soldering guard to blade

[meteogeek]

Folks, the last couple of times that I have soldered a guard to a finished blade I've come up with quite a mess to clean up. It appears that I have a blackened residue on the blade near the joint area. I presume that the residue is a result of the heated flux. I am soldering the joint on the blade side. The only way that I have been able to remove the residue is to use a fine grit sand paper (400 grit or finer) and then my buffer using a white rouge. However, some of
the blades are satin finished. Once I use the buffing wheel with the white rouge I lose the satin finish for a more polished appearance. I suspect that I may be getting the area way to hot (even though I am taking care to heat slowly from the tang side of the blade) or perhaps this is a common occurrence and I'm just handling the clean-up inappropriately. I've seen illustrations that also show the messy results of soldering but no tips regarding clean-up. Any pointers that someone (or several of you) could bring to my attention? Thanks in advance. >> DeWayne <<

 

[Darrel Ralph]

It sounds like your heating way to hot.
Try usinf solder from redio shack silver bearing solder. Its .02 in dia. It will melt very fast and you wont feel the need to get the joint to hot to get the solder to flow.
This solder melts at about 400-450 degrees.
I use stay clean paste flux. The reason for that is that the paste smolders when hot enough to solder. The liquid dosent do it. Its a much lower temp than you think. Heat from the opposite side that your soldering. The solder will flow that towards the heat..
With this wire also it leaves very little
clean up in the joint. I use a burnishing tool that a I made from O1 tool steel hardened and polished. Works well!

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Web Site At www.infinet.com/~browzer/bldesmth.html
Take a look!!!

 

[meteogeek]

Thanks, Darrel, for the speedy reply. I've been using Stay Clean liquid flux and silver solder by J.W. Harris Company. I believe that it is a low heat solder (approx. 425 degrees), but as I presumed and as you confirm, perhaps I'm being to agressive with the heat. I will give the paste flux a shot. Thanks again. If any others wish to share their experiences/techniques, by all means chime in! >> DeWayne <<

 

[Ray Murski]

meteogeek, I to have problems with sodering and use a wet rag to wipe excess solder from the blade and guard. I damping the rag with water and wrap the rag around somthing pointed; wiping off the excess solder while it is still molten. To help keep the flux from burning and turning black, do not let the torch flame touch the joint between the guard and the blade. good knifemaking--ray--

 

[Steve Smart]

For cleanup on the joints I use a square brass tube. It's soft enough that it doesn't scratch the blade or guard, but will remove the excess solder.
Good Luck

 

[mayor]

Try a little brass chisel ground out of 1/8 or 3/16 brass round rod.

It will peel the solder right off and won't scratch your blade at all.


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Ben R. Ogletree, Jr.

 

[meteogeek]

Thanks to all who have responded thus far. To remove excess solder in the joint I have been using a chisel ground brass bar(1/4"X3/4"X4"). Works great. The size of the bar allows for good grip and control. I was doing a little bit of research the other evening and ran across another technique in Barney and Loveless book on knife making. Perhaps others are familiar with this technique. The blade is viced with the blade down and heat applied to the guard/tang joint area. Solder is applied to the ends of the joint. The blade is turned with the blade pointing upward and heat is applied to the guard. The solder will begin to flow toward the heat (i.e. toward the blade side) and fill the blade/guard joint. Additional solder may be necessary depending on how well the solder fills the joint area. Sounds like another viable technique. I'm looking forward to the next soldering jobs and testing all of these techniques. Just curious, Darrel, is the paste flux acidic?

Thanks y'all!
>>DeWayne<<

 

[Cougar Allen]

You can probably use less flux; most people use too much. If the materials you're soldering are clean very little flux is needed. You can probably use less heat, too.

Keeping the torch on the handle side will draw the solder and flux in that direction where you can use rougher methods to clean it off without worrying about the finish, but don't leave any flux on it even if the label says "noncorrosive." That only means it won't eat away steel before your very eyes. Noncorrosive is a relative term -- some fluxes such as muriatic (properly, hydrocloric) acid *will* eat away steel before your very eyes (not to mention eating away your skin). The ones that are labeled noncorrosive won't do that, but as far as I know all fluxes encourage corrosion if left on the steel. If you read the fine print on that label it'll tell you to clean it off, even though the large print says "noncorrosive."

-Cougar Allen :{)