Here's an easy question -

I guess everybody has a different way. I just buy a lead free solder (sold in any Walmart/Kmart etc.) The lead free is stronger than lead (you dont want to use solder with lead its too soft). When you buy the solder it usually comes with the little bottle of flux. I take my knife blade and coat it with silicon grease on the blade and wrap a wet rag around it (I get the wet rag as close as I can to the hilt). I put a very thin bead of flux where the hilt will lay, then put a small line inside the hilt where it contacts the blade. Slide or tap down the hilt where you want it (the knife blade is blade first in the vise). Cut 2 pieces the same length as the width of the tang as it enters the hilt (assuming you bought the diameter solder about the thickness of a large paperclip). Make a bushy flame on your reg. propane torch and heat the underside of the hilt. You will know when the temp. is right cause the solder will draw into the joint. If it doesnt flow good than the metal wasnt cleaned very well. Let it cool and spray the hell out of it with window cleaner to neutalize the flux. make some scrapers out of 1/4 brass rod and get cleaning. Make sure you stay flat with the scraper so if your hilt slot wasnt perfect you wont gouge it. Buff it on a wheel and your done. Be careful with the flux cause it will stain the blade steel if it runs alot. Thats why I also coat the blade with silicon grease, the blade wont rust from the hot steam or stain from the flux.
 
Like BB^ said. Also remember there are a couple of kinds of silver solder, the type talked about early in this thread, is hi temp,1100-1200degrees F. Then there is low temp silver solder, TIK, Sta-Brite, Eutectic, etc. That stuff works in the range of 400-450 degrees F. This is the stuff most makers use. Stay away from solders melting at 200-275degrees, it's not strong enough. Also, you would be wise to wear a respirator, the fumes from the flux are toxic.
This stuff is stocked by all knifemakers supply houses, if you can't find it elsewhere.
 
I was reading the responses, one fellow said dont get things too hot, then he said you could weld with a heat gun ???
Is this for real ? Will a heat fun melt silver solder enough to weld guards ? I own the normal propane torches. I have done a lot of lead soldering on copper tubing for plumbing. I thought I would use the same torch when it came to silver welding. It seems to me that if a heat gun can be used it would be cleaner and make a nicer joint.
What do you guys say ?
Thanks
jack
 
Yes a heat gun will work to solder 430 deg.
it is slow but does work. There is a thread
on this subject sone where but could not
find it.
Gib
 
Well guys, I think all my questions concerning this subject have been answered for me. Thank you all. I guess I will go with the Stay Brite and will look for it in my Sheffield cataloge. I never thought of using this technic for anything other than this blastid bowie I promised I would work on but now I am considering it for bosters on hunter knives.

Roger
 
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