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The history of adornment has been a fascination of mine since I started in this industry. Chains in particular – the oldest examples of the chain necklace were found in ancient Babylonia (modern day Iraq).
Dating back to around 2500 BC, these chains were primarily of the loop-in-loop style. The Romans, Greeks and Ancient Egyptians wore gold and silver chain necklaces, and began to add decorative pedants and semi-precious stones to them. Throughout history the tools have changed but many of the ancient styles still continue to be popular.
Creating handmade chain can be a time consuming endeavor. Fortunately there are several tools available to the modern jeweler that can speed up the process. Pulse arc welders have truly taken the industry by storm over the last five years.
Just like any tool, they do have their limitations. This is where its important for makers to educate themselves.
A common misconception of welders is that you can make a flush joint and have the weld provide a joint like solder would. (Depending on the metal thickness and type this can be true.)
In my experience silver and gold in gauges heavier than 16 will require multiple welds around a joint to penetrate the metal thickness providing a secure fusion and/or require a build up technique (not covered in this article.)
Thinner gauge silver and gold will not likely require more than one weld which is why we will be focusing on 16 gauge. The links we are talking about have been welded twice as the graphic illustrates. These welds will be placed on opposing sides of the link joints.
To begin, I’ve chosen a 2.5mm x 5mm oval mandrel to wrap my 16 ga fine silver around. (Side note – I made the mandrel using the welder and 2.5mm stainless steel rod.) Before I remove the coil from the mandrel I find it helpful to use parallel jaw pliers on the long sides of the wrap to help make a uniform link.
Compressing with the parallel jaw pliers also helps release the coil form the mandrel.
Now with the coil removed there are some options for separating the links. You can saw them or use a good flush cutter to snip the links.
It’s important to consider where the links are separated. With oval or paperclip links, there is a long side and a short side. If you snip or cut your joints on the long side, all of your joints will be visible as the chain is worn. Cutting the joints on the short curved side, however hides the joint under the sequential links, generally providing a cleaner look.
Since welders act differently than the process of soldering, its okay to have a joint that isn’t perfectly flush. The plasma arc created by the welder will move the metal and help smooth out the joint. Practicing and learning the settings of your welder are definitely a must.
The next step is probably the most time consuming. Stringing the links together and closing them in preparation for welding. If you know how long your chain has to be, counting how many links it takes to make an inch can assist you in determining if you have made enough links. I find it easier to calculate that at this step rather than finish the entire process and have to go back to make more links.
The last link I placed on these chains included a pre-made lobster clasp. Now its time to get to welding.
As stated earlier, I plan to weld each one of these links in two places on opposed sides of the joint. This should give me the strongest fusion of the links. Unlike soldering, the joint made by the welder will remain the same alloy of metal welded.
Having a microscope attached to your welder with a protective shutter helps with the precision of weld placement. I have experimented with using head mounted optics and even a secondary microscope in conjunction with the unmagnified protective screens. I can report that it works beautifully! Just make sure you are also using the protective shutter.
Once all of the links are welded, I’ll go back and inspect them under magnification and use a silicone wheel on any of them that may need to be smoothed.
Once you are happy with the result you can finish them to your preference. Typically I choose a magnetic pin polisher. The pins help remove any soot from the welding process and leave the surface silky smooth.
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