How to solder copper and steel - Metals, equipment, instructions
Interesting copper soldering can be done using one of four methods: soldering iron, gas torch, furnace or bath. When the conversation turns to low-temperature technology, it is the soldering iron that is meant. All others relate to high-temperature processes.
Rules for soldering copper parts
The soldering iron is used only for connecting small parts, and the soldering process itself is carried out at a temperature of +350 ℃. Large workpieces, due to their increased thermal conductivity, need to be soldered only with torches.
As for baths and stoves, there are two positions that differ from each other in filler. It could be solder or salt. It should be noted that salts perform two functions: a heating element as a source of temperature, and a flux.
That is, in technologies that use salt furnaces or baths, fluxes are not used.
In principle, regardless of the metal of the workpieces, the joining process itself is the same for all materials. And it is divided into six stages:
- cleaning copper blanks mechanically to remove the oxide film;
- degreasing;
- introducing flux into the soldering zone;
- heating zone.
- adding solder;
- cleaning the joint from flux and solder material.
Bronze soldering is also carried out. The main difference is the required brand of solder and flux. Since bronzes are an alloy of copper, tin and some other elements, choosing a solder is not difficult .
Bronzes also include alloys of copper and cadmium, copper and beryllium, alloys with lead and aluminum. It is necessary to pay attention to the composition of bronze, depending on which the properties of the material change.
Selection of solder and flux
When soldering copper alloys at low temperatures, tin-lead and lead-silver solders are used.
Either rosin dissolved in alcohol or zinc chloride is added to the soldering zone. These are fluxes. Unfortunately, tin and lead additives are highly brittle compounds, which are formed due to the so-called intermetallic compounds. At low soldering temperatures, cracks form in them.
Therefore, to connect copper, solder materials are used that contain no more than 15% tin. The lead component increases the impact strength of the joint.
And if the material contains silver, then the copper compound becomes cold and heat resistant. But it is also necessary to take into account the fact that silver reduces the strength of the connection.
In diffusion soldering, solder for copper is made up of several metals: tin, lead, indium and gallium. If a low temperature process is carried out, high joint strength cannot be guaranteed. It is not higher than 70 MPa.
Capillary soldering can also be carried out with these solders. But with one condition - the gap between the workpieces should not exceed 0.5 mm, and the soldering temperature should not exceed +900 ℃.
For soldering tin bronze, silver, tin-lead and copper-zinc solders are used. When the tin content in the alloy is high, copper-zinc material is undesirable. During the soldering process, bronze should be heated gradually and the metal should be thoroughly fluxed.
Some types of solders
Cadmium solders when soldering copper and steel require certain skills to work with them. Because the manufacturability of these materials is lower than that of previous ones.
It should be noted that such a connection is heat-resistant (up to +350 ℃), but not cold-resistant. In addition, a cadmium alloy joint will not be very strong.
Zinc solder materials are rarely used for soldering copper because the metal itself quickly dissolves into the solder material. This weakens the joint, hence the low tensile strength - up to 15 MPa.
Zinc solders alloyed with silver or copper also have low fluidity. Although these materials are doped with cadmium or tin, they have good fluidity, but the strength of the compound itself decreases greatly.
Copper-phosphorus grades with the addition of silver are a good option for soldering. The connection can withstand high loads, up to 300 MPa, and temperatures up to +800 ℃. But solder metal bonded to copper is not ductile. This means that it has low bending strength.
Silver solder materials have proven themselves well in high-temperature copper soldering conditions. True, they show their qualities if soldering is carried out with acetylene or in special furnaces where corrosive fluxes are used.
Solders with a high silver content are used in the process of joining copper blanks in a vacuum or when heated with argon. If the process is carried out under pressure, then either foil (silver) or silver coating is used for the connection.
Solder materials with a high copper content and a low silver content are used rarely and in exceptional cases. Because it is a refractory alloy that requires high heating temperature.
As for pure lead solders, the connections made with them are not strong enough, but they have high ductility. For example, such joints after soldering can be bent up to an angle of 130°, and in tension they can withstand up to 140 MPa.
Use of borax
Soldering brown copper has always been considered the easiest way to connect copper pipes. Essentially, borax is a high-temperature flux in the form of a paste.
When heated to 700-900 ℃, it begins to melt, turning into a glassy mass. With its help, not only copper blanks are connected, but also copper and iron, for which solders made of copper, silver, gold or brass are used, that is, medium-melting alloys.
The only thing you need to pay attention to is the salts that are formed during the process of soldering copper with borax.
To do this, they mix boric acid and borax in equal proportions. Add water to it, mix and evaporate. The result is boron flux. To increase quality, chloride or fluoride salts can be added to the mixture.
The technology for soldering copper tubes is practically no different from the standard process. But it also has its own nuances.
For example, borax is applied both on top of the tubes and on its internal surfaces. Then the two pipes are heated for 15 seconds, and only after that solder is added to the heating zone.
How to solder copper wire
At home, you often have to solder copper jewelry. Despite the apparent simplicity of the process, it is actually not simple. Firstly, you need to use a file to process the copper wire so that the connection of its two parts passes along a larger plane. It is imperative to secure the parts to be connected relative to each other so that mixing does not occur during the soldering process.
Liquid flux is added to the joint, after which the joint is heated with a burner. Next, solder is supplied to the heating zone. It is better if these are small pieces that are installed end-to-end with tweezers. You can lay them down before heating the copper wire.
Soldering of edible and non-edible copper is a standardized process based on two documents - GOST 1922249-73 and GOST 16038-80. That is, the norms and rules stipulate specifically how to carry out the work, with what and under what conditions.
Source: https://spb-metalloobrabotka.com/kak-spayat-med-i-stal/
How to solder brass: methods, review of materials, instructions
An alloy of copper and zinc, known since ancient times, is widely used in our time. Brass has high strength, is resistant to corrosion, and is ductile. Thanks to these properties, it is used to make parts of mechanisms and structural elements that are forced to constantly come into contact with aggressive environments.
Despite the reliability of the material, brass products sometimes develop various defects that require repair - breaks, holes, cracks. One way to restore elements is soldering. This process is not very complicated, but it has its own characteristics, so it is extremely important to know how to solder brass.
Familiarity with soldering technology will allow you to successfully carry out such work even at home.
What are the features of the technology?
This method of producing permanent joints is not as popular as welding. The reason is lower solder strength. Seams are formed by melting a filler material called solder. The most important difference between soldering is the melting temperature, which should be lower than that of the elements being connected. They do not change the state of aggregation, which makes it possible to reliably fasten dissimilar materials.
The low-temperature effect on the surface to be soldered has made soldering indispensable, and in some cases the only possible: for example, when it is necessary to obtain a permanent connection of dissimilar metals. The integrity of the processed parts is the main advantage of such a technological operation, since it allows you to work with the smallest elements without fear of their deformation or change in structure.
Soldering is especially relevant in electronics, where you have to work with miniature, very fragile microcircuits, and in electrical engineering, when there is a need to connect or extend conductors.
Classification of brass alloys
Brass can be double or multi-component. In the first case, the composition includes only copper and zinc, which increases the hardness of the alloy. Other components that improve its physical and chemical characteristics include aluminum, iron, silicon, manganese, nickel, tin, lead and other elements. For this reason, it is necessary to know exactly the composition of brass in advance; this will help determine the method, as well as the specifics of soldering.
Brass is classified according to its chemical composition:
- Two-component (double, simple). It consists only of copper and zinc. The percentage of these components may vary. These compositions are marked with the letter “L” and a number, which always indicates the amount of copper. For example, L90 contains from 88 to 91% copper, zinc accounts for 8.8-12%. There are impurities, but their amount is minimal - about 0.2%.
- Multicomponent (special). This brass has a large number of ingredients that increase the corrosion resistance of the alloy, its strength, and hardness. It is marked differently: another one is added to the letter “L”, meaning the alloying element, and another number appears - the percentage of alloying metal. For example, LA77-2 is aluminum brass, it contains 77% copper, about 2% aluminum, and the rest is zinc. All such alloys are named after the alloying element: ferrous, silicon, nickel, manganese, lead, etc.
Brass is used to make various products. According to the degree of processing, these alloys are divided into:
- deformable, they are used to produce bolts, nuts, car parts, brass strips, sheets, wire, pipes, pipes;
- foundry (fittings, bushings, instrument parts, bearings, car hydraulic system fittings).
Based on the percentage of zinc, brass is divided into:
- Red (tompak), containing 5-10% of this component. Such alloys are ideal for jewelry, figurines and similar artistic products.
- Yellow, here the percentage of zinc is 21-36%.
The reason for the popularity of brass is its durability, reliability, resistance to temperature changes and mechanical stress. Therefore, parts made from this alloy are widely used in water supply systems, sewerage systems, and in mechanical and instrument making. Brass products have a long service life, but this is only true if their operating rules are not violated.
Efficiency and obstacles
There are several technologies that allow you to easily weld parts or products made of brass, but they are not simple, promise significant costs, and require certain work skills from the master. Soldering is an alternative that is technologically simpler, which means this option is also suitable for a home craftsman, since there is no need for a highly qualified performer.
If the zinc content in the alloy is not too high, then there are no insurmountable obstacles on the way to the goal: simple soldering using ordinary rosin can cope with the task. When the percentage of this metal in brass exceeds 15, special fluxes are required.
The reason is strong evaporation during soldering of copper and zinc; it leads to the formation of a strong oxide film on the material, and it is quite difficult to remove it. Therefore, without special solders and neutralizing fluxes, an ideal result cannot be achieved.
Selection of optimal materials
Before looking for the best option for soldering brass, you need to determine its brand. Only in this case can an acceptable result of the operation be guaranteed.
Choosing the right solder
This is the material, usually an alloy, that is used to solder the elements. its peculiarity is its melting point, which must be lower than that of the metals being joined. Typical examples of alloys are tin and lead, pure tin.
However, the quality, mechanical strength of such a clutch and appearance are very far from ideal. The reasons for poor quality are pores that appear as a result of zinc evaporation.
To ensure reliable contact, the melting temperature of the material must be significantly lower than brass, and the solder must have excellent adhesion to this alloy.
- For soldering brass containing a large amount of copper, it is better to take compositions related to copper-zinc solders, since as a result of the addition of zinc, the melting point of these alloys is reduced. For example, PMC54 and PMC-48 solders melt at a temperature of 880°, PMC-36 - at 800-825°.
- For the same alloys, you can use silver solders - grades from PSr12 to PSr72. If brass has a higher zinc content, then similar solders are recommended, but not lower than PSr40.
- Relatively inexpensive copper-phosphorus solders are MF-1, MF-2, MF-3. They are plastic, but have good electrical conductivity. If the mechanical and vibration loads are high, then it is better to purchase solders with silver.
- If it is necessary to guarantee special strength, then hard copper alloys are chosen: for example, the universal L-CuP6.
The latest brand of solder has a temperature range of 710-880. It is designed to work with bronze, red bronze, brass, as well as copper, when installing pipes, radiators, and heating systems. When using silver or phosphorus solders, it must be taken into account that brass dissolves rapidly, so the processing time (heating and soldering) must be reduced.
Fluxes: homemade or ready-made
Fluxes clean the surface of metals from grease and also prevent the formation of an oxide film. They are also selected depending on the composition of the alloys. For copper compounds, rosin alone is sufficient, but for brass a more aggressive agent is already needed. The simplest flux option for soldering brass is a mixture of borax and boric acid (1:1). It is poured with water (5 mm per 1 g), boiled, stirring, then cooled. However, the best characteristics are possessed by “professionals” - purchased compounds.
- Borax flux. He has been known for a very long time, but since then he has not lost his fans. The reason for its popularity is its high-quality work.
- Other brands are no less effective: PV-209 (from 700 to 900°), PV-209X (from 650 to 850°).
Source: https://dom-i-remont.info/posts/obshhie-voprosy/kak-payat-latun-kak-vyibrat-flyus-pripoy-i-podhodyashhiy-instrument/
How to solder metal - Metalworker's Guide
The soldering process is the chemical joining of two metals using solder. Moreover, the crystal structure of the metal does not change. That is, the connected parts remain with their technical characteristics.
The connection itself is quite reliable, but much will depend on the type of solder and soldering technology. In addition, it should be noted that not all metals can be joined by this process. Basic metals, especially steel (iron), can be soldered together.
Three technologies
There are three technologies for soldering iron with tin:
- soldering iron To do this, you will have to use soft solders with a high lead content;
- blowtorch. This will require hard solders with a high tin content;
- electrical soldering of iron.
The first method is used if the iron will not be subjected to heavy loads during operation. The second is tinning of iron with tin, when tin solder is applied to the surface of a metal product and rubbed over its entire plane in a thin layer.
This technology requires soldering flux. The third option is used on a production scale, for which special equipment is used.
Soldering sheet metal
Soldering tin (thin sheet iron) is a common process in the manufacture of metal containers. But often, even at home, it is necessary to fasten sheets of iron together, assembling sealed structures. Therefore, before soldering one sheet to another, you need to prepare everything you need.
For the process of soldering iron with tin, you will need solder with a small concentration of tin, for example, POS-40, flux, a soldering iron and an awl.
In the process of soldering iron, flux acts as a solvent and an oxidizing agent at the same time. That is, the metal is immediately wetted and protected from oxidative processes. Rosin and hydrochloric acid or zinc chloride and boric acid are used as fluxes.
As for the soldering iron, for high-quality tin soldering it is better to choose an electric tool with a power of more than 40 W. The old soldering tool, which is heated by the flame of a fire, is practically not used today, even at home.
Sequencing
Here are the main stages of this process:
- cleaning of joined sheets;
- applying flux;
- heating up the soldering iron and tinning;
- soldering with tin;
- cleaning the joint with gasoline.
Cleaning is carried out mechanically with sandpaper. If the contamination is large, you will have to treat it with a solvent. If it is not possible to clean it using this method, then etching is carried out with sulfuric acid.
Two pieces of sheet iron are brought to each other at a distance of 0.3 mm. Their edges are treated with paste-like flux using a brush.
The soldering iron tip is cleaned with sandpaper, and the tool itself is plugged into the electrical network through an outlet.
To check whether it has heated up well, you need to place its tip in the ammonia mixture, which should boil.
Now the stage of tinning the iron is carried out. That is, using solder made of tin or its alloy, the edges of two sheets of tin are processed in order to cover them with a tin layer, which will perform protective functions against metal corrosion.
Everything is ready, all that remains is to solder the two ends of the sheets. The soldering iron tip is brought to the joint along with the tin solder, and they both move smoothly along the joint boundary.
In this case, the tip must be pressed not with a sharp end, but with a flat edge, due to which the parts being connected will warm up at the same time, which will affect the high quality of the iron soldering..
Features of working with galvanized products
Soldering galvanized tin in a purely technological process is no different from the previous one. But the technology has its own subtle nuances that affect the quality of the final result.
You cannot solder galvanized steel with solders that contain large amounts of antimony. This substance, when in contact with zinc coating, creates a weak seam.
It is better to use boric acid and zinc chloride as flux. If the products themselves have already been tinned with tin during the production process, then rosin can be used as a flux.
When a connection is made between galvanized iron (sheet) and wire, the latter must be bent at a right angle to increase the contact area of the two products.
The rest of the process is carried out exactly the same. By the way, it doesn’t matter whether the wire was made of galvanized or ordinary steel.
There are several more important points that must be taken into account in the process of soldering galvanized products. If solder rods based on tin and lead are used for soldering iron, then it is better to add flux based on zinc chloride and ammonium chloride. The ratio is 5:1 respectively.
Tin and cadmium based solder requires caustic soda as a flux additive.
If galvanized iron products, the protective layer of which contains more than 2% aluminum, are connected to each other, then solder based on tin and zinc is used. And hydrochloric acid and petroleum jelly (stearin) are used as flux.
Regardless of which parts or assemblies are connected by soldering, it is necessary, after the process is completed and the seam has cooled, to rinse the joint with water to remove any remaining flux.
Safety precautions
Soldering iron with tin is an unsafe process. Therefore, precautions must be strictly observed. Protective gloves are put on your hands, and a stand must be installed under the soldering iron so that the heated tip does not touch the table and available materials. And the procedure itself must be carried out carefully.
Despite the apparent simplicity of the soldering operation, it is actually a serious procedure. And you need to treat it with great attention.
Something was missed, they were even applied incorrectly, and we can assume that the quality of the joint has dropped sharply.
Source: https://ssk2121.com/kak-payat-metall/
How to solder steel with tin?
Soldering stainless steel is a rather labor-intensive procedure, but it will not cause any special problems if you know all the features of its implementation.
With significantly less labor, it is possible to solder stainless steel alloys that contain no more than 25% chromium and nickel.
Moreover, soldering stainless steel with such a chemical composition allows you to obtain reliable connections of products from dissimilar metals, excluding alloys with magnesium and aluminum.
Solder repaired bicycle frame
Soldering stainless steel, which contains a significant amount of nickel, can be difficult. This is due to the fact that in such alloys, when heated to a temperature of 500–700°, carbide compounds appear. The intensity of the formation of such connections depends on the duration of heating, so soldering should be performed as quickly as possible.
To minimize the risk of the formation of carbide compounds in the stainless steel structure during soldering, titanium is added to the alloy composition, and after the joint is formed, the product is subjected to heat treatment.
You should be very careful when soldering cold-worked stainless steels, the surface of which may become cracked under the influence of heated solder. To avoid such consequences, it is necessary to eliminate the load on the parts being connected during the soldering process.
In addition, it is possible to pre-anneal the products being joined.
Use a gas torch for annealing.
The choice of solder with which to solder stainless steel is influenced by both the chemical composition of the alloy and the process conditions.
So, if this process is carried out at high ambient humidity, then silver alloys should be used, which contain a small amount of nickel.
Soldering in an oven, as well as in a relatively dry atmosphere, is performed using chromium-nickel and silver-manganese solders.
The most common type of flux used when soldering stainless steel is borax, applied to the future joint in the form of a paste or powder.
Melting borax on the surface of the parts being joined contributes to uniform and most accurate heating of the area of the future seam to the required temperature - 850°.
Only after the required heating temperature has been reached, which can be determined by the color change of the future joint to light red, is solder introduced into the joint between the parts.
The flux is applied in an even layer over the entire surface, which must first be cleaned.
After soldering is completed, flux residues are present at the joint, which are removed by washing with water or sandblasting. To perform this procedure, you cannot use nitric or hydrochloric acids, which, although they effectively clean the flux remaining on the surface of the parts, have a negative effect on both the base metal and the used solder.
How to do soldering at home
Problems such as joining stainless steel parts using soldering and soldering stainless steel to copper are often encountered at home.
Products made of stainless steel have been actively used in everyday life for many years, therefore, when for some reason they become unusable, any home craftsman has a natural desire to repair them himself.
It should be said right away that soldering stainless steel parts is not so difficult, the main thing is to strictly adhere to the technology, as well as stock up on the appropriate tools and consumables.
Master the soldering technique on simple connections, and then try working with more critical parts
Before you start soldering stainless steel, it is very advisable not only to study the theoretical material on this issue, but also to become more familiar with the rules for its implementation using training videos.
To solder stainless steel products, you will need the following tools and consumables:
- a soldering iron powered by electricity with a power of at least 100 W;
- special soldering acid, which will be used as a flux;
- file or sandpaper;
- solder, specially designed for joining steel parts, based on tin and lead;
- cable made of steel;
- metal tube.
Soldering materials and tools
When choosing a soldering iron for working with stainless steel, you should opt for a tool with a power of 100 W. Using a more powerful device to perform such work is simply not practical.
The process of soldering stainless steel parts is carried out according to the following algorithm.
- First of all, it is necessary to thoroughly clean the area of the future connection, for which sandpaper or a file is used.
- After preparing the surfaces of the parts to be joined, it is necessary to apply flux to them, which, as mentioned above, uses soldering acid. The main task of the flux is to ensure high-quality tinning of the parts to be joined.
- After the surfaces of the parts to be joined are treated with flux, it is necessary to tinning them, which consists of applying a thin layer of solder consisting of tin and lead to them. If tinning was not successful the first time, then it is necessary to repeat this procedure, preheating the parts to be joined.
- Even after heating the products and re-processing them with flux, tinning may not be successful - the solder will simply roll off the surface of the parts, rather than lie on them as a thin film. In this case, you need to use a brush with metal wires, which can be easily made from a tube and steel cable. Before using such a brush, it is also necessary to apply flux (soldering acid) to the surface of the parts and only then, heating the future joint with a soldering iron, clean it with a metal brush. This simple technique allows you to effectively clean the surface of a stainless steel from an oxide film, which, as a rule, is the main obstacle to high-quality tinning.
- Once a thin layer of tin has been applied to the products to be joined, you can begin to solder them. This procedure is performed using a soldering iron and solder, which is used to fill the joint between the parts.
Solder Types
Stainless steel products can be soldered with both soft solders made on the basis of tin and lead, and hard types of filler material, which includes more refractory metals.
Soft solder, due to the fact that it is based on tin, is a low-melting material characterized by high ductility and fluidity in the molten state. What is especially important when soldering stainless steel products is that it has good deoxidizing ability.
Properties of soft solders
More reliable connections both in production and at home can be achieved by soldering using hard solders.
The metals from which they are made melt at a higher temperature than tin, which makes it possible to obtain reliable and durable connections with their help.
Very often, materials of this type are produced on the basis of technical silver, which can contain up to 30% in their composition.
Main brands of silver solders
One of the popular types of hard solder is the HTS-528 material, which is successfully used for soldering not only stainless steel, but also copper, brass, bronze, nickel and other metals. Conveniently, it is produced in the form of a rod, the surface of which is already covered with a layer of flux. When working with such solder in a production environment or at home, you should keep in mind that its melting point is 760°.
HTS-528 solder is a rod coated with red flux. In addition to stainless steel, it is suitable for cast iron and non-ferrous metals
Flux preparation
When soldering stainless steel, you should be very careful about choosing a ready-made flux or the recipe for making it yourself. The classic flux composition, which can be prepared at home, includes the following components:
- borax (70%);
- boric acid (20%);
- calcium fluoride (10%).
Steel 092gs characteristics
For soldering small-sized products, you can prepare a flux that will consist only of borax and boric acid mixed in equal proportions. Having mixed the components of the flux in dry form, it must be diluted with water and treated with the resulting solution at the site of the future connection.
Useful tips
To perform stainless steel soldering efficiently, you should use the recommendations of experienced specialists.
- The power of a soldering iron, which must effectively heat the metal being joined, is in the range of 60–100 W, but it is better to opt for a 100-watt device. To solder large parts, such as stainless steel pipes, you will need a gas torch rather than an electric soldering iron.
- When choosing an electric soldering iron, it is better to opt for models equipped with tips that do not burn.
- The most economical and universal type of solder, which makes it possible to obtain high-quality connections for stainless steel products, is tin-lead rods. If you are soldering dishes that will come into contact with food or liquids, it is better to use pure tin as solder, which does not contain harmful impurities.
- The room in which soldering work is carried out must be well ventilated.
- When performing soldering, be sure to use personal protective equipment so as not to harm your health.
What else you should know about soldering stainless steel
In cases where special requirements are imposed on soldered joints of stainless steel products, special grades of solders can be used, which include materials based on nickel and phosphorus, as well as nickel, chromium and manganese.
Solders of the second group are used, in particular, in cases where soldering is performed in a protective gas environment consisting of a mixture of argon and boron trifluoride.
When performing soldering using this technology, pure copper can be used as solder, which wets the metal well and forms a reliable connection.
When using copper solder, the soldering area will differ from stainless steel in a characteristic yellow color
Nickel-based solders make it possible to obtain joints with high strength. However, such materials also have disadvantages, which include low ductility.
That is why such filler material is not used to connect stainless steel structural elements that will be subject to shock and vibration loads during their operation. In addition, a soldered seam made of such a material is very critical to low temperatures.
Soldering with nickel group solders, which melt at temperatures exceeding 1000°, can be performed in dry hydrogen, argon and vacuum.
Thus, soldering stainless steel products (large pipes operated under pressure, dishes, pieces of furniture or interior design) has its own nuances, which must be taken into account when choosing both soldering modes and consumables. There are many reference books, guided by which, you can optimally select all the necessary materials and obtain a high-quality, reliable and beautiful soldered connection.
Source: https://varimtutru.com/kak-payat-stal-olovom/
How to solder tin to steel?
Soldering is a process that creates a connection between metal parts due to a chemical reaction that occurs between the metal and molten solder. In this case, there is no mechanical damage to the crystalline structure of the material of the connected parts.
What can you solder to what?
It will not be possible to solder aluminum or rusty metal, chrome-plated objects, since an oxide film will form on the surface of the elements, which will interfere with the joining process. You can solder prepared surfaces from:
- iron and stainless steel;
- copper, tin and brass;
- zinc and nickel;
- silver
How is steel soldered?
The process of any soldering is carried out in three stages: cleaning the surfaces to be joined from oxide films, heating the solder to the melting temperature, applying solder (soldering).
So how do you solder tin to steel? To perform steel soldering, you must perform the following steps:
- Remove foreign materials and shavings from the surface of the parts to be joined. To do this, you can use a wire brush or sandpaper.
- In the joint area, on the surfaces of the parts, it is necessary to apply flux (for example, BS-35, when soldering ordinary steel, and BS-45, when soldering stainless steel).
- Heat the parts to the required temperature, connect and apply solder.
- Use water or a special chemical cleaner to remove flux residues. If this is not done, then rust will appear at the soldering site, since the flux contains chloride.
Heater types
The choice of heater type depends on the size and thickness of the steel elements being sealed.
If you need to solder steel wire or thin sheets, you can use a soldering iron with a chromium-nickel or ceramic heater, selecting the appropriate power, or a soldering iron without a heater, which can be heated with a torch or on a regular gas stove.
If you need to solder thick sheets of steel, you will have to use a gas or gasoline burner for heating. During operation of the soldering iron, oxidation will form on the tip, which will reduce the temperature of the soldering iron.
For cleaning, you can use either simple sandpaper or a special cleaner, such as ST-40. Coating the soldering iron tip with solder will provide a wider heat transfer range and improve soldering efficiency.
Solder selection
Solder is an alloy of tin and lead in a certain ratio. The ratio of alloy proportions determines the melting point and viscosity of the resulting alloy. Solder is selected according to the required characteristics of the connection and the types of materials being joined. When soldering steel, flux-free solders should be used, and the flux should be applied separately.
Source: https://olovok.com/kak-k-stali-pripayat-olovo/
Soldering iron with tin
Solder is an alloy of tin and lead. Soldering is the process of creating an electrical or mechanical connection between 2 metal parts using a chemical reaction that occurs between molten solder and the metal without damaging the parts being soldered.
Printed circuit boards
- Touch the soldering iron to the parts to be soldered for a few seconds.
- Once they are hot, apply solder.
- Make sure there is enough solder, but not too much.
- Once the solder has spread, remove it and the soldering iron. Do not touch the elements until the solder has hardened.
Thin sheet steel
- Remove chips and foreign materials using sandpaper or a wire brush.
- Use goot BS-35 (for sheet steel) or goot BS-45 (for stainless steel) flux.
- While heating the parts with a soldering iron, apply solder.
- Rinse the connection thoroughly with water to remove any remaining flux*
*Flux contains chloride. If the flux is not washed off with water, then rust will form at the soldering site.
Metals that can be soldered (in order of increasing difficulty of soldering):
- Tin
- Silver
- Copper
- Brass
- Zinc
- Nickel
- Iron
- Stainless steel
Metals that cannot be soldered:
- Rusty metal
- Aluminum
- Chrome objects
- Die cast parts
1. Cleaning:
Remove the oxide film from the part:
- Mechanical method. Polish the part using a file or sandpaper.
- Chemical method. Apply flux.
2. Heating:
Heat the material to a temperature above the melting point of the solder.
3. Soldering:
When the material reaches a temperature above the melting point of rippoy, apply it.
BASICS
Soldering is a simple procedure. Simply select the elements that suit your task:
Soldering irons
A soldering iron is a tool used to heat the base and solder. There are a large number of different soldering irons. It is very important to choose a soldering iron that is suitable for your task.
Recommended soldering irons, depending on the purpose of use:
- KS-30R: for amateur use (nickel-chromium heater)
- CXR-31: For amateur and precision soldering (ceramic heater)
- RX-802AS: For precision soldering (temperature control)
Heater types
For soldering, two types of heaters are used:
- Nickel-chrome heater (20-300W) consists of a tip wrapped with nickel-chrome wire for external heating. They are used for low budget production or amateur purposes.
- The ceramic heater (15-50W) has excellent insulation thanks to the tungsten heater installed in the ceramic base. It heats up much faster than nickel chrome heaters. Excellent temperature recovery and fast heating make it suitable for soldering microchips or electrical components.
Temperature Controlled Soldering Irons 1
With this type of soldering iron, you can control the temperature of the tip during soldering using a sensor built into the tip. Fast heating and instant temperature stabilization at the soldering site. Suitable for soldering printed circuit boards and electrical chips.
Temperature Controlled Soldering Irons 2
The heater temperature is controlled by a highly sensitive sensor built into the soldering iron tip. These soldering stations are designed for lead-free soldering.
Tips
Select a tip shape that suits the parts being soldered. There are two types of stings: copper and durable.
Copper tips
Copper tips must be filed with a file, since they deteriorate under the influence of solder and oxidize.
Long-Lasting Tips
Coating copper with iron slows erosion caused by solder, extending tip life.
Care
Remove oxidation during operation. Use ST-40 cleaner. To remove excess oxidation from the tip, use sandpaper (#600) after the tip has cooled. After removing the oxides, dip the tip into the solder.
Also, after use, do not forget to cover the tip with solder (tin it). This will protect the sting. Solder-coated tips have a wider range of heat transfer, which increases the efficiency of the device.
Traditional solders (Lead)
Traditional solder is an alloy of tin and lead. Viscosity and melting point depend on the proportions of the alloy. Select your solder depending on the work to be done.
Tin (Sn) % Lead (Pb) % Melting point Purpose Viscosity| 63% | 37% | 183 | Accuracy | Low High |
| 60% | 40% | 183..190 | PCB | |
| 50% | 50% | 183..215 | Electronic parts | |
| 45% | 55% | 183..227 | Sheet steel | |
| 40% | 60% | 183..238 | Sheet steel(welding) |
There are two types of solder wire: with and without flux. For sheet steel, flux-free solder should be used. The flux used for soldering sheet steel should be used separately.
Special solders
In some cases, solder may contain some metal other than tin and lead.
For example: Solder containing copper
When soldering copper wire, the tin contained in the solder can damage the copper and cause the wire to break. The copper contained in the solder, when combined with the contact copper, slows down deterioration and increases the reliability of the wire.
Lead-free solder
Lead-free solder is solder that does not contain lead (Pb).
RoHS directives apply to the European Union and other countries to protect the environment. These guidelines ban the use of lead in electrical appliances because illegal disposal of household appliances has been linked to lead contamination of water supplies, according to studies.
Flux
If the surface of the metal is contaminated or oxidized, the wettability of the metal is reduced and it is no longer a reliable soldering material. To solve this problem, flux is used.
Flux categories
There are 3 categories of fluxes.
Flux categories Activation level Residual material Application Moisture absorption Corrosion Cleaning| Inorganic | Strong | Application | High | Necessary | Sheet steel |
| Organic | Average | Less inorganic | Short | Required, depending on application | PCB |
| Resin | Weak |
- Fluxes remove grease, foreign elements and oxidation. Flux improves soldering by removing oxidation that appears on the metal and solder.
- Flux prevents re-oxidation. When a metal is heated and exposed to air, it oxidizes at an accelerated rate. Flux coats and protects the joint from air, thereby preventing oxidation.
- Flux increases wettability*. Reduces the surface tension of the solder.
Soldering bronze with a gas torch
*Wettability is the level of uniform distribution of solder over the surface.
Source: https://rem-serv.com/payka-zheleza-olovom/
How to solder steel parts
Often there is a need to fasten steel parts without drilling and without welding. Soldering steel will help. But how to do it correctly, because there are special nuances here. A few recommendations from experts.
What kind of steel solders well?
Some grades of steel lend themselves well to soldering, while others are soldered with great difficulty and do not want to be combined with any solder or with any flux. As a rule, soft steels "for nails" are easy to solder. At the everyday level, this can also be explained by the fact that the material is dotted with microscopic craters and irregularities. But there are also electrical grades that are especially hard and elastic, and are used for shafts and precision mechanics. It's your luck here
The question is that it is impossible for a home craftsman to determine the brand by eye. You can only find out how well a given part made of steel, or an alloy close to it, is soldered by experimentation.
How to make a tin connection - procedure
It all depends on how successfully the part can be tinned and how strong the contact of the tin solder with the steel is. In order for the contact to be satisfactory, if possible at all, the following must be done:
- steel stripping, chemical stripping under solder;
- heating the part to the melting temperature of the solder, keeping the solder on the part under flux for some time in a fluid state.
Cleaning the steel is first done mechanically, using sandpaper, to remove layers of rust and dirt. Then a composition that reacts well with iron oxides is used as a flux.
The most harmless to use, but effective in this case, is orthophosphoric acid, which can be easily purchased at a car store as a “rust cleaner.”
The required power of heating devices depends entirely on the mass of the parts.
The process of soldering two steel parts
If you need to solder two large nails, then the power of one soldering iron 100 W will not be enough. To heat up a large nail or a similar weight steel part clamped in a vice, you need to use a hair dryer. Or a gas burner.
You will also need cotton wool on a stick to supply flux to the heating zone, and a soldering iron of 50 W or more.
- The sanded steel is heated with a burner.
- Phosphoric acid is applied to the hot part and molten tin solder is immediately applied with a soldering iron.
As a rule, steel parts that can be soldered develop a very strong bond with tin, i.e. When the metal is coated, it is tinned.
The same is repeated with another detail. Then the two parts located together are heated, and additional solder is applied to the contact area with a soldering iron.
How strong is the soldering of steel, can it be made stronger?
The strength of such a connection will be determined by many factors:
- strength of bond between solder and metal,
- connection area,
- direction of the load in relation to the welded planes.
But in any case, the strength of tin soldering cannot be compared with what is commonly understood as the strength characteristic of steel or “metal welding”.
You can strengthen it by using another solder - special strong and more refractory compounds containing silver, zinc, copper, etc.
Another direction for increasing strength is to cover with solder not only the plane, but also the sidewalls of the part - covering the part with solder. Then the pull-off resistance under multidirectional loads will be greater.
Extra strong soldering, special solders
To use compounds that provide a strong connection with steel, with its own melting point of about 800 - 900 degrees, you need to use a graphite crucible.
The work should only be carried out by specialists in metal smelting. It is necessary to know the basics of metal melting, the procedure for handling melts and safety precautions. In general, soldering of steel with heavy-duty solders is performed at specialized enterprises.
Possible solder composition:
- 55% zinc, 45% copper, some silicon to increase fluidity.
The composition is melted under a layer of coal in a graphite crucible. Steel parts to be soldered are heated with a gas burner. Phosphoric acid is used as a flux. The melt is fed to the parts. As a rule, tinning and soldering are carried out during one heating of both the parts and the solder.
But such soldering of steel is more complex than simple welding.
Source: http://stroy-block.com.ua/material/623-kak-payat-stalnye-detali.html
Soldering iron with tin solder
The soldering process is the chemical joining of two metals using solder. Moreover, the crystal structure of the metal does not change. That is, the connected parts remain with their technical characteristics.
The connection itself is quite reliable, but much will depend on the type of solder and soldering technology. In addition, it should be noted that not all metals can be joined by this process. Basic metals, especially steel (iron), can be soldered together.
How to solder copper wire to metal?
Dear visitors!!!
To repair any household appliance, we are directly faced with the following problem - how to solder the wires ourselves? In the topic you will become familiar with materials for soldering, soldering copper with aluminum and soldering copper with iron.
Soldering materials
To solve this problem, you need to have the following materials and tools available:
- soldering iron;
- soldering tin;
- soldering acid;
- alcohol-rosin flux;
- flux for soldering aluminum;
- orthophosphoric acid;
- tweezers;
- pliers;
- scissors,
as well as other soldering devices. The topic presented here seems to be simple, but it covers a more extensive range - what to solder to and how to solder.
How to Solder Copper to Aluminum
How to solder, if the metals, for example, have various additives of other metals, that is, alloyed metals. Questions here may arise when repairing household appliances. How, for example, can you solder a copper wire to an aluminum contact where there is no bolt clamp?
The copper wire is etched before soldering:
- soldering acid;
- alcohol-rosin flux;
- rosin.
Aluminum is etched before soldering using flux for soldering aluminum.
There is another option for soldering aluminum - this is applying copper sulfate to the surface of the aluminum, the so-called copper plating of the aluminum surface. Details of this method of copper plating are clearly presented in the figure.
In this example, it is necessary to ensure that the wire wound around the bristles of the toothbrush does not come into contact with the aluminum surface.
How to solder copper to iron
How can we solder a copper wire to the surface of an iron, if there is such a need? Here it is as if it is necessary to change the surface molecular layer of iron in order to subsequently apply a layer of tin. The surface of iron can be etched with phosphoric acid.
In this example, precautions must be taken to avoid the acid from coming into contact with the surface areas of the skin of your body. You can etch the metal surface with a swab on a stick.
Such a connection is made in extreme cases when it is impossible to make a bolted connection. In the repair of household appliances, the following needs also arise.
In our practice, we need various needs, how to solder wires to:
- headphone speaker contacts;
- contacts of the primary or secondary winding of the transformer;
- board contacts;
- the removed wires of the stator winding of the electric motor;
- table lamp switch contacts;
- connector contacts;
- LED strip
and so on. I believe that the information (from the technical literature I have read) that I shared with you will be useful to you when repairing any household appliances.
Many people can solder wires and radio components, but not everyone can solder metal. In this article I will outline the principle of metal soldering as briefly as possible and with examples.
Introduction
Let's start with a general understanding of soldering. Soldering is a physical and chemical process of obtaining a connection as a result of the interaction of solder and the metal being soldered. It is similar to fusion welding, but there are still differences between them.
When welding at the seam, the parts being welded melt, but when soldering, the material being soldered does not melt. Also, unlike welding, soldering is carried out at temperatures below the melting point of the metal being soldered. The formation of a seam during soldering occurs by filling the gap between the parts being connected with solder, i.e.
the process occurs due to wetting and capillary effect.
The question arises, why use soldering if welding holds parts together better. This has its advantages:
- Soldering is more accessible than welding.
- When soldering, the connections become detachable.
- Small parts cannot be welded.
Soldering is a fairly strong connection if you follow the technology.
Equipment
To solder metal, the following basic equipment is required:
♦ Soldering iron . The power depends on the size of the parts being soldered. For soldering small parts (tin, wire, bolts), a 60-watt soldering iron will do; for larger ones, 100 watts or more. I use 2 soldering irons - 65 and 100 W, which is quite enough for home use.
I will not dwell in detail on how to tin a soldering iron; there are separate articles about this on the Internet. I'll just say the main thing:
- When you turn on the soldering iron for the first time, you need to let it burn - put it on the street and wait until it stops stinking and smoking.
— Next, you need to clean the tip with a file until it shines, dip the tip of the tip into rosin, then melt the tin with it.
— The tin should evenly cover the tip. When heated, the tip will burn out, it will need to be sharpened and re-tinned.
♦ Soldering acid and solder . A wooden stick is used to apply the acid.
♦ Auxiliary devices . These include a file and emery, which are necessary for cleaning the soldering iron and parts.
The soldering iron also needs a stand. The simplest thing that can be used as a stand is any metal object from which the soldering iron will not roll off.
Various tools, such as vices and pliers, are used to hold the parts to be soldered. The parts can also be secured with nails on the board.
Soldering Basics
Let's now figure out which metals are easy to solder:
- Silver
- Copper
- Brass
- Zinc
- Nickel
- Iron
- Stainless steel
The remaining metals are soldered using special fluxes and other technology. This topic will not be addressed in this article.
We've sorted out the metals, now let's start studying the soldering process:
- We clean the place where the seam will be located. For this I use a mini sander.
- We degrease the joint using acetone, gasoline, etc.
- Apply soldering acid to the seam with a wooden stick. We do this as smoothly as possible, because... In the future, solder will spread exactly over this area.
- Remove oxides (if any) from a pre-tinned soldering iron and touch the solder stick with it. The solder should lie on the tip in an even drop. If this does not happen, then the soldering iron is poorly tinned.
- We touch the place of adhesion with the sting. You cannot expect that soldering will occur at the first touch of the soldering iron. To do this, it is necessary to heat the surfaces to be soldered to the melting temperature of the solder. The heat from the soldering iron is not immediately transferred to the place to be soldered. Tin, wires and other thin parts warm up quite quickly, but not instantly. It takes a relatively long time to heat up thick materials.
- To solder thin parts, you need to move the soldering iron quite slowly, moving it further when the solder spreads and floods the seam. When soldering thick objects, you have to hold the soldering iron in one place for a relatively long time and wait until the surfaces to be soldered warm up and the solder spreads along the seam.
- After holding the soldering iron for a certain distance, move it a little back, then forward again and back again, until the solder flows out in an even and clean path. As the solder is used up, it is collected from the stick. You should not collect a lot of solder, especially if the surfaces to be soldered are evenly and tightly connected; Excess solder will cause sagging.
- After soldering is completed, it is necessary to wash off the remaining acid with water. If the acid is difficult to wash off, use soap. Unwashed acid will lead to oxidation of the metal.
It is best to learn soldering on tinplate. It does not need to be cleaned, but it must be degreased. In the presence of fat, the acid does not wet the surface of the tin. Below are examples of soldering wires and sheet metal. You can repeat all this for training.
Soldering tin/sheet metal
Further, in addition to photographs, there will be schematic images. Here are the symbols:
“Butt-to-end” connection
Quality: Low strength
"Lapped" connection
Quality: Durable
Connection "Into the castle"
Quality: Very durable
Soldering wire
“Butt-to-end” connection
Quality: Low strength
"Lapped" connection
Quality: Durable
“Amplified” connection
Quality: Very durable
For reinforcement, copper wire is used on the left connection, wound turn to turn; on the right, the rod and thread are wrapped in a strip of tin:
Soldering wire and sheet metal
“Butt-to-end” connection
Strength: Low strength
"Lapped" connection
Quality: Durable
Connection "Through"
Quality: Very durable
Conclusion
Soldering is undoubtedly a necessary thing, the use of which solves many problems with joining parts. Finally, as an example, I will present several works in which it was used:
Purge bottle
Tool handles
Folding tool
Multi-title modernization
Third hand device
Tin funnel
Handles for needle files and files
Soldering is a process that creates a connection between metal parts due to a chemical reaction that occurs between the metal and molten solder. In this case, there is no mechanical damage to the crystalline structure of the material of the connected parts.
How to solder copper to metal
- 1 How to solder steel parts
- 2 How to solder a wire. Soldering materials
- 3 Soldering with brass: how and with what to solder brass correctly
- 4 Brazing copper with your own hands
- 5 Soldering stainless steel with copper
- 5.1 Is it possible to solder stainless steel to copper?
- 5.
2 Benefits
- 6 Soldering copper
- 7 How to solder copper sheets
- 7.1 Basic soldering methods
- 7.
2 Connecting massive parts
- 8 Copper soldering: what is useful to know?
- 9 Rules for soldering copper and bronze
- 10 Soldering copper and brass
- 11 Technology for soldering copper pipes at home: work in 9 simple steps
- 12 Soldering copper at home
- 12.1 Theory
- 12.
2 Soldering tools
- 12.3 Welding
Often there is a need to fasten steel parts without drilling and without welding. Soldering steel will help. But how to do it correctly, because there are special nuances here. A few recommendations from experts.
