Silver soldering

My early attempts at silver soldering steel ended in messes. I overcame this by using the "placement" technique (not the correct term).

Along with the flux you place some silver solder as close as possible to the joint. Heat everything gently, you may find the solid solder is blown around by the flame. Once the solder melts you can feed the molten puddle with more solder. For me it works every time.

I think the difficulty is such - Once everything is hot enough the cold solder conducts heat away from the spot it touchs. Copper based alloys are very good conducts of heat and the temperature of the contact hardly drops. Steels, particularly stainless, are poor conductors and the contact point chills. It is no longer hot enough to metal the solder. Putting more heat in only makes thing worse, the flux is destroyed and the steel surface oxidizes. One then blames the cleaning and flux.

JA

And the same to you Brian

Now that you say that, that could well be what it is - I have a small amount of rectangular Manganese Bronze bar which usually I only make bearings from. I don't find the machining of it - milling, boring difficult however. I can't recall the object made from it that refused to Silver Solder, possibly a valve body (?) but it did surprise me at the time.

Though I silver solder less since discovering the virtues of JB Weld I still have occasion too - albeit small parts I've done both steel and cast iron on my latest project.

BTW I've a fair bit of SS accumulated which is rapidly approaching 'surplus to requirement' status - if any of your guys are looking for some get in touch.

Best - Tug

Edited By Ramon Wilson on 21/12/2022 18:56:28