Solder Filled Divots for Clean Ring Shank Seams

Here is a method for getting a great solder seam on a ring shank with minimal clean up from @ashenfire_originals - “I learned a trick from a fellow smith when I kept having to clean up excess solder flowing in random directions or sometimes creating depressions in my backplates. On certain ring shanks, after you've filed away the metal in your miter vise, I take a ball burr and drill some little divets that I'll melt solder into. After the solder has been melted into the little spots, I toss it in the pickle and typically there’s not much overflow, so usually I can skip that step and move directly to placing it on the backplate to solder them together. Flux and heat to solder as usual. The solder will get pulled from the divets and flow all the way around the shank where it meets the backplate. It’s not a useful tip on all ring shank types, but it’s helpful on most of the larger ones I make and has saved me a ton of time cleaning!” Thank you so much for sharing this and giving us such clear photos of your technique!
#metalsmithsociety #solderingtips