Thanks Thanks:  0
Likes Likes:  0
Needs Pictures Needs Pictures:  0
Picture(s) thanks Picture(s) thanks:  0
Page 2 of 2 FirstFirst 12
Results 16 to 26 of 26
  1. #16
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Location
    melbourne australia
    Posts
    3,228

    Default

    Not sure, but I think the 56% stuff is really only needed for jewellery.
    Chris

  2. #17
    Join Date
    Nov 2010
    Location
    Gippsland Victoria
    Posts
    733

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by familyguy View Post
    I recently made a Jenny Wren "look alike" and even though I have some of BOC 45% stuff I didn't have any trouble with the boiler using the 15% stuff from Bunnings.
    Thanks Familyguy, thats quite reassuring to know. Basically I haven't got a clue about solder and was running with the recommendations in the books that I have.

    BOC have told me a couple of weeks to get in some high silver content solder .... will see what they manage to do. Will go to Bunnings 15% if nothing arrives.

    Bill

  3. #18
    Join Date
    May 2011
    Location
    Murray Bridge S Aust.
    Age
    71
    Posts
    5,945

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by jack620 View Post
    Not sure, but I think the 56% stuff is really only needed for jewellery.
    Use the 56% stuff for joining wood cutting bandsaw blades, Metal and dissimilar metals.
    Kryn
    To grow old is mandatory, growing up is optional.

  4. #19
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Location
    melbourne australia
    Posts
    3,228

    Default

    Good to know Kryn, but you NEED 56% for bandsaw blades? Does the lower melting point prevent ruining the temper of the blades?
    Chris

  5. #20
    Join Date
    Dec 2005
    Location
    South Australia
    Posts
    1,656

    Default

    The 15% rods are for copper to copper plumbing applications, I think for high pressure jobs such a the the boiler 45% or 56% would be the way to go, you will gain Better "wetting" of the joint
    and achieve the required capillary action easier.

  6. #21
    Join Date
    Nov 2015
    Location
    Brisbane Australia
    Posts
    85

    Default

    I am a plumber and use 5% silver solder to join copper to copper or to brass from 10mm to 150mm.

    I have used 2% but it tends not to run as easy.

    I haven't seen a joint fail that was welded correctly, usually it is not heated enough to allow the capillary attraction.

    I have welded a patch onto a 100mm fire main that had a tent peg put in it one xmas, the patch was another piece of 100mm cut about 30mm bigger than the hole and I heated it up and used a few sticks of solder and it is still there today. When I did the job I was not so convinced it would work but my boss said it would be fine.

    I have seen plumbers melt the solder onto the outside of the joint but it does not have any penetration.

    I would only use a oxy/ acetylene for welding soldering, I have tried mapp gas but it is too slow, okay on 1/2 but 3/4 you would be there a while.

    I was taught to use a welding tip for heating not a No12 or 14, the welding tip is more concentrated and quicker to heat the job up, when the job is near the correct temp and the solder is flowing just pull the torch away by a few inches to not heat the job up.

    When the job is at the correct temp it is almost red.

    For what you are welding I would heat the tube up first as that will take more heat, then put some heat on the cap, if you touch the silver solder and the temperature is correct it will run around the joint, also to remember is the silver solder follows the heat of the torch.

    I would weld it with the cap sitting on a brick so you can heat it all the way around, if you have dags of silver solder on the job use a wire brush to get them off.

    Whilst the joint is red hot leave it to cool naturally or it may get a crack in the weld.

    The only time I have used 45% is to solder stainless steel

  7. #22
    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Location
    Adelaide
    Posts
    574

    Default

    If the boiler is for a mini engine like Jenny Wren then the heat source is a feeble metho burner and I doubt it will even make 10psi, getting these small engines to run on compressed air at around 10 psi is reasonably easy but getting them to run under steam power can be a bit of a challenge.

    This was how my first attempt went and from this I guessed that the boiler was not even making 10psi, whereas typical mains water pressure is around 75psi so the Bunnings 15% stuff should be ok, there are commercial toy steam engines that use 'soft' solder for the boiler as opposed to silver or hard solder, this works ok in practice until the boiler runs dry and it then springs a leak, I've seen a few like this at car boot sales. With a tiny boiler like this I used map gas and found the wider spread flame made it a easier to heat the boiler evenly

    The idea with these small engines is to make it so it runs with lung power alone which is typically 2 or so psi this then makes the boiler much less critical, to make it run at this sort of low pressure you need to be spot on with your machining - minimal friction, close fit piston and just the right spring pressure on the oscillating cylinder to prevent steam leaking but not so much that is causes excess friction - I was not quite there with my second attempt - almost but not quite. To overcome my not so good machining I made the boiler from thin brass tube (0.55mm wall thickness) to minimise heat loss and did succeed in getting it run under steam power. The boiler tube came from a discarded mop bucket the type that has a pair of brass rollers that squeeze excess water from the mop.

  8. #23
    Join Date
    Jul 2006
    Location
    Athelstone, SA 5076
    Posts
    4,255

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by China View Post
    The 15% rods are for copper to copper plumbing applications, I think for high pressure jobs such a the the boiler 45% or 56% would be the way to go, you will gain Better "wetting" of the joint
    and achieve the required capillary action easier.
    Quote Originally Posted by Somedayplumbing View Post
    I am a plumber and use 5% silver solder to join copper to copper or to brass from 10mm to 150mm.

    I have used 2% but it tends not to run as easy.

    I haven't seen a joint fail that was welded correctly, usually it is not heated enough to allow the capillary attraction.
    That is the problem with using 2% and 5%., one has to get very hot to get it to flow and then it might or might not...15% beats the 2&5% hands down, as it flows better and easier into the joint.
    For the small extra cost I am suprised that plumbers dont use just 15%

  9. #24
    Join Date
    Jul 2006
    Location
    Athelstone, SA 5076
    Posts
    4,255

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by familyguy View Post
    15% stuff should be ok
    15% can handle R410 discharge pressures which are in excess of 600 psi on current design airconditioners. SBA245 will also be suitable but at increased cost due to silver content

  10. #25
    Join Date
    Jul 2006
    Location
    Athelstone, SA 5076
    Posts
    4,255

    Default

    Silver Solder brazing Alloys

    Silver Solders Brazing Alloys.pdf

    (10 (x2) pages)

    yeah...this now works also

  11. #26
    Join Date
    Nov 2010
    Location
    Gippsland Victoria
    Posts
    733

    Default 56% Silver

    Found this on Amazon. If you join Amazon Prime you get free postage on a lot of stuff plus various other benefits. I have found it quite handy.

    https://www.amazon.com.au/Harris-Saf.../dp/B0713Y6V2F

    My understanding is that the eutectic of the alloy blend occurs at 56% Silver content, and the eutectic will have the lowest melting point of all off the alloy blends. Therefore slightly better for folk with smaller torches.

    I've been reading that experienced people doing complicated jobs will use different %age blends to do different joins in order to reduce the chance of a previously soldered joint melting. They will also deliberately add heat sinks to protect previously soldered joints from the heat of a later joint. Don't think I'll ever get that fancy.

    Also found the sb245 at total tools last week, so if anyone is looking you can get it there, didn't have it first time I tried.


    Bill

Page 2 of 2 FirstFirst 12

Similar Threads

  1. Silver Solder Purchase
    By Briangoldcoast in forum JEWELLERY
    Replies: 1
    Last Post: 2nd Oct 2018, 12:11 PM
  2. WTB ADL Silver solder rod
    By GWH74 in forum WANTED TO BUY
    Replies: 0
    Last Post: 28th Apr 2016, 08:19 AM
  3. 245 Silver solder
    By fxst in forum METALWORK GENERAL
    Replies: 2
    Last Post: 16th Oct 2012, 12:22 AM
  4. source of silver solder other than BOC?
    By desbromilow in forum METALWORK GENERAL
    Replies: 6
    Last Post: 30th Aug 2012, 11:30 AM
  5. Silver Solder Pt 2 How to
    By Grahame Collins in forum METALWORK GENERAL
    Replies: 0
    Last Post: 11th Jan 2007, 10:51 AM

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •