Sometimes when you’re soldering your work, you’ll have a portion of your piece that you don’t want solder to flow. For example an already soldered bezel or link of chain. Enter Ronda Coryell’s Masking Mud! I purchased my first jar earlier in the year (from RioGrande), and have found it to be a life saver more times than I can count. I can’t tell you how many chain links and bezel wire I’ve destroyed (and had to start a whole piece over again) before discovering this mud.
Step 1: Use natural bristle brush to mix a bit of mud and paint on your piece where you don’t want solder to flow
Step 2: Heat with torch and let stiffen.
Step 3: Apply solder and heat (I use solder paste in this video below, even though it’s not shown.)
Step 4: Quench in water
Step 5: Gently scrub off mud residue before pickling (use water and a soft brush, use gentle soap if needed.)
(And don’t be silly like me and overheat your jump ring and melt it like I did at the end of this video…)
The pros: Easy to use. It’s non-toxic. It works. Easy clean-up.
The con: Adds an extra step in your process. (But it’s a worth while extra few minutes to avoid solder pitfalls later.)
I hope this little tool tip helps you out as much as it has for me! If you have another anti-solder flow tool you love to use, please share in the comments below or on my instagram @janewearjewelry
Thanks!
Laura
