If you are going to solder copper, brass, nickel, or any other metal to silver, I believe that you should use soft solder instead of any of the silver solders. Soft solder can be purchased at any hardware store. I recommend 95% Tin and 5% Antimony. Absolutely do not use any lead based solder. The reason you need to use soft solder in these situations is that these metals oxidize at a lower temperature than silver. Once they become oxidized, they do not accept solder well. Be sure to purchase and use the paste flux that comes with the soft solder. Of course this must be the last solder joint in your piece of jewelry. You do not need to put the piece in the pickle after you have soft soldered. However, you should make sure that you have kept the piece in the pickle for at least 10 to 15 minutes before this last soldering. This will ensure that you have cleaned all the flux off after doing your silver soldering. Soft solder will leave a dull gray line where it shows, so I only use it if necessary and on findings that are placed on the backs of pieces: i.e. bolo backs, pin backs, and other similar items. If you want a slightly shinier solder, you might want to purchase some "Staybrite" or "Tix" solder from any of the major jewelry supply vendors.
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