On Fri, 13 Oct 2017 22:50:36 -0400, Bill wrote:

On Sat, 14 Oct 2017 01:46:24 -0000 (UTC), bob prohaska wrote:

I just broke a drawer pull on a family heirloom desk. The pull
consists of a cast brass base with a tab sticking out. The tab
is bent down through the ring, holding it flexibly captive. The
tab is about 1/8" wide and half that thick, the ring about 2"
diameter and 1/8" thick at the tab.

The tab broke where it was bent, so the easiest way to line
up the break is to put the ring back where it belongs and
solder the broken tab back in place. If the tab is soldered
with the ring out, then some bending will be needed to put
the ring back. That seems a good way to break the tab again.

If I can find something to coat the ring pull, so the solder
won't wet it, I think there's a decent chance of success. I
don't think lead-tin solder will be strong enough and I can't
think of a reliable anti-wetting coating that will stand up
to silver soldering temperatures. Aluminum foil comes to mind,
and might work for soft solder but I don't think it'd take
the heat needed for silver soldering.

Thanks for reading, and any ideas.

bob prohaska

30 years ago, soldering gold with gold solder, I would wet an artist's
brush with chloroform and pick up the rouge off a stick with an artist's
brush - then paint the mix on the work. Apply our flux, then heat with
torch or oven to soldering temp.

Placement of the antiflux was very controllable. If the antiflux got
somewhere we didn't want it - it wiped off smooth surfaces easily.
After soldering it was kinda baked on, and would require a bit more
effort.

I think you could use any fast drying liquid that does not leave any
residue that might react with your flux. etc.

Might, or might not, work for what you're doing. Definitely run some
trials before you attempt the real thing.

Rouge == red jewelers rouge, the stuff that's used on buffing wheels to
polish metal.
--
Email address is a Spam trap.