A solution for keeping tubing steady and straight when soldering
By Helen I. Driggs
(Originally Published by MJSA September 2024)
I’ve been making lots of brooches lately and sometimes have trouble keeping tubing steady and straight while I solder it on for the pin stem. Either the flux bubbles and moves that tiny tube around, or the torch itself nudges the tubing just enough to ruin my day. Binding wire wasn’t the answer because it was either too thick or too floppy to do the job. T-pins also weren’t going to help because they were also too thick, but I discovered that steel U-shaped display pins turned out to be the perfect solution.
1. To try this at home, you’ll need two steel U-shaped display pins and a set of sturdy flat-nosed pliers.
2. If the curved part of the display pin is angled, flatten it with the pliers to create a U-shape that lies completely flat on the worktop.
3. Bend one of the legs of the U out to 90 degrees and away from the other leg.
4. Repeat for the other display pin.
5. Verify that both pins will fit inside the tubing you intend to solder.
6. To set up for soldering, insert the legs of the pins into a honeycomb block. It’s easiest to do this with both pins inserted into the tubing to start. Then, position the piece under the tubing. The long legs of the display pins allow lots of wiggle room for thick pieces.
7. Alternatively, you can lay the work on top of the tubing, which is anchored where you want it by the pins and won’t roll around. This setup is useful for thicker works or for pieces that may have large bezels on the front or other areas that make the pieces difficult to balance on the honeycomb block.
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