What kind of solder for bullet pens?

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tommy2tone

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I got some 308 casings and was going to try to make pens. I got a 75w soldering gun. Do I use resin or rosin flux? 60/40? lead or lead free? What dia 0.020, 0.025, 0.031, 0.050?
Side note: do you cut the tubes flush with the nip end, the primer end or let them stick out a little? Thank you.
 
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I don't use the lead free solder as I seem to have more failures with the lead free, don't ask me why buy I do, I also use lots of flux on the tube and on the casing. I keep the tubes flush with the primer end plus I use a 5/16" spacer at the bullet end to take up space between the casing and the brass tube, then I use a barrel trimmer to cut them all flush.
Lin
 
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FWIW (and what you paid) To lorbay: Your failure rate is higher because it isn't as good. The ratio of lead and tin affects the way that it will "wet out" and create a better bond. Very clean, surfaces are a must when soldering brass, it will oxidize very quickly and cause a weak joint. tommy, with that iron you may need to keep the heat on the brass for a while to get hot enough surfaces to flow the solder into the joint, the smaller dia will melt quicker and not pull as much heat from the joint, but if you have enough heat any of those will work. You are closer to plumbing than electronics with the mass of metal that you are working with. And keep in mind that the molten solder is "draw" towards the hotter area.
 
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I use the no lead type that everyone sells in the plumbing dept.. I use the 1/8" stuff that comes in a roll.

The MOST important thing in soldering is CLEANLINESS, make sure the parts AND the iron are clean, and use ample flux.

I use this flux... Rectorseal 14030 1-Pound Nokorode Regular Paste Flux - Amazon.com

that little can will last you a lifetime.

For keeping the iron clean you need this... Small 1/4 Lb Sal Ammoniac Tinning Block - Amazon.com

Most people have never used a tinning block so if you have any trouble PM me and we can talk about it
 
Two most important things in soldering anything is that the joint is perfectly clean (freshly cleaned so there is nothing including metal oxides on it) and that the metal of the joint is hot enough that the metal is what melts the solder and you aren't trying to melt it on with the iron.

Acid fluxes will leave a corrosive residue behind and rosin fluxes as used in electronics will not.

For brass or copper, rosin core electronics solder should work fine, the melting temperature of the solder should be available and different solder compositions will have different melting temperatures.
 
I am using lead free, but have not had any problems with lead solder. Resin core will work too, it's made for electronics but it would work.
 
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