Fill Your Heart and Love the Empty Junk Drawers Class

Junk Drawer Hearts Class in March

Fill your hearts with what you love! 

As I stated in a previous post, I am gearing up for my next class, this time in metals. We will be creating junk drawer hearts using vintage bits and pieces you find wherever. I typically look for the bits and pieces of metal and old jewelry in my junk drawers, old jewelry boxes, and on walks. 

In this class, you will learn the basics of soldering. Soldering means connecting using heat. Older soldering used lead and tin, newer ones use copper, silver, or gold.  

The solder material can be easy, medium, or hard based on the metal and the melting temperature used. Soldering such as extra-easy contains 56% silver and a melting point of 1,145 degrees Fahrenheit. Extra-hard solder contains 80% silver and a melting point of 1300 degrees Fahrenheit! 

Some metals are easier to solder than others. Copper, silver, and gold are easy. Iron, mild steel, and nickel are medium. Stainless steel is medium hard and titanium, cast irons, high carbon steels, and graphite are hard to solder. 

Having needle nose pliers or tweezers or a soldering pick will help you move the soldered pieces while they are hot. Some called the soldering tool a soldering iron, which harks back to the early history of metal working while using lead or iron. Soldered antique metal pieces originated before 4000 BC. Sumerian swords from approximately 3000 BC were assembled using soldering! 

Let’s go on that search now for those vintage and antique tiny bits and pieces. Start cleaning out your junk drawer, scour the old jewelry boxes, and hunt for treasures at thrift stores. We gather the pieces and enjoy a class on March 26 at 11:30 am.