Italiano 
Soldering is a key stage in eyewear production and essential for its structural integrity. It calls for the utmost concentration, precision and even a touch of creativity to ensure the very best structural and aesthetic results, especially for more original products.
We spoke to Carmen Scopel and Roberta Licini, two experienced solderers at D.F., where the “handmade” aspect is key to the whole production process. They explained how they handle this delicate stage in the creation of original eyewear, usually in the medium to high-end bracket.
Hi Carmen, Hi Roberta. How did you get into soldering and what do you do exactly?
Carmen: I joined D.F. 27 years ago. I’ve always worked in the soldering department, although I also help out with other processes, such as bending or cutting, if I’m needed. I prefer soldering to other things and maybe that’s why I find it easier. You actually need a high level of manual skill and the utmost concentration and precision. You’ve got to really focus on what you’re doing, you can’t let your concentration slip because that’s when you make mistakes.
Roberta: I’ve been here for 39 years. I work in the soldering and sampling departments. You really have to be good with your hands. Just this morning I soldered some pad arms literally by hand; it’s a bit finicky and calls for a steady hand, experience and skill. Experience comes with time, but good professional skills are essential. I was lucky to have some really talented teachers; I was 17 when I joined the company and I took to it straightaway because you need an artisan’s skillset to do this kind of work.
What do you mean by an artisan’s skillset?
Carmen: We don’t use automated machinery at D.F. when soldering, we do everything by hand. Our machinery is very basic but it gives us greater freedom of movement and initiative; each of us adjusts our machinery personally, on our own. We don’t have technical staff who go round setting up the machinery for us. Managing things on our own means we have a greater say over changes and more control, we can adjust measurements as we go if we notice something isn’t working out. Our work is more accurate and we can do more difficult things. The “handmade” aspect of our work is essential, you’ve got to be good with your hands but you need to put a lot of effort into it, too.
What advantages are there to doing most of the work by hand?
Carmen: Automatic machinery restricts the freedom of the person using it. When you work manually, on the other hand, you’re free to move any way you want. And for the kind of work we do here, it’s actually quicker. Using automatic machinery takes time too, as you’ve got to wait for it to finish its cycle before you can go on to the next stage.
Roberta: That’s right. Automation shouldn’t be taken for granted. It takes time. An automated system is better for large orders but we don’t get many: we tend to produce fewer but more elaborate pieces. Our production is more niche. When working on parts for more exclusive eyewear, it’s quicker to do things by hand and the results are better. But you need skill and experience.
Roberta Licini as she solders. Top photo, Carmen Scopel
How do you deal with samples or prototypes?
Carmen: It’s a bit more complicated when developing prototypes because, more often than not, we don’t have suitable shapes we can use as stands. We have to come up with a solution using what we’ve got: tools we may have made for other projects or other objects that can do the job. Then, when a part goes into production, we make everything we need; thanks to the soldering tests carried out during prototyping, we can advise how to make the shapes to hold the parts, taking into consideration where they will be heated up, and how the pieces must be held together.
Are some materials harder than others to solder?
Carmen: Yes, your technique changes according to the material you are soldering. You need to heat steel up for longer for it to hold, otherwise the pieces will come off during the next stages. Nickel silver, on the other hand, is a bit easier to handle, it doesn’t usually cause any problems, soldering is quicker and you can do several pieces at the same time.
Roberta: We have to use a thicker paste with steel and raise the temperature gradually, using the pedal to interrupt the heat as many as eight times. When working with bronze, on the other hand, you have to be careful the heat doesn’t accidentally get into critical areas, otherwise the material goes soft and the temple can bend. The secret is to direct the heat to certain points only, it’s mentally taxing because you can’t mess up, you have to be consistent throughout production. Brass, on the other hand, is an effective conductor, so you have to be careful you don’t get burnt because the whole piece tends to heat up.
Has the production process changed much since you first started?
Roberta: Not for the way we work, no. Because most of our soldering is done by hand. The way our work is organised has changed radically, though. Nowadays everything’s computerised, technical drawings are stored in a more orderly way; we used to keep the drawings we did in an album. So from this point of view, things are more organised now. The artisan aspect of our work is just the same though, the actual machinery hasn’t changed much and, if anything, the older machines are sometimes better. I actually saw some of them being built here.
So the equipment you use is 100% custom-built?
Roberta: Yes. D.F.’s secret is that it has always built what it needs. Knowing how and why certain machines were built or adjusted, to prevent which mistakes, has been a great help because over the years projects you worked on, challenges you overcame, come round again. Remembering problems you had thirty years ago and how you solved them helps, as does knowing how the machinery was adjusted. It stops you making the same mistakes; you don’t waste time and you get off to the right start.
Can you remember a project that was original but difficult to execute?
Roberta: I remember one soldering job that was very unusual. It was a temple decorated with rhinestones which lost its shine when it came into contact with our soldering paste. Then there was that time we had a really narrow metal strip that had probably been designed by hand. We had to be careful we didn’t heat it too much because it could have broken and we would have ruined a part that was quite expensive. You melt the solder alloy in the exact spot you need it and you have to be careful you don’t ruin the design when heating the part. You couldn’t do it with an automated system. It’s all down to your hand, foot and head.
