Solder

“ Experience has proved, more especially in the case of plain and strong work (or work that has to bear a strain in the course of manufacture) , that the soldering is more perfect and more tenacious as the point of fusion of the two metals approaches each other; the solder having a greater tendency to form a more perfect alloy with the metal to which it is applied than under any other conditions. ”

“ Soft tinman's solder is made by melting together two parts of grain tin and one of soft lead — the exact proportions are not of consequence — but, on the other hand, the purer the constituents the better the solder. Within certain limits, the greater the proportion of tin the cleaner and more fusible is the solder. It is usually worth while to prepare the solder in the laboratory, for in this way a uniform and dependable product is assured. ”

“ If soldering solution is not used the joint cannot be soldered, and if the wire is not hot enough the solder will not melt. If the wire should be too hot the solder will melt and fall off from the joint like a drop of [128] water. A little experience will soon enable one to become an expert solderer, and the process should be employed wherever possible, as it strengthens the joints and unions, and holds them rigidly in place. Galvanized or tinned iron wire can be soldered in the same manner. ”

“ How to Solder Metals. —The great secret in soldering metals is to have them perfectly clean and then if you use the right kind of flux and the proper solder you will not have any trouble.
Fluxes. —After you have cleaned the surfaces to be soldered you must use a flux to prevent the metal from oxidizing and to make the solder stick. Different metals require fluxes of different kinds.
When soldering bright new tinware use powdered resin for the flux, but if the parts are old then scrape [72] and clean them well and use a flux of zinc chloride solution. ”

“ If there should be any soft solder about the article, to be soldered by the means we are describing, it would be almost certain to destroy it, the soft solder having such an affinity for entering into combination with metals more infusible than itself when overheated.
There is an art in soldering greater than some people would believe. ”

“ The solder should in every way be well suited to the particular metal to which it is to be applied, and should possess a powerful chemical affinity to it; if this be not the case, strong, clean, and invisible connections cannot be effected, whilst the progress of the work would be considerably retarded. This is partly the cause of inferior manufactures, and not, as frequently supposed, the want of skill in the workman. ”

“ Hard solder gives better results than half and half, but is more difficult to work. It is very important that the soldering iron be kept at a high heat during all work, otherwise the solder will only stick to the surfaces and will not join with them. ”

“ Soft solders are used for soldering easily fusible metals such as Britannia metal, etc., also for soldering tin plate. To prepare solder, the metals are melted together in a graphite crucible at as low a temperature as possible, well stirred with an iron rod, and cast into ingots in an iron mold. To melt the solder when required for soldering, the soldering iron is used ”

“ To unite them in a straight line, pass the end of one into the end of the other before soldering, or else wind an additional piece of tin over the two ends. To make a turn, or elbow, file the ends on a bevel, or slant, bring them together, and apply considerable solder for strength. If the solder be rightly put on, it will hold surprisingly. ”

“ When my work lay in position I began, with four of my young men, to blow the fire with the aid of fans and hand-bellows until I saw the solder run, when I every now and then sprinkled a little soft ash over it, for if one were to use water instead of ash, one would not be able to add fresh solder where the old has run imperfectly. ”

“ The solder is caused to make a perfect union with the surfaces treated with the help of heat from a soldering iron. The soldering iron is made from a piece of copper, pointed at one end and with the other end attached to an iron rod and wooden handle. A flux is used to remove impurities from the joint and allow the solder to secure a firm union with the metal surface. The iron, and in many cases the work, is heated with a gasoline blow torch, a small gas furnace, an electric heater or an acetylene and air torch. ”

“ The beginner should be sure that enough solder is applied to hold the work firmly together. The surplus solder may be scraped away by using a simple scraper shaped like a hoe. An old knife is also useful for cutting away lumps of solder. An old file or rasp which has very coarse teeth may be used to file away solder. ”

“ The hard solders are the spelter and the silver solders. Soft spelter solder is composed of equal parts of copper and zinc, melted and granulated and passed through a sieve. As some of the zinc volatilizes the ultimate proportions are not quite equal. The proportion of zinc is increased if the solder is required to be softer or more fusible. A valuable property of the zinc is that its volatilization indicates the fusing of the solder. Silver solder is used for jewelry and other fine metal work, arid has the advantage of high fusing points. ”

“ Soft solders. Solders for plumbers and tin-workers, are required to melt easily, and yet not too low, as they should withstand a heat greater than boiling water. The fusing point of the soft solders is usually between 300-400°. Plumbers’ solder I believe is commonly formed by mixing equal parts of tin and lead. I procured a specimen of 8.9 specific gravity, and its fusing point was 380°. Probably a more perfect compound would be formed by mixing 104 parts tin with 90 lead (2 atoms to 1) , which would give a specific gravity of 8.8 and the fusing point 350°. ”

“ The silver solder is more manageable than spelter, and does not tend to run wild over the work: a property which makes it much more convenient both for delicate joints and in cases where it is desired to restrict the solder to a single point or line. Small objects are almost invariably soldered with silver solder, and are held by forceps or on charcoal in the pointed flame of an ordinary blow-pipe. ”

“ Soldering Of Metallic Articles.—In a recently invented process the parts to be united are covered, on the surfaces not to be soldered, with a protective mass, which prevents an immediate contact of the solder with the surfaces in question, and must be brushed off only after the soldered pieces have cooled perfectly, whereby the possibility of a change of position of these pieces seems precluded. ”

“ As soon as the workman has spread the solder, he presses and hammers down the upper edge upon the lower, and spreads the solder forced out of the joint, along the seam. The outermost edge of the lead covering is nailed down to the boarding or cistern-frame by nails, with their heads leaded over to prevent the corrosion of the metal, by the chemical or voltaic action that takes place when two metals in contact are exposed to moisture. ”

“ When you are ready to begin soldering, and want to make your solder flow, put your work in the furnace, & place beneath it a few little pieces of well-dried wood, fanning them up a bit with your bellows. Then it is not a bad thing, too, after this to throw a few coarse cinders upon the fire, & this done at the right moment does a deal of good. But it is practice and experience, together with a man’s own discretion, that are the only real ways of teaching one how to bring about good results in this or in anything. ”

“ Articles soldered with soft solder containing lead and tin do not readily lend themselves to electrolytic processes, the solder generally becoming black and refusing to be coated with the electro-deposit. ”

“ Soldering, Electric.
(a) Soldering in which the solder is melted by means of electricity;
either current incandescence or the voltaic arc may be used. It is
identical in general with electric welding. (See Welding, Electric.)
(b) The deposition by electric plating of a metal over the ends of two
conductors held in contact. This secures them as if by soldering. It is
used in connecting the carbon filament of an incandescent lamp with the
platinum wires that pass through the glass. Copper is the metal usually
deposited. ”

“ Solder will not adhere to oxidized metal. The metal must be protected with a coating called a flux while being soldered. Soldering paste, soldering fluid or “killed acid,” resin, paraffin, heavy oils, and vaseline all serve as fluxes, some better than others. The soldering paste is by far the best, as will be shown later.
Soft solder is applied to the tin, on the point of a hot soldering copper, often wrongly called a “soldering iron.” A soldering copper consists of a pointed bar of copper suitably fixed to an iron shank which is firmly set in a wooden handle. ”

“ The metal to be soldered together must have an affinity for the solder, otherwise the union will be imperfect; and the solder should likewise act upon the metal, partly by this affinity or chemical attraction, and partly by cohesive force, to unite the connections soundly and firmly together. ”

“ To tin it get a pine board about 1 inch thick, 4 inches wide and 6 inches long, and put some brown resin and bits of solder on it.
File off the copper until the point is sharp and it is bright and smooth; heat the copper and then melt the resin and solder on the board with it and rub the copper in them on all sides until a film of solder is formed on it.
(17) It is cheaper to buy a stick of soldering paste than it is to make it but you can easily and cheaply make a good soldering fluid by dissolving a teaspoonful of zinc chloride in an ink bottle full of clean water. ”

“ The Soldering Iron.—A large iron is always better than a small one, particularly for the reason that it will retain its heat better. This should always be kept tinned, which can be done by heating and plunging it into the soldering solution, and the solder will then adhere to the iron and cover the point, so that when the actual soldering takes place the solder will not creep away from the tool. ”

“ See to it that the copper is well tinned and heated until it will melt and take up a good sized drop of solder at the point when held against a bar or strip of solder. Wire or strip solder is much easier for the beginner to handle than the heavier bar. It melts far more easily, as it is smaller. ”

“ In fact, cleanliness is absolutely indispensable to success, for the solder will crawl off of any thing that is dirty or greasy, even though it may not appear to be so. Lead and tin are used for solder, and can be bought of any tinner very cheaply. ”

“ For the purpose of melting the solder he has to carry his fire grate and melting pot with him to some place near where he is at work, since unless the solder can be used rapidly it cools, and will not make a sound joint. The rest of the Plumber’s tools are the pouring stick for applying the melted solder in the places where it is required, the soldering iron which is made red-hot, and passed over the soldered joints to smooth them and make them all firm and sound ”

“ So far as some of the work of the silversmith is concerned, the process of soldering is a very delicate operation, and ought not to be undertaken by an unpractised hand.
The method of preparing solder for filigree work is worthy of a passing notice. It is called by the Germans Lemaille solder. In the first place it is reduced to very fine filings, mixed with burnt borax powdered fine, and in this state it is sprinkled from a spouted grater over the work to be soldered. ”

“ Soldering is obviously useless here, as the heat of the lamp would soon cause the solder to run, and it is impossible to make a brazed joint without unsoldering the joints in the upper parts of the engine. I was a bit puzzled over the problem, and solved it by means of the lower part of an old tooth-powder box stamped out of a single piece of tin. This made a tight fit on the outside of the barrel, and as it was nearly an inch deep, I expected that if it were driven home on the barrel and soldered to it the joint would be too near the water chamber to be affected by the lamp. ”

“ Hence each metal would seem to require a particular kind of solder, which is, to a certain extent, true. Thus, the solder for gold trinkets and plate is an alloy of gold and silver, or gold and copper; that of silver trinkets, is an alloy of silver and copper; that of copper is either fine tin, for pieces that must not be exposed to the fire, or a brassy alloy called hard solder, of which [31] the zinc forms a considerable proportion. The solder of lead and tinplate is an alloy of lead and tin, and that of tin is the same alloy with a little bismuth. ”

“ Remember that soldering is impossible without a flux to keep the metal clean when it is hot; too much heat will burn soldering paste or killed acid away; the tinning and the solder adhering to the point will be burned or oxidized and rendered brittle and useless.
A heat that will melt the solder almost instantly and cause it to flow with a brilliant glistening color should be maintained at all times when the copper is employed for soldering. ”

“ The surface should be bright. To recognize wiping solder, pour some on a brick. When this is cool, the top should be frosty and the under side should have four or five bright spots. The amount poured on the brick should be about the size of a half dollar. If poured on iron, the metal will cool too quickly and show bright all over the under side.
To Make 1⁄2 and 1⁄2 Solder or Plumber's Fine Solder.—The possibility of getting pure clean metals to mix solder is very remote. Old pieces of lead pipe, lead trap, old block tin pipe are used to make solder when pure metals are not at hand. ”