In  the  manufacture  of  bright  gold  lockets,  where
hard-soldering  is  adopted,  silver  solder  is  now
always  used.  The  process  is  performed  in  this
way : — The  parts  to  be  united  are  made  quite
clean,  free  from  grease  or  oxide  ;  and  a  solution  ot
borax  being  prepared  by  rubbing  a  piece  upon  a
slate,  to  which  a  few  drops  of  water  have  been
added,  the  ornaments  or  settings  are  dipped  into
this  solution,  and  at  once  transferred  to  their
proper  place  upon  the  article  in  process  of  manu-
facture; and  while  others  are  being  prepared  in
the  same  manner,  these  will  have  become  dry.
This  operation  tends  to  prevent  moving  during
the  process  of  charging,  and  also  acts  as  a  pre-
ventitive  to  rising  in  soldering ;  we  may  add  that
a  little  sandiver  rubbed  in  the  borax  solution  will
prove  an  unfailing  precaution  against  the  latter.
A  quantity  of  very  small  pellets,  or  pallions,  of
solder  are  then  cut,  which,  being  picked  up  one
by  one  on  the  point  of  a  camel-hair  pencil  mois-
tened in  the  borax  solution,  are  put  in  their  proper
places,  and  the  flame  directed  by  the  blowpipe
from  the  gas-jet,  soon  unites  the  joints  as  firm  as  a
rock.
The    ornaments,    or,    more    properly    speaking,
settings,  which  are  to  receive  precious  stones  or


go  MANUFACTURED  ARTICLES.
