How To Braze Sheet Metal With Silver Solder

Cutting the solder and soldering.

How to braze sheet metal with silver solder.

Mike joins a mild flat steel bar to a piece of square steel tubing using ssf 6 silver solder and a propane torch. Heat the joint where the two pieces of metal will meet until the joint glows. Notice the smooth finish without grinding. For large areas heat portions of the joint to temperature and then move to the next adjacent area.

Silver soldering does not close gaps so the two metal pieces to be joined must have as little space between them as possible to make a clean joint. In silver soldering it is important to work with clean metal pieces. The silver solder will be drawn through the joint filling the minute crack between the two pieces of metal bonding with the surfaces to join them. When the solder melts quickly and flows immediately into the solder joint run the silver solder along the entire joint between the metals.

In a brazing operation you apply heat broadly to the base metals. If you do add heat to the area whist trying to add solder to the joint then the solder will most likely melt before it touches the joint. Once the metal pieces are cleaned there is one last step that must be done before they are ready to be. Brazing is a metal joining process in which two or more metal items are joined together by melting and flowing a material into the joint the filler material having a lower melting point than the adjoining metal.

This is how a brazed joint is made. Once it has been cut apply a coating of flux to the silver solder. The joints must be. It is melted instantly by the heat in the base metals and drawn by capillary action completely through the joint.

If it starts to melt then the metal is hot enough if it doesn t add some more heat to the area. So if for example you want to join two pieces of thin sheet metal together you would need to overlap them. With a propane torch heat the area slowly testing with the solder often times you can see the heated steel flash over when the time is right regardless when the solder will stick you re ready. Apply a dab of flux and while keeping the heat up solder a nice bead over the area.

Rub the silver solder onto the heated joint. Stick it to the side of the joint. The difference between brazing and soldering is the temperature necessary to melt that filler metal. Place the solder on the joint.

Step 8 turn off the oxy acetylene torch pick up the silver soldered metals with the lineman s pliers and drop the joined metals into the water filled bucket. To cut the silver solder use metal snips. Silver solder techniques work with clean metal pieces.