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Soldering advice needed
- Thread starter Nikk
- Start date
- Joined
- Jun 29, 2001
- Messages
- 379
what kind of solder? (soft or hard)
lets see, in general.
make sure your parts fit tight(SOLDER IS A GLUE NOT A WORK material)
make sure everything is clean . sand lightly
flux (use lots, it's cheep)(flux cleans by etching, but should only be used on a clean work piece)
put a piece of solder at the joint
heat work until solder flows into the joint
allow to cool slow, clean off flux
solder problems usualy are one of two things,
not clean(solder will not flow)
not enough heat(cold britle joint)
I hope this helps.EE
lets see, in general.
make sure your parts fit tight(SOLDER IS A GLUE NOT A WORK material)
make sure everything is clean . sand lightly
flux (use lots, it's cheep)(flux cleans by etching, but should only be used on a clean work piece)
put a piece of solder at the joint
heat work until solder flows into the joint
allow to cool slow, clean off flux
solder problems usualy are one of two things,
not clean(solder will not flow)
not enough heat(cold britle joint)
I hope this helps.EE
- Joined
- Aug 16, 2001
- Messages
- 852
Well, I have to agree with Mr. Ericson. A good tight fit is essential.
And definitely flux, flux, flux. I used to have problems with the solder not flowing and just balling up. Now I make sure the joint is clean and lightly sanded, and use a jewelers torch for heat. Works
great so far. I prefer TIX solder and flux. It flows well and makes a strong joint. These are just my personal observations that work for me. I hope they help.
BRT
And definitely flux, flux, flux. I used to have problems with the solder not flowing and just balling up. Now I make sure the joint is clean and lightly sanded, and use a jewelers torch for heat. Works
great so far. I prefer TIX solder and flux. It flows well and makes a strong joint. These are just my personal observations that work for me. I hope they help.
BRT
- Joined
- Apr 5, 2000
- Messages
- 250
I'm very patricular about my soldering, and i'll be pretty much summing up what was already said.
1. CLEAN! No finger oils, no dirt, no nothing. Must be clean.
2. For steel, use an acid flux. Very important. Just make sure you thourly clean the finished work.
3. And this is truly the most important. The joint should melt the solder. NOT YOUR HEAT SOURCE. The heat source heats the joint, and then the joint melt's the solder. I cant stress that enough.
You also have to watch how you heat it. I'm assuming your using a torch. With the case of soldering a knife gaurd on, the blade is much bigger and takes longer to heat, therefore you have to concentrate most of the heat on the blade portion.
1. CLEAN! No finger oils, no dirt, no nothing. Must be clean.
2. For steel, use an acid flux. Very important. Just make sure you thourly clean the finished work.
3. And this is truly the most important. The joint should melt the solder. NOT YOUR HEAT SOURCE. The heat source heats the joint, and then the joint melt's the solder. I cant stress that enough.
You also have to watch how you heat it. I'm assuming your using a torch. With the case of soldering a knife gaurd on, the blade is much bigger and takes longer to heat, therefore you have to concentrate most of the heat on the blade portion.
- Joined
- Apr 30, 2001
- Messages
- 1,742
For the longest time I refused to use stainless for gaurds and bolster because all I got out of the solder was silver BBs. That changed after a day in the shop with Bill Herndon. He showed me in a very detailed step by step way to get perfect solder joints.
It is really way to detailed to go into here. But keep an eye out for an article on it in an up coming issue of Blade. Last I talked to Bill he was not sure when it will be printed, but its a great article. And it will show everything in detail (including photos).
Its not very hard to do once you know the fine steps. But let me say that it is not the Loveless way of tons of heat and throwing flux all over the shop. It uses very little heat, and even less flux.
It is really way to detailed to go into here. But keep an eye out for an article on it in an up coming issue of Blade. Last I talked to Bill he was not sure when it will be printed, but its a great article. And it will show everything in detail (including photos).
Its not very hard to do once you know the fine steps. But let me say that it is not the Loveless way of tons of heat and throwing flux all over the shop. It uses very little heat, and even less flux.