There was a jewelry chain making machine on diplay and in operation at
Cabin Fever. My daughter, who makes wire jewelry, was facinated by the
machine, and wanted to search Ebay for another. I disabused her of the
idea of competing with the Chinese and Indians but we would still like
to explore the method.
How are the individual chain links soldered as a bunch? The only method
I can come up with is to dump the chain in a molten metal bath, like
galvinizing an anchor chain. How does one keep the individual links from
sticking to each other?

Kevin Gallimore

"axolotl" wrote in message
...
There was a jewelry chain making machine on diplay and in operation at
Cabin Fever. My daughter, who makes wire jewelry, was facinated by the
machine, and wanted to search Ebay for another. I disabused her of the
idea of competing with the Chinese and Indians but we would still like to
explore the method.
How are the individual chain links soldered as a bunch? The only method I
can come up with is to dump the chain in a molten metal bath, like
galvinizing an anchor chain. How does one keep the individual links from
sticking to each other?

Kevin Gallimore

Years ago, on TV, there was such a machine featured in a special on gold.
Could have been a National Geographic production, but at this point in time,
I'm not sure. Needless to say, I was focused on the set, for that was when
I was refining precious metals and had a keen interest in all phases of
gold.

The one in the special had a torch that soldered each link as the chain was
made. The torch was attached to a cam mechanism that moved in and out as
required.

I'm not suggesting that is the method for the machine in question, but the
idea of dipping a chain to solder links makes no sense. I doubt that's the
procedure. As you alluded, it would border on the impossible to keep solder
from areas where it is not desired.

Harold

Harold and Susan Vordos wrote:
"axolotl" wrote in message
...
There was a jewelry chain making machine on diplay and in operation at
Cabin Fever. My daughter, who makes wire jewelry, was facinated by the
machine, and wanted to search Ebay for another. I disabused her of the
idea of competing with the Chinese and Indians but we would still like to
explore the method.
How are the individual chain links soldered as a bunch? The only method I
can come up with is to dump the chain in a molten metal bath, like
galvinizing an anchor chain. How does one keep the individual links from
sticking to each other?

Kevin Gallimore

Years ago, on TV, there was such a machine featured in a special on gold.
Could have been a National Geographic production, but at this point in time,
I'm not sure. Needless to say, I was focused on the set, for that was when
I was refining precious metals and had a keen interest in all phases of
gold.

The one in the special had a torch that soldered each link as the chain was
made. The torch was attached to a cam mechanism that moved in and out as
required.

I'm not suggesting that is the method for the machine in question, but the
idea of dipping a chain to solder links makes no sense. I doubt that's the
procedure. As you alluded, it would border on the impossible to keep solder
from areas where it is not desired.

Harold


I _think_ I've seen somewhere that special, solder-filled, wire is used.
For gold or silver chains, the solder is an alloy of lower melting point
but same purity as the wire proper. The machine makes a link, heats the
join to make the solder flow (possibly with a flame or electric
resistance heating) and then proceeds with next one.

--
Regards, Gary Wooding
(To reply by email, change feet to foot in my address)

lemelman wrote:
Harold and Susan Vordos wrote:
"axolotl" wrote in message
...
There was a jewelry chain making machine on diplay and in operation
at Cabin Fever. My daughter, who makes wire jewelry, was facinated
by the machine, and wanted to search Ebay for another. I disabused
her of the idea of competing with the Chinese and Indians but we
would still like to explore the method.
How are the individual chain links soldered as a bunch? The only
method I can come up with is to dump the chain in a molten metal
bath, like galvinizing an anchor chain. How does one keep the
individual links from sticking to each other?

Kevin Gallimore

Years ago, on TV, there was such a machine featured in a special on
gold. Could have been a National Geographic production, but at this
point in time, I'm not sure. Needless to say, I was focused on the
set, for that was when I was refining precious metals and had a keen
interest in all phases of gold.

The one in the special had a torch that soldered each link as the
chain was made. The torch was attached to a cam mechanism that moved
in and out as required.

I'm not suggesting that is the method for the machine in question,
but the idea of dipping a chain to solder links makes no sense. I
doubt that's the procedure. As you alluded, it would border on the
impossible to keep solder from areas where it is not desired.

Harold

I _think_ I've seen somewhere that special, solder-filled, wire is
used. For gold or silver chains, the solder is an alloy of lower
melting point but same purity as the wire proper. The machine makes a
link, heats the join to make the solder flow (possibly with a flame or
electric resistance heating) and then proceeds with next one.

One youtube video here http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=Mt4Lh-hgGok at
about 4:15, indicates the links are heated in a furnace at 815C to
perform the end soldering en mass, it doesn't mention how the solder
component gets there which would be interesting.

On Mon, 19 Jan 2009 14:46:44 +0000, lemelman
wrote:

Harold and Susan Vordos wrote:
"axolotl" wrote in message
...
There was a jewelry chain making machine on diplay and in operation at
Cabin Fever. My daughter, who makes wire jewelry, was facinated by the
machine, and wanted to search Ebay for another. I disabused her of the
idea of competing with the Chinese and Indians but we would still like to
explore the method.
How are the individual chain links soldered as a bunch? The only method I
can come up with is to dump the chain in a molten metal bath, like
galvinizing an anchor chain. How does one keep the individual links from
sticking to each other?

Kevin Gallimore

Years ago, on TV, there was such a machine featured in a special on gold.
Could have been a National Geographic production, but at this point in time,
I'm not sure. Needless to say, I was focused on the set, for that was when
I was refining precious metals and had a keen interest in all phases of
gold.

The one in the special had a torch that soldered each link as the chain was
made. The torch was attached to a cam mechanism that moved in and out as
required.

I'm not suggesting that is the method for the machine in question, but the
idea of dipping a chain to solder links makes no sense. I doubt that's the
procedure. As you alluded, it would border on the impossible to keep solder
from areas where it is not desired.

Harold


I _think_ I've seen somewhere that special, solder-filled, wire is used.
For gold or silver chains, the solder is an alloy of lower melting point
but same purity as the wire proper. The machine makes a link, heats the
join to make the solder flow (possibly with a flame or electric
resistance heating) and then proceeds with next one.


Ive seen a chain making machine that used an inductive heater ring to
heat each link as it passed through the machine and a wire feeder to
apply solder alloy. The links then went through a rotating die that
pressed each link so the join was nearly invisible.

Ran pretty damned fast

This was making silver chain when I saw it.

Gunner

Whenever a Liberal utters the term "Common Sense approach"....grab your
wallet, your ass, and your guns because the sombitch is about to do
something damned nasty to all three of them.

On Sun, 18 Jan 2009 19:09:49 -0500, axolotl
wrote:

There was a jewelry chain making machine on diplay and in operation at
Cabin Fever. My daughter, who makes wire jewelry, was facinated by the
machine, and wanted to search Ebay for another. I disabused her of the
idea of competing with the Chinese and Indians but we would still like
to explore the method.
How are the individual chain links soldered as a bunch? The only method
I can come up with is to dump the chain in a molten metal bath, like
galvinizing an anchor chain. How does one keep the individual links from
sticking to each other?

Kevin Gallimore

Take a look through these patents:

http://patft1.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-...%2F16&d=PTX T

or

http://tinyurl.com/99pb4u

If you feed the patent numbers into Google patent search you
can pickup on other patents that refer/cite them too. Like
this one for example:

http://www.google.com/patents?vid=5115959

A bunch of reading, but it should give you some idea on how
others are doing it.

--
Leon Fisk
Grand Rapids MI/Zone 5b
Remove no.spam for email

On Jan 19, 10:08*am, David Billington
wrote:
lemelman wrote:
Harold and Susan Vordos wrote:
"axolotl" wrote in message
...
There was a jewelry chain making machine on diplay and in operation
at Cabin Fever. My daughter, who makes wire jewelry, was facinated
by the machine, and wanted to search Ebay for another. I disabused
her of the idea of competing with the Chinese and Indians but we
would still like to explore the method.
How are the individual chain links soldered as a bunch? The only
method I can come up with is to dump the chain in a molten metal
bath, like galvinizing an anchor chain. How does one keep the
individual links from sticking to each other?

Kevin Gallimore

Years ago, on TV, there was such a machine featured in a special on
gold. Could have been a National Geographic production, but at this
point in time, I'm not sure. *Needless to say, I was focused on the
set, for that was when I was refining precious metals and had a keen
interest in all phases of gold.

The one in the special had a torch that soldered each link as the
chain was made. *The torch was attached to a cam mechanism that moved
in and out as required.

I'm not suggesting that is the method for the machine in question,
but the idea of dipping a chain to solder links makes no sense. *I
doubt that's the procedure. *As you alluded, it would border on the
impossible to keep solder from areas where it is not desired.

Harold

I _think_ I've seen somewhere that special, solder-filled, wire is
used. For gold or silver chains, the solder is an alloy of lower
melting point but same purity as the wire proper. The machine makes a
link, heats the join to make the solder flow (possibly with a flame or
electric resistance heating) and then proceeds with next one.

One youtube video herehttp://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=Mt4Lh-hgGokat
about 4:15, indicates the links are heated in a furnace at 815C to
perform the end soldering en mass, it doesn't mention how the solder
component gets there which would be interesting.

Solder paste is a possibility, applied post-cut but before final
bending.

Dave

Leon Fisk wrote:

Take a look through these patents:


Thanks, all.

Research thus far points to a two step process: A batch of chains are
tumbled with powdered solder (with sticky flux?). The batch of chains
are then placed in a vibratory finisher, taken out, and fired in a furnace.
My current guess is that the media in the vibratory polisher are made
the ideal size to scrub off the solder everywhere except at the butt
ends of the wire that forms the link.

Kevin Gallimore

You really need to ask this question on a jewelery specific group. There
you will get more specific answers. Try Rec.Crafts.jewelery or the
Ganoskin site. Sorry no link.


Bob