Teach me how to solder

[kyotekilr]

I found this on line
.223 Survival Whistle


So in the interest of wasting time, I feel obligated to make one. I have a good start so far. However, when it comes to soldering, the joint can be broken by hand way to easily (it pretty much falls apart). My method is clamping the flat piece of brass and the 22 cylinder together, heating with a torch and then touching the solder to brass.


I have done many copper fitting while plumbing and have been successful but the joint is completely different. Instead filling a gap when soldering plumbing parts, it is more like welding with solder and I am failing miserably.

 

[Deadly Z Driver]

You might try brazing it instead.
[video=youtube;07ODV2Bdqow]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=07ODV2Bdqow[/video]

 

[remauto1187]

You arent gonna have much luck soldering brass....you have to braze it. Roughen the area with emery cloth at the joint before you braze it.

 

[Dirtebiker]

Brass certainly CAN be soldered!
make sure to clean and sand the joint, and use flux. Then solder just like copper.
Dont forget the flux!

 

[sig-guy]

Make sure contact surface is bright and clean. Wipe area with flux. Heat area with torch, while testing the surface with your solder to see if it flows. When it does, remove heat, finish with solder and you're done. Too hot is bad. So when the solder flows, keep just enough heat on the joint to allow the solder to flow.

 

[sig-guy]

You arent gonna have much luck soldering brass....you have to braze it.

Really? Then hows all them plumbing fittings getting soldered together which are brass to copper? Or brass boiler fittings?

You gonna tell us next you can't solder aluminum?

 

[LtScott14]

Use Stay Brite, and flux. Pressure fittings we used 15% Silver Solder, and a white flux called Stay Silv. (solder looked like a guitar string coil in a plastic case.)
We also use SilFos 15% but it is over heat to run or buggers hang on. Pencil tip torch vs a turbotorch keeps heat focused where you want it.(oxy acetylene mini rig)
Practice on some old junk first.

 

[Miller Tyme]

You arent gonna have much luck soldering brass....you have to braze it.

Funny, I have been doing it for 30+ years.

 

[remauto1187]

Funny, I have been doing it for 30+ years.

You mean braze? You arent taking a soldering iron/pencil to a piece of brass and soldering.

Brazing is a metal-joining process whereby a filler metal is heated above melting point and distributed between two or more close-fitting parts by capillary action. The filler metal is brought slightly above its melting (liquidus) temperature while protected by a suitable atmosphere, usually a flux. It then flows over the base metal (known as wetting) and is then cooled to join the workpieces together.[SUP][1][/SUP] It is similar to soldering, except the temperatures used to melt the filler metal are higher for brazing.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brazing

You braze with a torch and solder with a soldering iron/pencil. It appears some have their terms mixed up....and it aint me.

 

[sig-guy]

You mean braze?

No, he/I mean soldering!

You braze with a torch and solder with a soldering iron/pencil. It appears some have their terms mixed up....and it aint me.

Yet again, as usual, it *is* you, whos postings are complete BS.
I really don't know where you come up with most of your inaccurate information.

Here's a link by one of the leading manufactures of 'soldering' materials. Please go educate yourself.
Soldering | The Harris Products Group

 

[Suprtek]

I agree that the soldering is completely feasible, however, if you're not comfortable with that I see no reason why a good epoxy such as JB weld could not be used. Just a thought.

 

[kyotekilr]

I have been using a torch, not a soldering iron. I think the most important thing is to have it clean and use flux. I will try tomorrow and let you guys know. Has anyone made such a whistle?

 

[bwframe]

I agree that the soldering is completely feasible, however, if you're not comfortable with that I see no reason why a good epoxy such as JB weld could not be used. Just a thought.

My thoughts also. I like the 5 minute epoxy's. (Little patience.)

 

[Miller Tyme]

No, he/I mean soldering!



Yet again, as usual, it *is* you, whos postings are complete BS.
I really don't know where you come up with most of your inaccurate information.

Here's a link by one of the leading manufactures of 'soldering' materials. Please go educate yourself.
Soldering | The Harris Products Group

+1 Sorry remauto but 35 years of doing Plumbing and HVAC work for a living says you and wikipedia are both wrong.

 

[mike45]

Shhh don't tell my torch it can't solder, it's been doing it for 40 years. I don't want it to stop now.

 

[rbsangler]

Try some SILVER bearing SOLDER. No need to braze. BUT, if you are having trouble, try some silver bearing soft solder. Use a torch is fine. try heating the whole part as equally as possible.....slowly. If you overheat it or make it red, you probably will need to polish it up and start over. take your time, you'll get it.

 

[Mr Evilwrench]

Brazing vs soldering is distinguished by the metal used to make the joint rather than the heat source. You'll use a blowtorch to solder plumbing, not for the temperature, but to get enough heat into the metal. Copper pipes are a great heatsink, but a heatsink is a bad thing when you're trying to get something hot enough to melt solder.

 

[churchmouse]

Brass certainly CAN be soldered!
make sure to clean and sand the joint, and use flux. Then solder just like copper.
Dont forget the flux!

Use a 95/5 solder and appropriate flux. Or, do it right and "Silver" solder it with 45% wire and the appropriate paste (white) flux after a good clean and sand. 45% requires a bit more heat to accomplish.

Edit......soldering a circuit board will require an iron type heat device. Anything beyond that will require a torch of some kind. Soldering copper is most common. Soldering brass can be done as well but as stated, a silver bearing solder such as 95/5 should be used with the right flux and a good cleaning. But yes...........a torch is used.

I to have ran miles and miles of copper pipe joined at the seams with solder.

 

[rbsangler]

Couple of corrections......or, rather clarifications.
1. the difference between brazing and soldering is temperature....most soldering is don in the 800-900 degress F range, where brazing is done at the 1200 degree to 1400 degree threshold (generally speaking)
2. 95/5 solder is composed of 95% tin and 5% antimony, it contains no silver. A 45% silver alloy is going to require brazing temperatures, a 6% silver SOFT solder is going to take soldering at lower temperature.

 

[churchmouse]

Couple of corrections......or, rather clarifications.
1. the difference between brazing and soldering is temperature....most soldering is don in the 800-900 degress F range, where brazing is done at the 1200 degree to 1400 degree threshold (generally speaking)
2. 95/5 solder is composed of 95% tin and 5% antimony, it contains no silver. A 45% silver alloy is going to require brazing temperatures, a 6% silver SOFT solder is going to take soldering at lower temperature.

OK then why does my 95/5 solder say silver bearing?????
It is expensive enough to have silver in it, says on the box and I have been using it for years. Just curious. Never delved into the metallurgy of it.
Yes, 45% requires more heat as in a "B" rig or oxy-acetylene set. I use this on dissimilar metals and have put steel parts together with it.