Why Won’t My Solder Flow? 5 Common Reasons (and How to Fix Them)

If you’ve ever set up everything for soldering, held your breath, and... nothing happens and the solder just won’t flow? you’re not alone. This is one of the most common (and frustrating) beginner struggles. The good news? Once you know what to look for, it’s often easy to fix.

1. Dirty Metal Your solder won't flow if the metal isn't perfectly clean. Even a tiny bit of oil, oxidation or residue will stop the solder from doing its job.

Fix: Use emery paper to clean all solder joins right before you flux. Don't touch with your fingers after cleaning. To be absolutely sure it is clean, dip the piece in some water. If the surface is dirty, the water won't flow over it.

2. Not Enough Flux Flux prevents oxidation during heating. No flux = no flow. Some Make sure you have flux that is suitable for soldering silver.

Fix: Use a quality silver soldering flux like Auflux or a borax cone. Make sure the joint is fully coated.

3. Uneven or Weak Heating Your solder flows towards heat. If you heat unevenly, or not enough, the solder won’t move and it might just ball up and sit there.

Fix: Use a steady flame, heat the whole piece gently, and focus more heat on the larger/heavier part. Avoid moving the torch too fast.

4. Wrong Solder Type or Melting Point Confusion Using hard solder when your torch isn't hot enough can lead to confusion. Also, paste solder can behave differently than wire or strip.

Fix: Start with medium solder while learning. Understand melting points and match your torch power to the job.

5. Poor Join Fit If there's a gap in the join, solder can't bridge it. It will flow underneath or disappear completely.

Fix: Dry-fit your joins. Use a mitre jig or file to get pieces flush. Solder likes a tight, clean connection.

Bonus Tip: Work in a draft-free area. Even a slight breeze can pull heat away and cause uneven results.

Still stuck? This is exactly the kind of thing we work through in my 1:1 soldering coaching. If you’re struggling with soldering, you're not doing anything wrong, you're just missing live guidance.

Download my free Soldering Setup Guide to make sure your workspace isn't holding you back.

Or book a quick discovery call and we can talk about what’s not working.

You don’t have to figure it all out alone. Let’s get you soldering with confidence.

Linda Jewellery Soldering Coach