There're fluxes and then there's STAY-CLEAN !

[rashid11]

In continuation of me "soldering stainless, whatta PITA!" thread.
Finally, I bought StayClean flux and this thing is
something else ! While having some common components
with me McMaster "Stainless Flux", this one is leaps
and bounds above it !

Tried with 303,304 and ATS34. No magic required
anymore: have the surfaces sanded, put a piece
of solder next to joint, drop a few drops of the flux
and heat up . With this flux, solder wets stainless
as if it were brass !


https://weldingsupply.securesites.com/cgi-bin/einstein.pl?Next::1:UNDEF:OR:terms::PB Item # 40003

Bought a largish bottle from there. Legit, quick shipment and cheapest
I could find.

One has to use silver-bearing/no-lead solder if you want the knife
to be food safe. I use regular Lowes/HD Blowtorch. Flame is directed onto
the tang area 1" or so away from the area to be soldered and the heat is
let to build up slowly. DON"T direct the flame right onto the joint.

Some folx wrap up the blade into a wet burlap so that it doesn't anneal
by accident.

 

[peter nap]

That's good to Know. Thanks!

 

[B Finnigan]

I have never soldered a guard on before, I always slightly undersize it to the tang and swage it on. I tried once and it made such a hideous mess that I never even bothered to try again. On dovetail guards I will use one pin of like material to secure it. But even a dovetail will be 50% secured by swaging and top peening it.

I could never wrap my brain around the idea of creating a potential soft spot around the guard which is also the folcrum point of the knife. Yes you can try to keep the blade and tang cool but I never saw any reason to risk it.

Different strokes for different folks I guess.

Even if you are very accomplished in guard soldering it is still worth the effort to pickup another skill and learn how to swage the guard. If for nothing more then have a backup or a "plan B". I end up using "plan B" more times then I care to admit.