Scrap It

I have been away from silversmithing for several years. As I make and create, my skills are coming back. While I am progressing, several mishaps have occurred. I promised myself I would consciously find a lesson in each calamity to improve my jewelry making techniques and business practices. My frazzled brain can handle more stuff, right?

I admit I am having some hesitancy with the torch. I feel clumsy and sometimes a bit uncomfortable. It has been trial and error remembering when to do what - like stamping the quality and maker's mark before soldering on the bezel. Flame control is a major issue. However, I am charging ahead. I keep the fire extinguisher in reach just in case.

I had a small piece of sheet that the bezel just fit on, if I positioned it just right. I did the solder set up – fluxed both sides and placed the bezel where it would go, checked and double checked, placed the solder, and lit the torch. I bumped the bezel off the backplate. Turned off the torch. Repeated the positioning process. Cut more solder. Replaced the solder. Lit the torch, again. Solder flowed. Happy camper time. Into the pickle pot it went. Am I good or what?

I pulled the backplate/bezel out of the pickle and … what the …! Half the bezel was not soldered down. The bezel join had split, but the ends were partially soldered to one another at an angle. An epic FUBAR. How did I miss this?

I was ready to scrap it. Very little time had been invested at this point. Very little material. I could melt and reuse the silver. I needed to scrap it. But …

I am not a quitter. I could saw the bezel join apart, reshape the distortions in the bezel, then resolder the bezel to the backplate. Easy-peasy. I could save this.

But before I started, just in case, I googled to see if there was a better way. An hour later, I decided my way was best.

I sawed through the inappropriately soldered bezel join. I fiddled with the wanky bezel to align it. Tested it, again and again, with the stone to make sure the base of the bezel fit. Satisfied, I was ready to do the solder set up.

But ... I couldn’t figure out how to keep the bezel joint together and hold the bezel down flush at the same time. More fiddling. I eventually looked at all the soldering clamps I had. I played around with them till I found the one that might work - a bezel clamp. I had it for about 10 years. I had never used it. It seemed to be the tool for the job, and it was!

After the bezel was soldered down, I discovered I had sawed the bezel on the opposite side of the join when I was "fixing" the original seam disaster. A dab of solder on the cut, a bit more cleanup needed, but it all worked out.

I Learned:

• I should use an appropriately sized backplate.

• I spent hours (yes plural) fixing an issue I could have resolved in a few minutes by staring over.

• Scraping it is not being a quitter.

• A tool should be needed and used when purchased - taking up limited storage space for years without being used is mismanagement of resources.

• I am not perfect - I will make mistakes. Give me a break, literally.

• Practice builds skill. Skill means less scrapping it.

• I must stop wasting time chasing rabbits and I must scrap it if scraping it saves time. I want a sustainable business. My work time is too valuable an asset to squander.

My brain needs a nap.