Beginners spend their money on the torch and then wonder why nothing flows. The torch only supplies heat. Whether solder actually runs into a join comes down to three humbler things: flux, the right solder grade, and a surface that reflects heat back into the work. Get those right and soldering stops feeling like luck and starts feeling like a process you control.
Flux: the part everyone underrates
Flux stops firescale and lets solder flow. As metal heats it oxidises — and solder simply won't stick to oxide. Flux is a barrier that keeps the join clean and "pulls" the molten solder along the seam. Borax, ground on a dish with a little water into a milky paste, is the traditional choice and very cheap; liquid fluxes like Auflux are convenient and protect a wider area against firescale. Apply it generously to the whole join and the surrounding metal, not just a dab on the seam. Too little flux is the single most common reason a join fails, and it's the first thing to check when one does.
Solder grades
Silver solder comes in hard, medium and easy (and extra-easy), each flowing at a slightly lower temperature than the last. The logic is simple: solder your first join with hard, the next with medium, the last with easy — so earlier joins don't re-melt as you work your way around a piece. Cut it into small "paillons" with snips; a tiny square flows neatly into a seam, while a big lump balls up and sits proud. Place the paillon so it spans the join, flux it, and bring the whole area up to temperature evenly — solder runs towards the heat, so direct the flame to draw it where you want it. If your joins come out pitted or grey, our guide to soldering sterling silver without pitting explains the causes.
Your soldering surface
A charcoal block reflects heat back into the work and gives a mildly reducing atmosphere that keeps the metal bright — ideal for small, hot jobs and for melting scrap into a clean ball. Firebricks and ceramic soldering boards are tougher, longer-lasting and better for larger pieces. Hold the work with cross-lock soldering tweezers so both hands stay free, and keep copper tongs by the pickle pot — steel tongs contaminate pickle and copper-plate everything sitting in it.
After the join: pickle
Once soldered, the piece goes into warm pickle to strip flux residue and surface oxides, leaving it clean and ready for finishing. Set it up safely — see pickle bath setup for sterling silver. When you're ready to lay the whole station out properly, our workshop soldering station guide covers ventilation, fire safety and kit layout.
Everything here lives in the Tweezers & Soldering range.