How to fix broken metal eyewear？

[Aoker eyewear]

Metal eyewear is completed by using the welding machine, with about 40% to 69% the purity of silver brazing wire welding. Welding group main process: welding rim lock→ open rim lock→ welding metal bridge →welding cross bridge→ welding nose arm→ welding hinge→ welding spring hinge box→ welding frame, What can we do if any part of metal eyewear was broken?

During the metal eyewear producing process, the metal eyewear was welded in the mould. The mould main function is to ensure accurate position of welding on metal frame. The welding machine through instant high temperature to melt metal and put pressure on the two metal parts together and so it does not harm the original shape.

Generally, weld broken metal eyewear almost belonged to damaged, It is not to say cannot rework the welding, but it will completely destroyed plating layer when welding, it is hard to weld in a daily environment, even if reluctantly welding, the plating was damaged and the metal frame will lost the original shape.

[Chris Ryser]

What can we do if any part of metal eyewear was broken?

Very simple, but not known to the run of the mill opticians of today, that you can simply solder, (not weld) a frame at just about any spot it has been soldered.

I learned to master this in the old days with a Bunsen burner, which is a pointy gas flame, and some hard silver wire.

Later it went onto electric soldering machines withy 3 to four plier clamps, of which I still own one, and it is still working.

[Kujiradesu]

Chris, I would love to learn this lost art. No one I know still does this type of work. Where should I start? Should I just get a soldering iron, some flux and practice? Or is there more to it than that?

[Chris Ryser]

Chris, I would love to learn this lost art. No one I know still does this type of work. Where should I start? Should I just get a soldering iron, some flux and practice? Or is there more to it than that?

There is a lot more to do, than just what you proposed. You can do basic jobs like that but not more. It needs some studying first of what it is all about. You also need the proper equipment to do hard soldering.

[Kujiradesu]

Is there a book I can use to teach myself? You mentioned some equipment above, could you give me some insight into what I might need?

[Chris Ryser]

It looks that in the optical retail, metal frames are not soldered anymore in general, with the exception of the ones that have actually learned how to do it. My advice is to look into the jewellery trade where soldering is one of the common operations of small items to fix.

[Sphinxsmith]

We solder and weld ... almost daily.
Prepping the frame, getting it positioned with clamps and/or third-hand device, proper flame tip (gas mixture), pallarium solder (not used with welding, usually silver, etc) and Lots and Lots of practice!

cs

[Chris Ryser]

We solder and weld ... almost daily.
Prepping the frame, getting it positioned with clamps and/or third-hand device, proper flame tip (gas mixture), palladium solder (not used with welding, usually silver, etc) and Lots and Lots of practice!

............and yes it take lots of practice

[Aoker eyewear]

Everyday solder and weld in metal eyewear factory, a perfect welding should use a kind of FLUX &SOLDER POWDER together, it directly affect the welding quality and reliabolity of the metal eyewear.

[azzathejunglist]

Thought i would say how i repair metal frames.

As Chris said above, it is a learned art and u need to know what you are doing.

Before you start. Find out if the Px has tried to glue the frame - Find out what glues. Some are very toxic if heated.

Get some PALADIUM gold solder - this comes with gold and flux in the core.

Heat the 2 edges (end on end no good. you need some "meat" to your braise) and coat them with some gold

Cool each edge with water and put in either your 3rd hand clamp system or stop them shaking hands - now the important tip is to get each piece of metal to an approximate same heated temp - otherwise your braise will be uneven - heat the frame up (from back - easier cleaning) and wait for the paririum to flash silver - take off the heat - wait 3 seconds then apply sewing machine oil to quench the heat - then tap water.

Then with a lens cloth - i use Gumpton (a plumbing mild abrasive) to clean up the metal - It will most likely remove all colour and take back to bare Metal (gun) but will take the burn off. As i say to the customer a blowtorch isnt a subtle tool.

Reseat the lens/pads and away you go.

[rbailen]

We have been soldering regular metal frames for years with silver solder and either a torch or an electric soldering machine. We have recently purchased a micro welder to allow us to weld stainless and titanium frames. You must use an argon chamber to weld these materials. Here is a link to a few pictures of what can be done....

http://www.eyeglassshopashland.com/eyeglass-repair/

Good luck and as noted above practice, practice, practice

[cmhargrove]

If you really want to do this right, get a Smith mini torch and use the rods with a flux core. With this equipment, you are technically "brazing" which is a hotter process and much more durable than "soldering." My suggestion is to call Vigor / Grobet, or just take a look at their site. In order to do this "right," you will need the Smith mini torch, tanks (acetylene and oxygen), solder rods, heat sink, holder, and some sort of hand drill/dremel device for the polishing process. You will be looking at $400-$500 worth of equipment.

On the other hand, we are the "cheap" guys in town and only charge $35 per weld. We crank out about 4-10 a day, so the equipment pays for itself pretty quickly.

Good luck!

[Sphinxsmith]

Great tip:
Get some modeling clay and use it as a third-hand device holding the parts you're working with.

cs