soldering

[davey]

I have a repair to make where the valve attaches to my float pan, I have always been told that I had to use silver solder to repair stainless but was wondering if that was actually true. This one is stainless to brass.

[802maple]

Silver solder is better, but any lead free solder will work. The biggest thing is to get all of the sugar out of the joint itself and I use tinning fluid specifically made for stainless that is available at most hardware stores. If you heat it up and clean most of the old solder with steel wool you should be alright. I usually heat the brass up with a torch and solder it on with a electric soldering iron, and put as much solder that will stay. Which fitting is it?

[3% Solution]

Hi Davey,
My sheetmetal guy says to use regular solder that you would use for pipes.
Says silver is a pain to use.
He uses a wire wheel to clean the area.
Just what he tells me.
Stay safe!!

Dave

[mapleack]

The proper tinning fluid / flux is about the most important part to end up with a good result. Having the brass fitting hot will be necessary as well. One other thing is if you can get ahold of some old brass soldering irons that would be heated with a forge or torch, they'll do better than any electric iron.
- Andy

[802maple]

Unless you can find one like I have. It must have come over with Christopher on the boat himself, as it is very old and it must have atleast a 4 lb head on it. I have never seen a electric iron like that one, it takes alot to cool it. I found it at yard sale. But you are right the little ones you find in the hardware stores today are very hard to work with so if you can find the old brass ones that Mapleack is talking about you are better off.

[davey]

I actually do have one of the huge old brass headed irons. I picked it up in a box of stuff at an auction and now am glad I kept it. Thanks for all of the advice and I think tonight i will try a few practice runs on spare parts.
thanks
Dave

[802maple]

You will have not a problem as long it is clean and you heat up the brass fitting first.

[KenWP]

Where would one find the flux for SS. Also what would it be called or at least the company that sells it. Around here I can only find flux that say it will not work on SS.

[Haynes Forest Products]

Cleaning brass with a steel brush or wire wheel can put a small minut amount of iron on the brass and act like a barrier and cause the solder to run away. I did alot of gold and silver soldering and if you drew a line with pencil lead on gold/silver solder would not cross the line. steel brushes on copper fittings wont be a problem but brass is harder and SS is the hardest so use a brass brush. Over heating is a problem also. HD has a flux that has solder mixed in it and it tins the area and works great to get solder to flow but if you burn it stop and reclean the area.

[Grade "A"]

I used Harris "stay-clean". You have to put is on after heating the metal befor the solder.

[Mac_Muz]

Clean clean clean the stainless, and get the The proper tinning fluid, which is usually pink or green. Stainless is the devils own to solder. If the flux turns brown when the solder is flowing use a wire brush in the liquid solder to clean more with.

[Haynes Forest Products]

keep in mind if you heat both at the same time the brass fitting will take alot longer to heat and the thin sheet metal will start to burn before the fitting will be at temp. Bring the fitting up tp temp and then put in place and heat mostly the fitting. Practice practice practice.