[SEL] Silver Soldering Failure

[Luke Tonneberger]

Peter,

I first cleaned the parts really well. It was new steel. I used steel wool 
and rubbed the parts down really well. I then applied flux to all of the 
surfaces to be joined. I was careful not to touch any of the areas to be 
soldered with my hands. I assembled the parts and clamped them down so they 
wouldn't move. I then started to apply heat. When I thought it was hot 
enough (not red hot) I applied the solder for maybe 5 seconds. It didn't 
start to melt, so I applied more heat. Kept trying to get the solder to 
melt, but it wouldn't. That's when I started to get it hotter and hotter, 
until it started to melt. It was just about getting a redness to it and the 
solder finally started to melt. But only for a couple seconds, then it quit 
melting as the steel cooled off. I tried everything I could, but no luck.  
I'm sure if I watched someone do it I could pick it up. Just wasn't meant to 
be.

Luke Tonneberger
Rockford, Michigan
USA
=============

>From: Listerdiesel <listerdiesel at gmail.com>
>Reply-To: The SEL email discussion list <sel at lists.stationary-engine.com>
>To: The SEL email discussion list <sel at lists.stationary-engine.com>
>Subject: Re: [SEL] Silver Soldering Failure
>Date: Mon, 18 Apr 2005 17:44:13 +0100
>
>On 4/18/05, Luke Tonneberger <flywheelin at hotmail.com> wrote:
> > Hi Everybody,
> >
> > Well, I tried my hand at silver soldering Saturday and didn't have any
> > success. I tried for about 4 hours and just couldn't get it.
>
><snipped>
>
> >From previous experience I think you are trying to do this the wrong
>way, which is causing your failures. Without actually watching you do
>it it is difficult translating your problem into a remedy, but I think
>that you firstly may be getting the job too hot, you are not brazing,
>and secondly you may need to revise how you get the flux and solder
>onto the job.
>
>I don't get the metal that hot in the first place, and use a smallish
>flame that is kept on the move. The flux should be in place before you
>get the solder out, and the solder should run into the joint. If the
>solder is blobbing into balls then it is not getting any contact with
>the joint and it is almost certainly too hot.
>
>I'd suggest you try cooling the whole process down, maybe try heating
>the silver solder separately to get a feel for the melting range
>before you try and solder with it.
>
>Like soft soldering, when all the parameters are correct, it is a
>really easy process.
>
>HTH
>
>Peter
>--
>Peter A Forbes
>Email: listerdiesel at gmail.com
>Web: www.oldengine.org/members/diesel