Solder PASTE

Jgrden · Nov 29, 2016

Solder paste melts at 450 degrees. Has anyone used the silver solder paste to solder brass parts, or any metal parts together? Has it worked for you? Is it easier than the rolled wire style silver solder?
I am putting together a steampunk pen and trying to solder copper to aluminum, which I fear is the first mistake, and not having much luck. Getting closer to making it work the more i practice.

Skie_M · Nov 29, 2016

I don't think you'll have much luck with the aluminum ... it dissipates heat much too quickly, and doesn't like bonding with lead or silver or tin much...

On the other hand, you could try using parts made from aluminum bronze. Since that has high copper content, that may solder on quite nicely, and will look more like steel.

Jgrden · Nov 30, 2016

Skie_M said:
I don't think you'll have much luck with the aluminum ... it dissipates heat much too quickly, and doesn't like bonding with lead or silver or tin much...

On the other hand, you could try using parts made from aluminum bronze. Since that has high copper content, that may solder on quite nicely, and will look more like steel.

Thank you Skie M.

You confirmed my suspicions about the aluminum. I am going to try brass to brass and experiment with your other suggestions.

Jgrden · Dec 4, 2016

oH TO [ASTE OR NOT TO PASTE.

Skie_M · Dec 4, 2016

Brass and copper will play well together ...

Pretty difficult to get a white/silver brass, though ... the copper content makes it pretty yellow.

You may have to resort to using flux and wire solder or flux cored solder. The silver solder still has tin content in it, and is much safer for handling, but should work just as well.

If you don't want the solder to show through very well, you may desire to use a mix of copper pentahydrate (Depp Root Kill .... little blue crystals that dissolve in water), and paint some over the solder with a brush.

This stuff is POISONOUS, so don't get any on bare skin ... use gloves and a brush, and wash the parts off with water afterwards. The solder will turn BLACK with a fairly quick 1 - 2 minute exposure .... longer exposure takes the tin or silver out of the surface of the solder and replaces it with elemental copper, but it will wash off fairly easily, as it's not actually bonded very well. The process is similar to electroplating, except that the electricity is being exchanged at the molecular level as the atoms change places IN THE SALT SOLUTION. The elemental copper dropping out is individual atoms that form copper crystals and merely collect on the surface.

Jgrden · Dec 5, 2016

Skie_M said:
Brass and copper will play well together ...

Pretty difficult to get a white/silver brass, though ... the copper content makes it pretty yellow.

You may have to resort to using flux and wire solder or flux cored solder. The silver solder still has tin content in it, and is much safer for handling, but should work just as well.

If you don't want the solder to show through very well, you may desire to use a mix of copper pentahydrate (Depp Root Kill .... little blue crystals that dissolve in water), and paint some over the solder with a brush.

This stuff is POISONOUS, so don't get any on bare skin ... use gloves and a brush, and wash the parts off with water afterwards. The solder will turn BLACK with a fairly quick 1 - 2 minute exposure .... longer exposure takes the tin or silver out of the surface of the solder and replaces it with elemental copper, but it will wash off fairly easily, as it's not actually bonded very well. The process is similar to electroplating, except that the electricity is being exchanged at the molecular level as the atoms change places IN THE SALT SOLUTION. The elemental copper dropping out is individual atoms that form copper crystals and merely collect on the surface.

Atta Boy Skie, you came through for me.

KenV · Dec 5, 2016

John, if you are using brass and copper, there are a lot of solder options less expensive than silver solder. Soldering paste is more commonly used to sweat joints.

At pen scale, gunsmithing and jewelry supply may be good bets for alternative solders.

Aluminum is tough stuff to work without neutral gas and epoxy or melted glue sticks made for aluminum may be your best bet.

Wood Butcher · Dec 5, 2016

You could try this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lGy7pHx6P3Y

WB

KenV · Dec 5, 2016

Wood Butcher said:
You could try this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lGy7pHx6P3Y

WB

Thanks - new product for me.

Jgrden · Dec 6, 2016

KenV said:
John, if you are using brass and copper, there are a lot of solder options less expensive than silver solder. Soldering paste is more commonly used to sweat joints.

At pen scale, gunsmithing and jewelry supply may be good bets for alternative solders.

Aluminum is tough stuff to work without neutral gas and epoxy or melted glue sticks made for aluminum may be your best bet.

Good to hear from you again KenV. Thank you.

Jgrden · Dec 6, 2016

Wood Butcher said:
You could try this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lGy7pHx6P3Y

WB

Holy Smokes ! 'Shoot A Mile' that video was perfect !!!!! Thank you.

John

Skie_M · Dec 6, 2016

Yup .. I had never seen a product quite like that before either.

Problem is, you wanna do this on a pen ... the weld bead itself is nearly the size of the thing you want to make. I doubt it'll work properly, at the sizes you are wanting to do the work in.

I have seen some people working on "steampunk style" pen blanks, where they take Copper foil tape (check Hobby Lobby or other craft stores for "Stained Glass" supplies) and Aluminum foil tape (check Home Depot or Lowes or any other big box store for "Aluminum Duct Tape" in the Air Conditioning and Duct Work section). They use punch sets and pieces of leather to give the tape some texture and then apply it in very thin strips, sometimes in layered designs, to give a "steampunk" style and appearance, and they also have the choice of "ageing" effects, to make it look old ... they then cast it in clear alumilite and turn it as normal.

The effects are magnified through the clear alumilite ... can't be felt but also can't fall off or wear off through use. Also wont cut or scratch the user while in use.

Jgrden · Dec 7, 2016

Skie_M said:
Yup .. I had never seen a product quite like that before either.

Problem is, you wanna do this on a pen ... the weld bead itself is nearly the size of the thing you want to make. I doubt it'll work properly, at the sizes you are wanting to do the work in.

I have seen some people working on "steampunk style" pen blanks, where they take Copper foil tape (check Hobby Lobby or other craft stores for "Stained Glass" supplies) and Aluminum foil tape (check Home Depot or Lowes or any other big box store for "Aluminum Duct Tape" in the Air Conditioning and Duct Work section). They use punch sets and pieces of leather to give the tape some texture and then apply it in very thin strips, sometimes in layered designs, to give a "steampunk" style and appearance, and they also have the choice of "ageing" effects, to make it look old ... they then cast it in clear alumilite and turn it as normal.

The effects are magnified through the clear alumilite ... can't be felt but also can't fall off or wear off through use. Also wont cut or scratch the user while in use.

Yuppersl tried all after noon to solder, copper to aluminum, brass to aluminum, brass to brass. I was almost successful with brass to brass but need to be more carful with cleaning the area and which flux is the right one. I can understand why these are few and far between. No one we visited today carries Uniweld products so need to find a welding shop or order it on line. Tried some aluminum solder but all it did was turn red and would not flow.