I spent a lot of frustrating time experimenting last week and have found it very difficult to solder copper; even after cleaning, pickling, cleaning, pickling, fluxing, fluxing, fluxing and using my torch as hot as it goes I have only had two soldering successes. Hmph. Looking around the internet for advice it seems I can't get the copper hot enough quickly enough before oxidation prevents the solder from flowing. Any advice on this would be very welcome. Until I fathom it I will be sticking to cold connections with the copper. The two pieces of copper are resting on my new super gadget tool which led to me being serenaded* in Aldi this morning! It is a very handy table vice which has already improved my working conditions / posture as I could file away at a higher level preventing the usual sore neck and shoulders. It also holds little fiddly bits of metal nice and tight so I don't have to hold it with my left hand and get sore digits! Oh, Aldi the joy you bring!
In other experimenting-when-I-should-be-getting-ready-for-the-next-fair news I have had the resin out again. In 2009 I had a go with resin and though it was fabulous stuff but was never very happy with the results I achieved; mainly the bubbles and the lack of a high shine finish. Recently I thought the bubbles would go really well with the sea glass and so have cast a bangle and some bottle cap rock pools. The bangle is again causing me frustrations as every time I get one section re-coated for a shiny finish I have to sand a wee drip away meaning I have to re-coat that bit and the sand away another drip and so on and so forth. This is using epoxy resin and I am very tempted to try out a different kind to see if I can get the finish I'm hoping for. We shall see.For now I must get back to work!
* replace Edelweiss with Table Vice and you'll get what R sang the whole way round the shop this morning!
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