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Soft soldering of loco running boards

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Tony Martyr14/02/2011 10:25:51
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226 forum posts
45 photos
The only soft soldering I have ever done is related to (crude) electrical work.
Now I am fitting the running boards to my William loco I am faced with the problem of fixing and filling the joints where the curved and straight sections join. I dread making a mess of all this brass by incompetent soldering and intend to practice on scrap. I have Baker's Fluid but only flux filled solder wire of some antiquity. What solder do I buy and in what form in these lead-free days?
Can I assume that the 3/16 square strip is too big for a soldering iron and that I need to use a soft flame?
I have just put a photo of my joint on my photo list 'William'
Tony
Phil Ashman14/02/2011 14:22:15
33 forum posts
Tony,
I would go with what you've got. The soldering on my running boards is done with ordinary cored solder, picked up at an auction years ago. I haven't got a clue what grade it is. I used Fluxite with mine though, as the running boards are steel. Even so, it needs a good scrub afterwards to stop rusting.
 
Definitely a flame is best. It's no real problem if the solder goes where it shouldn't. Just heat the job up and wipe the excess off with a rag.
Phil
NJH14/02/2011 17:30:17
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2314 forum posts
139 photos
Tony
If you are worried about getting solder where it shouldn't be you might be able to employ the technique used in lead & copper plumbing. Paint plumbers black on the bits adjacent to the join and this should stop any solder sticking - they made some very neat edges this way. I haven't tried it myself but I don't see why it wouldn't work on brass . Give it a try on a bit of scrap.
I too have William - started long ago and stopped through pressure of family and necessary "paid work" ! I have the time to get on now but no track close by and my garden is suitable only for a rack type loco so I have other projects in hand.I will be interested to know how William performs.
Regards
Norman
 
mgj14/02/2011 18:08:01
1017 forum posts
14 photos
Tony, all I did with the brass right angle edge joints of the tender for the TE (needed caulking to make them watertight for the tank), and the beading at the top, was to prop then up. As you said I used a soft flame and kept it just ahead of the solder, so it ran down the joint under gravity. It didn't run anywhere, . I did paint the joint with Bakers fluid before heating, and it was terrilby easy. I did get along the beading a couple of places where a slightly thicker "blobette" built up, but a scraper took that off without trouble.
 
The solder - oh some old cored stuff I picked up a derelict workshop about 8 years ago.
 
If you have to fill a joint, proper plumbers solder might be better, because with the judicious application of heat, you can keep it at the pasty stage very easily. Its very controllable , so you can literally get an effect like gas welding, where just the little pool is molten and you can work your way along bridging a reasonable gap. Try it with a bit of scrap and I'm sure with proper LEAD plumbers solder you'll get the hang in a few seconds.
 
You can do the much same with silver solder too if you wanted to, being a eutectic, though EF is not the best alloy. Anything with a long melting range, but EF will work at a pinch.. Probalby do a far stronger job, and much less prone ot crack in service.
 

 
 
 

Tony Martyr14/02/2011 20:32:00
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226 forum posts
45 photos
It works!
The old cored solder seems to make a remarkably strong joint and I remember the trick of painting Tipex down the edge of the area to be soldered to prevent it running into critical areas. The only error that I have made tonight has been to pre-tin critically fitting areas so the gap is too wide before the solder melts but I think I'm up the learning curve a bit more than I was before your help.
I still have to explain to my wife why her little caramelising gas torch is now 'gasless'
Phil Ashman15/02/2011 14:09:13
33 forum posts
I have a little "Bernzomatic" torch which uses lighter gas. It gives a fine hot flame that's ideal for small local repairs where you don't want to heat the whole job up. It's good for small silver soldering jobs too. From B & Q.

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