Soldering Small Work with Paillons.

—These are small squares, say, ¹⁄₈ in., of sheet silver solder, made by using the snips as in [Fig. 61], and prepared by well covering with the borax paste. Each paillon is placed in position with the tip of the brush, this job requiring a little practice. The solder should be clean, and if not, should be made so by passing through the fire and pickling. The work with the paillons in position should be slowly heated by blowing the gas jet on a part of the job farthest away from the solder; the borax will dry, and should the solder have moved, replace it with a suitable tool or the point of the wet camel-hair brush. The heat must not be applied too suddenly at first, otherwise the borax will boil up and push off the pieces of solder. The heat may be increased when the bubbling has ceased. Do not hold the work too far away, or it will get dirty in the smoke of the flame, or yet too near, else the gas will not be used to advantage. As the work begins to get hot, slowly work the flame towards the joint until the solder melts and runs into the joint. Give it now a little extra heat to get the solder thoroughly down into the crevices, and then let the work cool down. When nearly cold twist off the iron binding wire and put the job into the pickle. Leave the work in the pickle about ten minutes, when all the borax will be dissolved.

Fig. 59.—Section through
Pipes prepared for Silver-soldering

Fig. 60.—Pipes prepared for
Silver-soldering

[Fig. 61].—Cutting Up Silver Solder into Paillons