[SEL] Silver Soldering Failure

[Steve W.]

Luke,
  Use the Force....
Anyway, Did I understand you correctly when you stated you were heating
the part, then moving the heat away and letting the solder melt? If so
that could be the problem. You need to keep the part at solder melting
temp until your finished. Also you should be applying the solder out of
the flame area, It is basically the same as soft soldering just with
higher temps. You need the solder to wick into the joint and make a nice
fillet in angled areas.

Also what was the steel wool? New fresh out of the pack? That usually
has a light oil on it to keep it from rusting. That could have caused a
problem. I usually clean the part, go over it with a scotch brite  Then
wipe it off with lacquer thinner. Then apply the flux. Only time I had a
problem was with some cast iron parts that were oil soaked. Had to heat
them up good to get the oil out before anything could be done.


Steve Williams

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Luke Tonneberger" <flywheelin at hotmail.com>
To: <sel at lists.stationary-engine.com>
Sent: Monday, April 18, 2005 3:57 PM
Subject: Re: [SEL] Silver Soldering Failure


> 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
>
>
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