Doing some practice since this is new to me. I have no trouble with brazing steel or soldering copper, even soldering electrical components but I'm apparently doing something wrong now.
I'm wondering if there's an issue with the solder itself. I'd appreciate any advice someone with hands - on experience can provide.
Thanks for looking.
What are you trying to solder?
"The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government..... When the people fear their government there is tyranny, when the government fears the people, there is liberty." Thomas Jefferson
Clean the the connecting joint you intend to solder with sandpaper then apply flux to the parts and put some flux on the solder wire heat up the base pieces with the torch and the metal will flow into the joint. You can use water to freeze the joint. I use an old brick as an insulator. Was making little robot men out of cut up coat hangers, 6.5 Creedmoor brass, pieces of copper wire and 10 mm bolts.
I have a couple of projects in the works. In both cases I'm attempting to solder fairly large pieces of steel.Originally Posted by Hossfly
I've cleaned everything well, scuffed the surfaces with scotchbrite and cleaned again. Applied Flux. Plenty of heat but the solder continues to ball up and roll off as if the surfaces are dirty.
Pretty frustrating.
Solder is about 10 years old but has been stored in a clean, dry cabinet in a temperature controlled environment.
First time I used it it worked beautifully. Second time not nearly as well but I thought perhaps I wasn't holding my mouth right or something. This time it won't flow at all.
Mtrl has to be clean, you can use sandpaper for smooth surfaces but wire brush works to get into small areas to clean real good. And as said must flux well and watch for color change to apply either 45% or %55% silver. You can buy prefluxed solder also blue or orange color.
"The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government..... When the people fear their government there is tyranny, when the government fears the people, there is liberty." Thomas Jefferson
What % silver is the solder?
"The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government..... When the people fear their government there is tyranny, when the government fears the people, there is liberty." Thomas Jefferson
You dont state the problem your having.
electrical and copper pipe are soft soldering process at around 500* with a flux. Brazing and silver solder are hard soldering at higher temps 1500* and a stronger flux.
Silver solder with black flux needs to get hot to melt and flow. I clean the parts then clean again and flux, lay a piece of solder in the flux and lay the top piece on depending on part I clamp with a third hand jig or clamp with a clamp. I then heat with oxy acetylene and watch for the part to settle and solder to flow. Then allow to cool on its own.
the soft solder flux stays soft and can be wiped off the hard solder flux becomes hard and glass like when it cools.
Like brazing or other heat in the direction you want the solder to flow it will follow the heat. Just like when soldering a copper pipe when its clean well fluxed and up to heat you touch the solder to the joint and its zip all around and to depth. When you get to temp with the silver solder the parts sits down and theres flow all around under the flux.
What silver solder are you using and what's your heat source?
2nd Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. - "A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed."
"Before you argue with someone, ask yourself, is that person even mentally mature enough to grasp the concept of different perspectives? Because if not, there’s absolutely no point."
– Amber Veal
"The Highest form of ignorance is when your reject something you don't know anything about".
- Wayne Dyer
Sounds like your solder is melting before the steel is getting hot.
"The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government..... When the people fear their government there is tyranny, when the government fears the people, there is liberty." Thomas Jefferson
Yeah if the solder is not wetting to the base material then the base material is still cold.
It's glowing medium orange before applying solder. Balls up and rolls off. No flow at all.
If the solder is balling up then your material is to cold. It takes a lot to get big pieces hot enough the mass pulls the heat way.
I normally use 45% silver to attack carbide to cutter shanks. A 1/2" or 5/8 shank 3-4" long takes a lot of heat before the solder flows.
On big jobs I have seen 2 guiys working the joint one preheating along the joint and the second following with the torch and doing the soldering.
WIth the solder balling it sounds like improper flux or to cool
Also avoid an oxidizing flame
Prest-O-Lite torch. Large tip. BenzOmatic silver bearing acid core flux solder. Solder worked perfectly in the past but it's been 10 years since I bought it.
If you’re using flux you may be burning it away before solder is melting. It’s a fine art to some soldering.
"The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government..... When the people fear their government there is tyranny, when the government fears the people, there is liberty." Thomas Jefferson
Tried that too.
Agreed but something has changed. I used this same roll of solder before and it never acted like this.
Bring the material up to a dull red then touch the solder to the material just ahead of the torch flame right at the forward edge of the flame
That's when it balls up and rolls off like butter on a hot skillet.
Again, what silver solder are you using and what's your heat source? If it's an oxy acetylene flame you want neutral or slightly carburizing. An oxidizing flame will prevent proper wicking.
2nd Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. - "A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed."
"Before you argue with someone, ask yourself, is that person even mentally mature enough to grasp the concept of different perspectives? Because if not, there’s absolutely no point."
– Amber Veal
"The Highest form of ignorance is when your reject something you don't know anything about".
- Wayne Dyer
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