I'm expecting to need to alter some zinc downpipes and bends.
These are new items with a finish (?) on them.
Is lead solder going to be the route I should take?

Otherwise, advice please.

--
R100RT
Aprilia Pegaso 650 IE "The Flying Mythos"
Formerly: James Captain, A10, C15, B25, Dnepr M16 solo, R80/7, R100RT
(green!)
www.davidhowardjeweller.co.uk

John Rumm wrote:
On 28/07/2010 13:28, Jeweller wrote:
I'm expecting to need to alter some zinc downpipes and bends.
These are new items with a finish (?) on them.
Is lead solder going to be the route I should take?

You will need an aggressive flux like bakers fluid for zinc, and a big
enough gas powered "iron". Usually paint the flux on, and it quickly
colours the metal black. Follow with bar solder and the iron - the
solder should flow nicely to where the flux has been applied.

Does this mean a torch with a needle flame and the solder with a flux
core are not up to the job?

--
R100RT
Aprilia Pegaso 650 IE "The Flying Mythos"
Formerly: James Captain, A10, C15, B25, Dnepr M16 solo, R80/7, R100RT
(green!)
www.davidhowardjeweller.co.uk

John Rumm wrote:
On 28/07/2010 16:01, Jeweller wrote:
John Rumm wrote:
On 28/07/2010 13:28, Jeweller wrote:
I'm expecting to need to alter some zinc downpipes and bends.

You may be able to use a fine flame - but a torch end with an actual
soldering bit will make it easier as you can run it up and down the
seams to get a neat fillet of solder. e.g.

http://www.machinemart.co.uk/shop/pr...soldering-iron

Got it, thanks.


--
R100RT
Aprilia Pegaso 650 IE "The Flying Mythos"
Formerly: James Captain, A10, C15, B25, Dnepr M16 solo, R80/7, R100RT
(green!)
www.davidhowardjeweller.co.uk

On 28 July, 16:01, Jeweller wrote:

Does this mean a torch with a needle flame and the solder with a flux
core are not up to the job?

No! You need an iron, in particular you need a big (i.e. literally
massive) warm iron, not a small hot flame. Zinc will react badly to
high temperatures, even at a pinpoint, by even burning to powdery
white zinc oxide, or even vapourising completely (zinc has a very low
boiling point).

In practical terms, zinc is joined by mechanical rolling and crimping,
rather than by soldering. It can be soldered (and for French cafe
tables, it was) but it's a bugger of a process, particularly when
outdoors.

Andy Dingley wrote:
On 28 July, 16:01, Jeweller wrote:

Does this mean a torch with a needle flame and the solder with a flux
core are not up to the job?

No! You need an iron, in particular you need a big (i.e. literally
massive) warm iron, not a small hot flame. Zinc will react badly to
high temperatures, even at a pinpoint, by even burning to powdery
white zinc oxide, or even vapourising completely (zinc has a very low
boiling point).

In practical terms, zinc is joined by mechanical rolling and crimping,
rather than by soldering. It can be soldered (and for French cafe
tables, it was) but it's a bugger of a process, particularly when
outdoors.
Much obliged.

--
R100RT
Aprilia Pegaso 650 IE "The Flying Mythos"
Formerly: James Captain, A10, C15, B25, Dnepr M16 solo, R80/7, R100RT
(green!)
www.davidhowardjeweller.co.uk

--
R100RT
Aprilia Pegaso 650 IE "The Flying Mythos"
Formerly: James Captain, A10, C15, B25, Dnepr M16 solo, R80/7, R100RT
(green!)
www.davidhowardjeweller.co.uk

Now you are making us all jealous!
Did you have to buy all those bikes to get the tyre designs for your rings
(Which look pretty clever by the way)?

:-)
S

On Jul 29, 12:28 am, Jeweller wrote:
I'm expecting to need to alter some zinc downpipes and bends.
These are new items with a finish (?) on them.
Is lead solder going to be the route I should take?

I am delighted with the solder pot that I made:
http://i47.tinypic.com/2yyqq6w.jpg

It seems to tin almost anything that I can fit in it. You'd need a
larger version.

In article
,
Andy Dingley wrote:
In practical terms, zinc is joined by mechanical rolling and crimping,
rather than by soldering. It can be soldered (and for French cafe
tables, it was) but it's a bugger of a process, particularly when
outdoors.

I made a new zinc tray for the top of a bay window which has a recessed
flat roof ages ago and don't remember having problems soldering the seams
to make it watertight. I used a Camping Gaz blowlamp which has a solder
bit attachment rather than direct heat. Ordinary engineer's solder and
Bakers fluid. Don't remember it being any more difficult than soldering
other large sheet materials like tinplate.

--
*What was the best thing before sliced bread?

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

Spamlet wrote:
--
R100RT


Now you are making us all jealous!
Did you have to buy all those bikes to get the tyre designs for your rings

Heh. Not the bikes but our garage is ram jam full of tyres.
This prototyping is a seriously expensive business.

(Which look pretty clever by the way)?

bows


--
R100RT
Aprilia Pegaso 650 IE "The Flying Mythos"
Formerly: James Captain, A10, C15, B25, Dnepr M16 solo, R80/7, R100RT
(green!)
www.davidhowardjeweller.co.uk

John Rumm wrote:
Flux cored solder probably won't work for this,

Acid-cored solder might do the job, if you can still get it. (Wash the
workpiece afterwards, as with any aggressive flux.)

--
Andy

On Fri, 30 Jul 2010 17:19:42 +0100, Andy Wade
wrote:

John Rumm wrote:
Flux cored solder probably won't work for this,

Acid-cored solder might do the job, if you can still get it.

Yes, you can - even from B&Q :-)

--
Frank Erskine

On Sat, 31 Jul 2010 00:39:38 +0100, John Rumm
wrote:

On 30/07/2010 18:39, Frank Erskine wrote:
On Fri, 30 Jul 2010 17:19:42 +0100, Andy Wade
wrote:

John Rumm wrote:
Flux cored solder probably won't work for this,

Acid-cored solder might do the job, if you can still get it.

Yes, you can - even from B&Q :-)

A separate paint-on-able flux makes a neater job on this sort of
application I find...

True - that's what I use.

--
Frank Erskine