Silver bearing lead free plumbing solder

[cheese1566]

I know and have used basic 95-5 lead free solder to add to the mix for better flow and fill out.

I just bought 6 one pound rolls of Oatey silver bearing plumbing solder for a song.

The Oatey msds lists tin as the major, and up to 5% each of copper, bismuth, and silver.

Any harm or gain in adding this for the extra tin to my clip-on wheel weight alloy?

[kevin c]

Two percent by weight of 95/5 solder added to the melt would give you a final concentration of 0.1 percent of whatever was the five percent portion, so not a lot of the minor content metal ends up in the final alloy.

What I've read here is that copper and silver (bismuth too?) are hardeners of lead alloys. I've also read that a lot of casters use solder, and none that I recall restrict the types they use to only the lead/tin binary versions. Pewter is also used as a tin source for boolit casting, and copper and bismuth commonly make up part of most forms of it (usually at two percent or less for each).

My take on it is that it isn't going to be a problem, but I have to confess that while the pewter I've used for casting hasn't caused any problems that I'm aware of, I haven't gotten around to using the silver bearing solder you describe, even though I have a roll or two in my stash.

[winelover]

My main source of tin..............I was a pipefitter in my other life. Had access to unlimited amounts.

Winelover

[lightman]

The 5% of other stuff won't hurt a bit. All gain, no harm! Nice Score by the way!

[Hardcast416taylor]

My main source of tin..............I was a pipefitter in my other life. Had access to unlimited amounts.

Winelover

Likewise as I. We had access to 10 lb. rolls of the lead free solder for our jobs. I still discover partial rolls in odd places in my shop 15 years after I hung up my pipe wrenches.Robert