Laser Welding Jewelry
Tray Handle Repair
by Steve Satow
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1. A customer came into the store frantic because his wife had company coming next week and he had told he would get her serving tray fixed in time. He had been all over and no one would try to fix it. We explained it was only silver plate. He wasn’t aware that the handles were a soft lead like white metal, with no strength compared to sterling. He admitted it was dropped. |
I ask if they tried to straighten the handle and it broke and he said yes. He asked how I knew and I showed how the ends didn’t match perfect because they were mushroomed from being flexed back. I explained that we could cut a trough in the back side and embed a harder solid metal that lead solder would stick to well, like copper. We could then lead solder over it, clean it up and add a coat of clear epoxy to prevent tarnish for around $150.00. All he wanted to know was could it be ready in time for the company and we said yes. |
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2. I bought a piece of copper wire about three fourths as thick as the handle. I wanted to roll it square to fill the trough tighter and to work harden it. The finished piece was about half as thick as the handle. Now it needed to be curved but flat so it would match the handles’ curve. |
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3. Now bend a piece to be cut in half for each side. I used a pair of heavy shank benders. Unlike bow bending pliers they add a curve in only one direction. |
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4. With the copper rolled, bent and cut I double check to make sure the profiles match and then draw the profile on the top part of the handle. |
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5. Now with the top side marked I hold the copper piece tight and trace around the bottom side of the handle. Now I can begin to hollow it out. |
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6. I use a wheel bur to rough it out. The white metal is really sticking to the bur so I dip the bur in a 2 liter cap of Tap magic. After a few seconds of grinding I just dip in the cutting bur in the solution and shake: all the clips fall out and the burr stays clean. |
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7. After the main groove is done I use a smaller 1.5 mm cylinder burr to finish the corners. Use the Tap Magic here also to keep the burr clear. |
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8. The piece of copper fits the trough side to side, and needs to be about 1.5mm below the surface. |
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9. Hold the copper tightly in place with your thumb and lay it above the rest of the handle. Trace the profile of the copper to the handle below (see yellow) and cut this out like the other side of the brake. |
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10. Top picture shows the finished trough. Bottom picture shows the copper re-bar in place ready to solder. |
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11. The copper bar was tinned with regular lead solder then laid in the trough and hit at high hurtz until it was hot enough to melt into the handle. Then the Tix low temp anti-tarnish solder was applied with the laser at high hertz with a wide beam. |
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12. The handle is laid in place and the fit double checked. Then it’s removed and the copper is tinned with tix solder on the bottom and sides. |
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13. The handle with the tinned copper is clamped in place and warmed slowly with a torch. Any fill that is needed is added now. Continue until its overflowing and then trim off the extra. Clean off the excess Tix solder and coat with clear epoxy. This should prevent tarnish if it comes in contact with hand oils etc. I tested the handle for strength with about 35 lbs on the tray and it passed. |
The customer picked it up with a sigh of relief, in time for the out of town company to never know it had been broken. Now he can go to bed tonight and not worry about his wife smothering him in his sleep because he waited till the last minute. At least we didn’t hear anything on the news about an accidental pillow asphyxiation. |
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This article first appeared in Bench Magazine http://www.BenchMagazine.com |
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