Badge repair example

[dumdum]

Hi

Some time back I promised to show an example of a repair to a badge, so here is one that was done for me just today.

Some of the steps can be seen from the photos.

1. Badge with missing loop.

2. Site of old loop cleaned bright with dental burr. Foot of loop also needs gentle filing to expose bright metal.

3. Badge placed on charcoal soldering block. Note very small piece of jeweller's silver (easy grade) solder (circled in red).

4. Liquid flux applied to loop and badge. Loop heated so that solder
adheres to "foot" of an original, precious (!) loop.

5. Loop heated and held in tweezers in contact with badge. Photo shows completed badge after soldering.

6. Badge cleaned with a soft brass brush.

A successful repair requires a clean surface, a very small amount of solder, not too much heat and....a little bit of luck!

[MH331]

Great tutorial thanks. Do you heat both foot of the lug and badge simultaneously?

[dumdum]

Hi

Thanks for your question. From what I observed the loop (or lug or slider) is heated first to allow the solder to flow onto this piece.

Then heat the badge and bring the loop,etc. into direct contact with the badge holding this in cross-lock, heat resistant tweezers.

You will see a slight "shine" around the base of the loop, indicating that the solder has run.

Remove the flame and see if the joint has taken (a gentle pressure will confirm this). Sometimes the joint is weak and will break, so go back to the beginning!

I asked John about placing the solder on the badge and placing the loop on the pool of solder. His answer was that this tended to cause the solder to creep where it wasn't wanted (over the surface of the badge, up the legs of the loop and even onto the front of the badge...)

Another trick is to gently heat the loop so that it is covered in oxide (copper easily forms this scale) and then file the foot of the loop to expose clean metal. The solder will not readily take over the copper oxide.

Hopefully this will help one or two members to effect a nice, neat job but please try this out on something like your least favourite Martin Marsh badge first!

[MH331]

Thanks. Were did you buy your basic soldering kit?

[dumdum]

Hi

I use the services of a retired jeweller but he tells me that you can easily do this with:

-a propane torch (one of those chef's thingies for doing desserts will do)

- a solder block (charcoal or heat resistant fibre board) as sold by most jewellery supply places

-sheet easy solder (see above) which can be cut into very small pieces with snips

- cross lock tweezers (to hold loop, etc.)

- liquid flux (borax paste will do) and a small paint brush to apply same

Remember: start working on a badge that you don't really value first!