Advice for attaching brass to steel ?

[crash325]

So buy some 60-40 or 40-60 un-coated silver solder and buy the flux seprately. Will flux for plumbing soldering work ? Cause I have a tin of paste already.
Also easy=melts at lower temp,... and hard = needs higher temp? correct.
Next a tank of mapp and my propane torch head will work fine?
Just trying to pare all this down into a list as I will go shopping tomorrow. I will try to look up a Lapidary supply in Bangor Me on the web to see if there is one? Thanks for the advice.

Hi,
Plumbers solder is lead solder, it's flux will not take the higher temp of silver solder.
Battern's flux a liquid works real good and most lapidary supply's will have it. Other brands are probably just as good.
A paste type is even a little better if they have it.

Get easy or low temp silver solder, depending on the brand its about 60% silver & 40% copper, with a few traces of wetting agents.
Generally silver solder is sold by the gram (31.2 grams per ounce.) or DWT ( penny weight = 1.55 grams). 1 or 2 grams will last you a long time.

The small hold the tank type of torch is all you need. Do most of your heating from the opassit side of the actual joint. When flux turns clear move to the top. & heat around you little brass item.

You may want to practice on some scrap, then if you have problems, talk to me and explain them.
Jim

 

[Jeff Lary]

Ok will do, 1 or 2 grams? wow that sounds very small ? I could not find any lapidairy supply stores in the area so I will have to try a jewerly shop or welding supply shop I guess

 

[Jeff Lary]

Well I went to the supply shop today and got some solder. 1 oz of 356 I think it is called and some white paste flux and sm tin brush. All told it was $47.00 the guy suggested that if I already had oxy acet I should try that.His reasoning is that the cheep homeowner nozzel that comes on a bernz-o-matic style torch is not a very fine one and will have a large flame shape. He told me to set the torches to 2lbs and 2 lbs and try that. Sometime soon I will right now I am in the wood cutting mode ,fire wood and saw logs.

 

[Soundguy]

Hi,
Plumbers solder is lead solder, it's flux will not take the higher temp of silver solder.

we havn't been able to use lead solder on potable water systems here in fl for decades. I don't know a plumber that evencarries lead solder on their truck anymore.

about the only place I see it is for electronics.. and some rad shops...

 

[Jeff Lary]

yea I know that now I got silver solder compatable flux

 

[crash325]

yea I know that now I got silver solder compatable flux

Sounds like you are all set. If you can do a test piece or 2
Silver solder is not a gap filler. So you need a very close joint.

There are 100's of silver solder types, & lots of brands Each one is slightly different in how it acts & works.

If you have any problems of questions, I'll do my best to help clear them up.

Jim

 

[Jeff Lary]

well you just set your self up for many questions Thanks when I get ready I will let you know how it goes .Thanks Jeff

Its done the finger guard is on there was some clean up but for now its good enough.The guard will be shaped to the handle scales once I grt them installed, it will be much smaller. Thanks for all the help.

 

[crash325]

I looks like you did good, Very good for a first go at it. Only thing you might have done is get some heat on the blade side & pull the solder through. That is how you get maximum strength.

Have hand made knife to do my self. Just need to get some brass about 1/8 thick.

Congrats. :drink:

 

[Jeff Lary]

Thanks it came out ok I guess.Now you lost me a little heat on the blade side? The guard has a slot and there is blade on right side ,Left side, and top. I am not sure what you mean?

 

[crash325]

Thanks it came out ok I guess.Now you lost me a little heat on the blade side? The guard has a slot and there is blade on right side ,Left side, and top. I am not sure what you mean?

Pictures are good, but I can't see if the solder pulled through the joint. If it did great. What I meant was to apply a little heat to the opposite side of where you put the solder and pull it through. Solder flows to heat. (Up to a point - over heated and flows away.)