Hey folks,

I'm trying to teach myself to do some silver soldering. Does anyone know
of a good pamflet, book or website that reviews the differents alloys
and their melting temperatures, and specific metals they are good for
soldering? My current project involves soldering two pieces of mild
steel solid enough to do an interrupted cut on my lathe.

I'm planning on using my propane or MAPP (Methyl Acetylene Propadiene)
torch to melt it.

Any advice would be much appreciated.

Thanks

Dan
(Seattle WA)

In article ,
says...
Hey folks,

I'm trying to teach myself to do some silver soldering. Does anyone know
of a good pamflet, book or website that reviews the differents alloys
and their melting temperatures, and specific metals they are good for
soldering? My current project involves soldering two pieces of mild
steel solid enough to do an interrupted cut on my lathe.

"The Brazing Book" from Handy & Harman is an excellent start:
http://www.handyharmancanada.com/The...Book/bbook.htm

--
is Joshua Putnam
http://www.phred.org/~josh/
Braze your own bicycle frames. See
http://www.phred.org/~josh/build/build.html

"Joshua Putnam" wrote in message
...
In article ,
says...
Hey folks,

I'm trying to teach myself to do some silver soldering. Does anyone know
of a good pamflet, book or website that reviews the differents alloys
and their melting temperatures, and specific metals they are good for
soldering? My current project involves soldering two pieces of mild
steel solid enough to do an interrupted cut on my lathe.

"The Brazing Book" from Handy & Harman is an excellent start:
http://www.handyharmancanada.com/The...Book/bbook.htm

After getting in some reading, pick up a sleeve of Forney's Sil-Flo solder.
It's more forgiving than most alloys, self fluxing on bronze and copper, and
easy to control, since there's a good range between flow and decomposition
temperatures.

LLoyd

Thanks Lloyd,

Will Sil-Flo work for two pieces of mild steel? If not can you recommend
an alloy composition?
Seems like most people are using silver solder for copper and brass or
bronze. I'm guessing the optimal alloys might be different for mild
steel though?

Dan

Lloyd E. Sponenburgh wrote:

"Joshua Putnam" wrote in message
. ..


In article ,
says...


Hey folks,

I'm trying to teach myself to do some silver soldering. Does anyone know
of a good pamflet, book or website that reviews the differents alloys
and their melting temperatures, and specific metals they are good for
soldering? My current project involves soldering two pieces of mild
steel solid enough to do an interrupted cut on my lathe.


"The Brazing Book" from Handy & Harman is an excellent start:
http://www.handyharmancanada.com/The...Book/bbook.htm



After getting in some reading, pick up a sleeve of Forney's Sil-Flo solder.
It's more forgiving than most alloys, self fluxing on bronze and copper, and
easy to control, since there's a good range between flow and decomposition
temperatures.

LLoyd

On Sat, 15 Jan 2005 10:05:06 -0800, Dan Miller
wrote:

Thanks Lloyd,

Will Sil-Flo work for two pieces of mild steel? If not can you recommend
an alloy composition?
Seems like most people are using silver solder for copper and brass or
bronze. I'm guessing the optimal alloys might be different for mild
steel though?

Dan

Can't remember what kind of silver solder it was, but it was silver
white in colour, and I used a white paste flux - Silver soldered a
distributor drive gear together for a Renault R12 I was rallying at
the time, because I had just broke the last available one by not
getting the miserable cyl head lined up perfectly (had only one dowel
pin - you needed an alignment cone to do the job right - and I didn't
have one - finally made one from hardwood dowel).
Rallied the car for 3 years, then my brother drove it as a "beater"
for another 2 or 3, and it never came apart.

Lloyd E. Sponenburgh wrote:

"Joshua Putnam" wrote in message
.. .


In article ,
says...


Hey folks,

I'm trying to teach myself to do some silver soldering. Does anyone know
of a good pamflet, book or website that reviews the differents alloys
and their melting temperatures, and specific metals they are good for
soldering? My current project involves soldering two pieces of mild
steel solid enough to do an interrupted cut on my lathe.


"The Brazing Book" from Handy & Harman is an excellent start:
http://www.handyharmancanada.com/The...Book/bbook.htm



After getting in some reading, pick up a sleeve of Forney's Sil-Flo solder.
It's more forgiving than most alloys, self fluxing on bronze and copper, and
easy to control, since there's a good range between flow and decomposition
temperatures.

LLoyd

"Dan Miller" wrote in message
...
Thanks Lloyd,

Will Sil-Flo work for two pieces of mild steel? If not can you recommend
an alloy composition?
Seems like most people are using silver solder for copper and brass or
bronze. I'm guessing the optimal alloys might be different for mild
steel though?


Yep -- with proper fluxing, it will work fine on SS, too. But it really
shines on copper and bronze. Pretty much any brazing rod will work on mild
steel, so long as you're not particular about thermal characteristics or
ultimate strength.

LLoyd

Well I had a go at some silver soldering this weekend. I bought some
"Silvaloy (56% Ag, 22% Cu, 17% Zn, and 5% Sn) Turns out I just couldn't
get the piece hot enough. The solder is supposed to melt around 1145 and
flow around 1205. Everyone says MAPP or Propane is enough but it just
wasn't for this piece. I had the flame directed directly at the joint
for a good 30 minutes. I'm trying to solder a 1" x 1" x 1/4" square of
steel to a 1" x 3" x 1/2" piece. Maybe just too much steel for a MAPP
torch. Looks like I'm going to have to fire up the oxy acetylene which
means I'll need some regulators and hose. Anyone have any for sale??
Other suggestions?

Dan

Lloyd E. Sponenburgh wrote:

"Dan Miller" wrote in message
...


Thanks Lloyd,

Will Sil-Flo work for two pieces of mild steel? If not can you recommend
an alloy composition?
Seems like most people are using silver solder for copper and brass or
bronze. I'm guessing the optimal alloys might be different for mild
steel though?




Yep -- with proper fluxing, it will work fine on SS, too. But it really
shines on copper and bronze. Pretty much any brazing rod will work on mild
steel, so long as you're not particular about thermal characteristics or
ultimate strength.

LLoyd

In article , says...

Maybe just too much steel for a MAPP
torch. Looks like I'm going to have to fire up the oxy acetylene which
means I'll need some regulators and hose. Anyone have any for sale??
Other suggestions?

More than one MAPP or propane torch would also put more heat on the
joint, if you already happen to have another torch around. I've used two
MAPP torches a couple of times for joints that were just a bit too
massive for one MAPP torch.

--
is Joshua Putnam
http://www.phred.org/~josh/
Braze your own bicycle frames. See
http://www.phred.org/~josh/build/build.html

On Sun, 23 Jan 2005 21:00:56 -0800, Joshua Putnam
wrote:

In article , says...

Maybe just too much steel for a MAPP
torch. Looks like I'm going to have to fire up the oxy acetylene which
means I'll need some regulators and hose. Anyone have any for sale??
Other suggestions?

More than one MAPP or propane torch would also put more heat on the
joint, if you already happen to have another torch around. I've used two
MAPP torches a couple of times for joints that were just a bit too
massive for one MAPP torch.

You can build a propane torch with a few bux worth of plumbing parts
that will definitely do your job. Ron Reil has brazed cannon balls
with such a torch. See
http://www.reil1.net/design.shtml

I made one of these burners just for the hell of it. It works.

Try to find some insulating fire brick. I use about three to make a
corner which reflects the heat. Try places that sell pottery supplies.
Hard fire brick will help, but insulating fire brick is much better.

Dan


Dan Miller wrote:
Turns out I just couldn't
get the piece hot enough.


Other suggestions?

Dan

In article , Dan Miller says...

Well I had a go at some silver soldering this weekend. I bought some
"Silvaloy (56% Ag, 22% Cu, 17% Zn, and 5% Sn) Turns out I just couldn't
get the piece hot enough. The solder is supposed to melt around 1145 and
flow around 1205. Everyone says MAPP or Propane is enough

Not me. For any decent sized (over one cubic inch) part, oxy
acetlyene is the only way to go. You'll just waste a lot of
gas and burn up the part.

Trouble with any air/gas torch is you are heating up all the
nitrogen that comes in with the O2, which robs a great deal
of heat from the process.

Get a small OA rig and you will be amazed at how fast it goes.

Jim


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