You're welcome Joann! Learning how to do this really sped up my process:)
Very useful timesaving technique. Thanks
Thanks Nigel! It certainly sped up my process:). Thanks for the nice comment!
Nice, thanks for the work. I suspect bicycle wheel spokes would make a very good pick, sharpened on a grinder. Quit a hard spring steel, easier to unscrew rather than cut unless you have spring steel wire nippers.
I'll bet you are right!
Very useful Chad ! 14:20
Glad that you found it so:)
Another great video, Thank you.
Thank you for watching!
Brilliant tutorial thanks. 😊
You’re welcome Carol! Thanks for the nice comment!
I would rally like to see your tourch and how that is set up.
Hello Mary! I am using a Smith Acetylene/air torch called "The Silversmith" model set up in a standard way. It's attached to a B tank which is under my work surface. I generally use a #1 tip, but put my #3 on when melting silver for free-form castings or making ingots. Hope this helps:)
great tutorial! thank you!
You’re welcome Carolinalove! I’m really glad you liked it:)
Great video
Thank you Dainty Anns! I appreciate the nice comment. Thank you for watching!
How do you clean in all the small areas between the wire, such as polishing? I'm fairly new to this and am hit/miss with my soldering being a success but am practicing.
Hello Dean! I use silicone abrasive wheels, and felt wheels with polishing compound. Many use 3m bristle discs as well. My friend Flying Chef recommends those as well as using q-tips with polishing compound in your rotary tool.
This is super helpful Chad, just getting into silversmithing and I'm loving your videos! I'm still feeling unsure about how you gauge when the piece is at the right temperature to take in the solder... I guess just experimentation and practice? I'm always worried about heating it up too much and starting to melt it - are there particular signs to look for in terms of knowing when it's hot enough and when it's getting TOO hot?
A couple of clues: if the metal starts to look slightly reddish, you are getting close, and if you have previous solder joints they start to get a little shiny prior to remelting. If the surface of the piece itself starts to look shiny, you are getting close to melting it:). Thanks for the good question Michelles!
@@chadssilversmithing thank you SO much!! That's very helpful! I'll have to start playing around with pick soldering and see how it goes :)
Do you have a ❤show on polishing a finished making of a ring or other items made
Hello Gary. Here is one on how I polish: ua-cam.com/video/IvSeAi_D9T0/v-deo.htmlsi=LjT4YF47N_0BqHAW
There is also one if you go way back in my videos about pre-polishing.
Hi Chad!
Thank you so so much for helping me along on my metal smithing journey through your videos:) I’ve have been struggling with pick soldering and I’m wondering if it’s my torch…I’m using a butane Proxxon and I’m working with copper as a newbie:) I have no problem picking up the bead of solder and placing it onto my little ring band (two pieces of 20 gauge wire twisted onto itself). I’m using AquiFlux on the piece first and a tungsten pick. I am heating my copper to a red glow before dropping the bead and then focusing on the bead with my torch. Does anything here sound incorrect? What can I do differently? Again, thank you for your videos! They are awesome 😊
Thanks Ashley! For me getting the timing right as far as when to move your solder into contact with the pieces you are connecting was the part I had to figure out. I mostly use this for silver, so I can't speak to the specific problem you are having. From your description it sounds like you are doing things correctly:). Keep practicing and you will find the trick!
@@chadssilversmithing thank you 😊
Did you put flux on the solder? I spent all day yesterday trying to solder wires. I'm going at it again today.... you inspired me to not give up!
It won’t hurt to flux the solder, but I generally don’t because when you dry the flux it boils and move your pieces of solder out of place.
@Chad’s Silversmithing Everyone elsa always says you must put flux on solder. I make cloisonne, so I need to make bezels with step wire, and too much solder can really be a pain and ruin the piece. Your tips will really help!
I'm bit shaky but prefer this way of soldering
I also have a bit of shakiness on occasion and I find it easier too:)
Do you need to have a really powerful Torch to do this? I’m not sure my little one would keep going for this long 😬 the technique is amazing though and makes so much sense
Hello Emy. It's more the mass of the piece that dictates the size of the torch you need.
@@chadssilversmithing yeah I found that out shortly after I made that comment actually. Right now it’s mainly chandelier earrings I make and rings so all the joints are fairly small so hopefully I’ll be ok for now, although I’m excited to get an upgrade when the times right and money allowing of Course. Thanks so much for the reply 🥰🙏
I definitely need to master this! Thx! Question unrelated to pick soldering. When you bent the ring with the fancy filigree around the ting mandrel, did any of the joints break?
Hello Kate:). They did not. That doesn’t seem to be a problem with this design. Thanks for the good question!
Is there an practical difference between a tungsten or titanium pick? Do they resist whetting to the same degree?
Hello John. The tungsten seems physically harder to me while the titanium transmits less heat up the pick. This is anecdotal experience though, as I haven’t really researched much about the differences:)
@@chadssilversmithing thanks
I got a question about the pick you said it's made of tungsten
Can something other be used like nichrome wire for instance kind the same thing in terms of heat
That's a really good question David, and I don't know the answer. Most picks I've seen are either tungsten, which work great, titanium which is interesting in that it doesn't seem to transfer a lot of heat towards your hands, or stainless steel which some people use, but I haven't tried. The guy who taught me used to stick a stainless t-pin through a pencil's eraser and use that:). Sorry I don't really know the answer to your question!
@chadssilversmithing I deeply appreciate your honesty in this matter I will continue my efforts to find that answer and a wise man you still are in this craft I then will gather a piece of wire and try the one thing I do know is it can not be soldered but as a pick maybe a good tool nothing left but to experiment
Thank you 😊
What kind of torch mix do you use?
Hi Nikki. I use a Smith Acetylene/air torch, so it’s just got the one acetylene tank, and draws in atmospheric air to mix with the gas through little holes near the base of the tip.
Okay Chad, here’s the burning question-lol- what is Pixar?
Lol:)