Subject: Filling holes in charms?

From: Marlene DeMers <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 02 Dec 1996 10:21:14 -0800

Hi,
I am into making collage pins with charms, etc.  Some of the 
charms only are sold with holes for hanging and I want to glue 
them on the pin base for different designs.  Is there product 
that I can use to fill in the hole that would match the brass 
charm?  I would prefer not soldering them.
Thank you in advance for any help you can give me.
Sincerely,
Marlene

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From: [email-masked] (minette )
Date: 3 Dec 96 21:31:48 -0800

Does the design permit filing it off?
Min

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From: [email-masked] (Orest I Koroluk)
Date: Tue, 10 Dec 1996 14:10:19 -0400

> Thank you in advance for any help you can give me.

When making some of the small brass parts for my model cannons I use
silver solder to join the components. The parts are then pickled in a weak
sulfuric (15%) acid solution to remove the flux and then buffed to a
mirror finish. Although not an exact match for colour, the final result
looks very clean. I'm sure that if you looked around you may find an alloy
that is closer in colour to the brass (such as SilFos, or maybe a low temp
brazing alloy).

I originally tried some lead based solder and it was ugly , discolored,
and ran all over the part.

You may also be able to remove the hanging loop (by snipping or sawing)
and buff the charm after trimming. This option requires no soldering or
brazing.

Orest

-- 
   ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
                           Orest I. Koroluk
                   Technical Officer~Agent technique
     Royal Military College of Canada~College militaire royal du Canada      
     Department of Mechanical Engineering~Departement de genie mecanique 
                   Kingston  Ontario  Canada  K7K 5L0
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From: [email-masked] (Peter Brooks)
Date: 12 Dec 1996 21:36:33 GMT

One other technique would require quite a bit of setup, but should work
pretty well:  (hey, this is all theoretical--no guarantees written or
implied).

Get either some brass powder or a chunk of brass and a file (I'd guess you
could find brass powder at an art supply store or a gilder's supply.

Then, mix 'some' brass powder in a 30 minute epoxy.  Get enough powder to look
like brass, but keep the mixture more like a paste than a clump.  Then, using
small tools (a toothpick comes to mind) pack the hole with brass/epoxy
mix.  Try not to smear the mixture--it'll clean off with acetone before
it cures, but afterward, you'd need to heat it to soften the epoxy.

To get a guesstimate for the epoxy/powder mixture, go to a hobby shop and
look at the microbeads they use for fillers.  While you're at it, get some
30 minute epoxy.  (I like the stuff made by Bob Smith, but it's usually sold
under the store's own name.)  Resist the temptation to go for the 120 minute
stuff--it's too runny for your purpose.  The 30 minute goop is well suited
to fillers.

I've done the microbead stuff, but not with brass.  I *think* it will work.
Probably cost about $10 for the epoxy.  Dunno about the brass powder.

Pete Brooks