soldering wire help

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dozuki

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washington, dc, USA.
I am trying to make one of the copper wire pens i saw in the tutorials and am still having some problems. I am melting the solder with a soldering iron but the stuff will only stick to the wire and not the wire and the tube. It makes me want to pull out my %*&&^*%*& hair. Pleas tell me what I am doing wrong.
thanks for the help[xx(]
 
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Start over,
make sure the tubes are clean and possibly wear gloves so you don't get oil from your hands into the equation.

Flux is important!!!
Heat is important!!!
A standard electrical repair soldering gun probably won't work. Stained glass supply or open flame may be preferable.
 
Originally posted by ed4copies
<br />That'll work!

Or MAPP gas.
Click to expand...
If all else fails acetylene.
Unless he is using silver solder, propane should work.
Heck I think I saw McGyver do it with a Bic lighter once.
 
Eagle,


Sorry,




You can't trust everything McGyver did...............................

(insert sobby sounds)


I know&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;

(insert more sobby sounds)

Sorry!
 
Originally posted by dozuki
<br />Just so I have this straight. Clean the tube, wear gloves, get the tube hot as well as the wire. Don't burn house down. thanks.

Paul
Click to expand...

That pretty much covers it!!!!!!!!

Oh, don't hold the tube in your hand, glove or not!!!
 
HD and Lowes sells the plumbers flux for soldering copper pipes. As everyone else said, scuff the tubes with emery paper, sand paper, or scotchbite (sp), and use a little flux.

Darin
 
You can never use to much flux. It is cheap, and it draws the solder to it. Heat the wire and tube until it is hot enough to melt the solder, and then press the solder into it. If you melt the solder and then place it onto a cooler surface, it will just re-solidify rather than penetrate.
 
When working with brass, and especially when soldering it to a dissimilar metal, pre-tin it. This will save a lot of time and frustration. With the tube pre-tinned, all you have to heat up for the most part when applying the wire is the solder and not the whole tube. And if pre-tinned correctly, you will need far less solder when soldering the wire as the solder on the tube will draw up onto the heated wire. To heat the wire and the tube beneath it is going to take a lot of heat, especially since the copper will pull the heat out of the brass. You really shouldn't need anything more than a good iron to build your pen when proper soldering techniques are followed.
 
Also, I would use a non-corrosive flux. An acid based flux can over time cause corrosion to form on the brass and copper. Even with a non-corrosive flux, I would clean it well after the soldering is completed.
 
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