"Grant Erwin" wrote in message
...
I want to make a flat piece of brass with a ring soldered to it so it
can fit onto a keyring. I am lousy at soldering. Can anyone tell me
exactly
what kind of solder to use, flux, and what to look out for? I'm looking
for
a clean joint that isn't obtrusive looking, so bright silver solder is
out.
I have considered machining a ring integral with the part but that means
the ring would be brass like the flat piece and it seems to me that brass
wouldn't hold up too well on a keyring. The flat piece will be
approximately
1.75" roundish, not too heavy, and about 0.100" thick, old propeller
shafting
from a sailboat. Might be phosphor bronze or manganese bronze and not
brass,
I'm not sure.

A thin ring, soldered edge on to a relatively thin disk is a stress point,
no matter what solder you use -- and it will not hold up well on a keyring.
As someone else suggested in another reply, better off trying to improve the
mechanical joint and strength. I would drill two small holes into the edge
of the piece -- e.g., 0.02, to match the wire you ar using for the loop.
As always, very clean is mandatory. You can use low temperature
silver solder with a torch or high temperature tin-based solder with a
soldering iron. I prefer silver solder with a torch. If the match of the
wire to the hole is good, and the area very clean, then you will use very
little solder -- e.g., a piece about 1mm on a side should do for each joint.
The silver solder has a yellowish tinge and once soldered, the joint is
almost invisible. A little cleanup with emery or a rubber abrasive wheel
will make it invisible. Use a very fine torch tip -- really fine -- and
remember that you don't heat the solder, but the place to which you want the
solder to flow.
I do it all the time with the fittings I make for my ship models.
You can't see the joint if you do it right.

Boris

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