Heat Source to use with Tix solder?

Col Defender

Col Defender

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Nov 11, 2011
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I'm trying to solder a brass guard to a damascus blade; and in the future will also want to do the same with 1084 blades. I have almost zero experience doing any soldering. I found out real quick that a propane torch will not work - it pretty much vaporized a stick of Tix solder in seconds.

So what should I use? And this is something I might do a couple of times a year so if I can get away without buying a specialized jewelers torch of some kind I would like that. I thought of trying a butane charcoal grill lighter..

Thanks for any possible help
Steve
 
William Schrade said:
Heat the piece not the solder.
Click to expand...

This is my experience with solder- if you melt solder with the heat source and let it fall on the metal, it will bead up and not stick. The metal itself has to be hot enough to melt the solder. So heat the metal with the heat source, take the heat source away, apply the solder to the metal. Get the metal hot enough to melt the solder and the solder will flow onto it and stick to it. I've seen it work the same way with acetylene torch welding and arc welding, and I'm sure it works the same way with TIG welding.
 
Get a small butane torch at the hardware store. They cost about $15. Heat the blade and tang as well as the guard. As it heats up, pull the flame away and touch the solder to the joint. When it is at the right temp, the solder will melt and flow. Only add a little more heat to complete the flow.

A heat gun will also work with tix solder. Heat the blade/guard as above.
 
Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith said:
Get a small butane torch at the hardware store. They cost about $15. Heat the blade and tang as well as the guard. As it heats up, pull the flame away and touch the solder to the joint. When it is at the right temp, the solder will melt and flow. Only add a little more heat to complete the flow.

A heat gun will also work with tix solder. Heat the blade/guard as above.
Click to expand...
Thank you!
 
This is a timely post, so thanks Col.

If I can add my question here, I am wondering what is the best technique to keep the front of the solder joint clean.
I have a Wa handle Gyuto I am working on, and want a stainless bolster with a hole cut out for the tang to slip through.
I am thinking something like mounting the blade vertically, sliding the bolster up to the blade shoulders, and applying solder from below.
Will this work, or am I destined to clean up the front of the joint no matter what?
 
If you look at the videos from the Loveless knife shop, he used a hot air gun, as Stacy recommends.
AFAIK all his guards were soldered, with low temp solder similar to what you're using.
 
i've only done this twice and was destined to clean up the front,
the good news is that on brass, it does clean up just fine.

blurry pics cuz I was busy working :-)

cleaning up the backside

990C6187-7524-4AE2-8DBD-BED6417800DD_zpskf011v1q.jpg


front side cleans up just fine

521D2523-7B59-4F64-AF4C-0B7313F50B45_zpsaz63utkb.jpg
 
You can use a soap stone marking pencil or ocher, or I believe a common carbon pencil. I have used the first to with success but recommend a test run.
Frank
 
Take a piece of 1/4" square brass stock and make a graver/chisel from it. This will cut away any excess solder cleanly. Resharpen regularly.
 
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