The jewelers are the kings of solder, and that is where I have heard a
lot of references to hard and soft solder. They will use different
temperature solder to assemble complex pieces. They start with the
higher temperature solder, and finish with the lower temperature solder.
This reduces the risk that soldering one piece unsolders a piece
soldered earlier. In the extreme case they might weld some parts, which
is even higher temperature.

Hard and soft refer to melting temperature, as I understand it. The
various alloys have different melting points. The references below seem
to equate soft soldering to tin-lead, and hard soldering to silver
soldering.

http://www.rings-things.com/solder.htm

http://www.bhi.co.uk/hints/solder.htm

http://shorinternational.com/Solders.htm

http://www.fly-imaa.org/imaa/hfartic.../v11-1-48.html

http://www.lapidaryjournal.com/tech/1298tech.cfm

Note the the difference between soldering and brazing is the
temperature. The American Welding Society considers anything over 850 F
to be brazing, but not everyone adheres to that definition.

http://www.tinmantech.com/html/faq__...dering__te.php

Richard




mj wrote:

Hi Paul,
I should have mentioned the tools...

For the most part, I am using a butane soldering torch. This one from
Micromark is pretty close to mine:

http://www.ares-server.com/Ares/Ares...oduct&ID=82559

I also have a mini torch that fits on the end of a propane bottle. I
don't use that one much because the butane one is a lot handier with
the auto light feature.

For whatever it is worth, I am using flux with the rosin core solder.

So..if I am reading this right, the solder that plumbers use for
soldering copper pipe is a "hard" solder, correct? Interesting. I more
pictured those sticks of silver solder as a hard solder.

Once I solder something with a "hard" solder, can I go back and add a
part by "soft" soldering it without the previous part coming loose
since I should use less heat with soft solder?

Take a look at my website for what I have gotten done so far on my
first model. Click on the pic of the mini-lathe on the homepage and
then the trailer on the next page:

www.angelfire.com/sd2/82crewcab/index.html

Mike



--
http://www.fergusonsculpture.com
Sculptures in copper and other metals