How to solder brass at home

Soldering brass at home

Brass is an alloy whose essential components are copper and tin. Possessing high strength, ductility and corrosion resistance, it is well suited for the manufacture of both heavily loaded parts of various mechanisms and structural elements operating in aggressive environments. Its main disadvantage is its high cost. But there are other problems associated with the use of this material.

Simple and effective

Today, various technologies have been developed that allow welding brass products. But all of them are quite complex, costly, and require the specialist performing the work to have certain skills. An alternative to welding is often brass soldering. It is somewhat simpler technologically and imposes different requirements on the qualifications of the performer.

Obstacles encountered

If the zinc content in the alloy is low, then no special problems arise. You can cope with the task using ordinary rosin. But in cases where the amount of zinc exceeds 15%, the use of special fluxes is mandatory. This is due to the fact that when zinc and copper evaporate when heated, they form a strong oxide film on the surface of the part, which is very difficult to remove.

Choose a ready-made one or make it yourself?

The simplest flux for soldering brass is easy to make yourself. To do this, you will need to mix borax and boric acid powder in a one-to-one ratio, pour the resulting amount with water at the rate of 5 ml for each gram of powder mixture, boil with gentle stirring, and then cool. But the best characteristics are available in ready-made formulations that go on sale.

• One of the most common is Borax flux. Invented a long time ago, this recipe has received the approval of many jewelers who solder various metals, including brass. It belongs to the category of high-temperature mixtures, activated when reaching 700 - 900 degrees Celsius. Despite his advanced age, he performs his work efficiently.
• Fluxes of the PV-209 and PV-209X brands do their job well. The first is based on fluorosalts, and the second is made using hydrofluoric acid. Both also operate at temperatures approaching a thousand degrees.

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Features of using brass for soldering

Brass is used to repair various electrical devices and mechanisms. To do this, the metal is melted and strong connections are made on its basis. However, not every beginner knows how to properly use brass for soldering.

Conditions and scope of soldering

Brass soldering is a popular technological process that is often used in radio electronics, assembling various circuit boards and mechanisms. Some compare it to welding, but these are completely different procedures. When a master solders individual parts using non-ferrous alloys, the metal elements being connected are not heated to the melting temperature.

Brass solders are similar to wire rods that are made from refractory metals. The master, using a heating tool (soldering iron or gas torch), heats the joint and supplies solder to the heated area. The alloy is melted, creating a strong weld.

Application area:

1. Electronics production.
2. Use in repair shops.
3. Manufacturing of cutting tools.
4. Jewelry production.
5. Restoration of antique products.
6. Assembly of heat exchangers, refrigeration equipment.

This common technological process has many features. For example, soldering cast iron with brass will seem extremely difficult for novice craftsmen. To create strong connections, you need to become familiar with the soldering process in more detail.

Features of the technology

When working with brass solder, a craftsman may encounter a number of difficulties. This is due to the fact that the alloy contains zinc. When heated, this metal forms an oxide film that is difficult to remove from the surface of the weld. In addition, pores form inside the joint, which negatively affect the strength of the finished part.

When using brass soldering wire, you need to add a special flux to the heating area. A popular domestic substance for protecting seams from the formation of oxide films is borax. Different types of brass require different types of fluxes to be selected.

At home, you can make a high-quality protective composition yourself. To do this, you need to mix 20 grams of boric acid with the same amount of borax. Pour the mixture with 200 ml of water, boil, and use for work.

Work order

To properly solder different metals and alloys, you need to become familiar with the technological process step by step. The alloy of zinc and copper requires the master to carry out preparations and perform a number of actions. Having learned to work with a special tool, you can connect parts made of non-ferrous metals and steel.

Preparation

Soldering brass at home to connect individual parts requires preparation. It consists of several stages:

1. Initially, the connection site must be cleaned of dirt, rust, and plaque. To do this, use a metal brush, sandpaper, and a file.
2. After cleaning the work surfaces, they need to be degreased. Alcohol and gasoline will do. The solvent may leave marks on the surface of the parts.

Once the preparation is complete, you can start using brass solder.

Soldering brass with a gas torch

Soldering brass with a gas torch:

1. After preparing the parts, it is necessary to place them on a non-flammable material next to each other.
2. Grind the solder with wire cutters and pour them onto the future joint.
3. Heat the burner and direct the flame to the parts to be joined at the joint.
4. When the solder begins to melt, remove the burner and wait until the alloy forms a seam.

It is important to understand that the connection cannot be overheated. This may cause deformation of metal parts.

Brass soldering is a popular technological process that is used both at home and in production.
It is important to consider that zinc evaporates from the alloy during heating, which is why it is necessary to use a protective flux. First experience in brass soldering

Features of using brass for soldering Link to main publication

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Soldering brass

Brass as a material has been known for quite a long time. Good physical and chemical properties have allowed it to become widespread. Brass parts also periodically develop defects (cracks, holes, breaks). These problems can be solved by soldering. In order for the result to be of high quality, it is necessary to have a good knowledge of the composition of brass, its physical and chemical characteristics, how to carry out soldering, what solders and fluxes are used for such work.

Soldering brass

Basic information about brass

Brass can be double or multi-component in composition. It is always based on two metals: copper and zinc. In this alloy, zinc serves as the main alloying component. To impart different properties, various metals are added to its composition: tin, lead, manganese. Therefore, it is very important to know what composition of brass you have to work with. This is necessary to determine the conditions and specifics of soldering.

Brass

Modern brass is classified according to the following indicators:

Depending on the chemical composition:

• Two-component alloys. It contains only two metals, zinc and copper. The percentage of each may vary. This type is marked with the capital letter of the Russian alphabet “L” and a number. The number indicates what percentage of copper is contained in the alloy. For example, grade L85 - this alloy contains 85% copper and the remaining 15% is zinc.
• Multicomponent. They are also called special. Such alloys contain a large number of additives. They are marked with two capital letters and numbers. For example, brand LA77-2. She indicates that the composition includes 77% copper, 21% zinc and 2% aluminum. Therefore, very often special brasses get their name depending on the name of the alloying element with the highest percentage (aluminum, tin, nickel, manganese, and so on).

By degree and quality of processing:

• Deformable. These include brass in the form of wire, round tube, sheet and tape.
• Foundries. These are fittings, finished products made of brass.

According to the zinc content in the alloy:

• If the zinc content is in the range from 5 to 20%, then such an alloy is called red brass (tompak).
• If this percentage ranges from 21% to 36%, the brass is called yellow.

All brands of brass have similar properties. They are easy to process, have high anti-corrosion characteristics, and have sufficient strength. With a significant decrease in temperature, they retain their plasticity.

These properties have determined the wide range of uses of brass.

Application of brass

In addition to the listed positive properties, brass is a very durable and reliable alloy. Brass is used in the following areas:

• Manufacturing of pipeline fittings (adapters, valves, pipes).
• Plumbing fixtures (taps, mixers, washbasins)
• Furniture fittings (handles, latches, locks, decorative overlays).
• Production of electrical parts.
• Production of souvenirs.
• Production of tableware.
• Art casting.
• Jewelry production. Jewelers mainly use two-component alloys. It can be: yellow, red, green or golden brass.

Soldering brass pipes

Solders and fluxes: classification and selection methods

To obtain good soldering results, additives in the form of fluxes and various solders must be used.

Solder is a specific metal that, after melting, penetrates into metals prepared for soldering.

To achieve reliable contact, the brand of solder must have a melting point that will be significantly lower than the melting point of the brass itself. At the same time, it must have good adhesion to brass. Therefore, special solders are used for soldering brass.

Only as a last resort, if parts are soldered that do not bear much responsibility for the entire unit, and there are no high requirements for strength, ordinary tin-lead alloys are used.

Modern solders are classified as follows:

• By melting point. They are soft with a melting point reaching 400°C; semi-solid with the melting point of tin and solid. The melting point of hard solders exceeds 500 °C.
• By type of melting. Solders that melt completely or partially during the soldering process.
• According to the method of obtaining solder. We produce ready-made solders, and solders that are formed during the soldering process. This type of soldering is called contact reactive soldering.
• According to the list of chemical elements added to the composition. A fairly large number of such elements are used. From common metals zinc, tin, aluminum, to rare earth metals gallium, indium, palladium.
• According to solder manufacturing technology. They are: wire, stamped, rolled, cast crushed.
• By type of solder. They are produced in the form of wire, ready-made powder, in the form of tape and individual sheets, in the form of tablets and ready-to-use embedded parts.
• According to the method of flux formation. Solders are divided into two large categories: fluxed and so-called self-fluxing.

Solders, like brass, are marked with capital letters and numbers. By the marking you can determine which brass a particular solder is intended for. For example, if it is necessary to solder a part made of brass, in which there is a large percentage of copper, then it is proposed to use solder of the PSr12 or PSr72 brand. This solder contains a large percentage of silver.

If there is a large percentage of zinc in brass, then it is advisable to use PSr40 solder. Therefore, in order to obtain a reliable connection after soldering, it is necessary to understand what loads are placed on the part being repaired. If the part is stationary and does not bear large vibration loads (for example, plumbing elements), you can safely use PMC solder.

If it is necessary to ensure a strong connection, special hard solders are used, such as L-CuP6. This solder has a very high melting point - 730 ° C.

Solders for brass

To choose the right brand of solder, you can use the following method:

• Determine the melting temperature of the parts that are planned to be soldered.
• Determine the coefficient of thermal expansion. For brass that you plan to solder and the solder it should be very close.
• After soldering, the solder should not reduce the mechanical characteristics of the repaired part.
• The solder must form a galvanic couple with the main brass part. If this is not ensured, the corrosion process will quickly occur.
• The properties of the solder must comply with all technical and operational characteristics.
• The solder must ensure good wettability of the main part during the soldering process.

Flux is a special substance that allows you to prepare the surface of the metal, that is, remove the resulting oxide deposits, grease and water stains from it. Without the use of flux, it is impossible to qualitatively solder a brass part. Fluxes are selected depending on the chemical composition of brass.

Experience shows that in order to qualitatively solder parts made from common brands of brass LS59 and L63, it is enough to have a flux consisting of zinc chloride dissolved in boric acid.

If you need to solder brass, which contains lead and silicon (for example, LKS80 brand), then you need a flux containing fluorine and potassium compounds. They are also dissolved in boric acid, or borax.

A similar flux for soldering can be prepared at home, using the appropriate elements in the required percentage.

Flux paste for soldering brass

Today, the industry offers ready-made fluxes for brass soldering. These include: Borax flux; fluxes PV-209 and PV-209X.

Soldering methods

The brass soldering process has certain specifics. The brass heats up and the hot zinc elements evaporate. At this moment, an oxide film is formed, which is quite difficult to remove from the surface of the part and thereby deteriorates the quality of soldering. Usually brass is soldered in two ways: using a soldering iron and using a special torch.

Soldering with a soldering iron

To successfully solder brass, a soldering iron must have a power of at least 1000 W. Such a soldering iron will provide the required heating temperature for the parts themselves and the solder. It should be 500ºС and above. Low temperature soldering of brass is only possible if it has a high percentage of copper content.

Soldering brass with a soldering iron

The most convenient way is to solder using a soldering station, which has an adjustable soldering iron tip temperature. This adjustment allows you to set the optimal heating mode. The point is that during soldering it is necessary to avoid unnecessary overheating of the soldering area. The optimal temperature for heating the soldering iron tip is up to 350°C.

Soldering using a gas torch

The task of soldering brass can be solved using a small torch. The brass part is placed on any heat-resistant material; it must withstand high temperatures. Asbestos plates are used for these purposes.

Soldering brass with a gas torch

The parts that need to be soldered are placed on this plate and aligned with each other. Preparation for soldering is the same as when soldering with a soldering iron. Next, the solder is cut into small metal chips or shavings and sprinkled on the joint of the parts. Then adjust the size of the burner flame and bring it to the soldering zone.

First, it is necessary to slightly heat the soldering area so that the solder sticks to the surface of the brass. After this, complete heating is started until a characteristic red color appears on the surface of the brass. With a correctly adjusted burner, the temperature in the soldering zone reaches 700 °C. After cooling, it is necessary to remove sagging and flux residues.

So, in order to get good results when soldering brass parts, you need to choose the right solder. Monitor the cleanliness of the soldering iron rod and the degree of its heating. You should never start soldering if the soldering iron has not reached the required temperature. Carefully prepare the surfaces of the brass part that you plan to solder (wipe off dirt and dust and degrease). Carefully monitor the degree of heating of the working area of ​​the parts being soldered.

Source: https://stankiexpert.ru/spravochnik/svarka/pajjka-latuni.html

Soldering brass: features of the soldering process with a gas torch and soldering iron, the use of brass as solder

Soldering is one of the methods of joining two parts, in which only the connecting material is melted, and the surfaces of the elements themselves are completely preserved. Using this method, you can connect dissimilar materials, rather small elements, fragile microcircuits, connect or grow wires, attach hard alloy plates, and carry out anti-corrosion treatment.

Most often, alloying is done using brass, which is an alloy of zinc and copper. Therefore, before starting work with a soldering iron, you should study the features of using this material.

Soldering brass - some features

Most often, brass soldering is performed with a gas torch, and borax, tin or other similar materials are used as solder. At home, you can use a soldering iron or a special graphite electrode for this work.

In principle, soldering brass is similar to processing cast iron, copper, and steel. However, it has its own subtleties and features that must be taken into account.

1. When soldering brass, it is very important to choose a flux . During the joining process, the oxide film must be removed from the surface of the alloy being processed. An ordinary rosin-alcohol flux is not capable of doing this, so it is necessary to use more active components containing zinc chloride as a base.

2. Solder for soldering brass should be selected especially carefully . To work with an alloy that has a high copper content, copper-phosphorus and silver components are excellent. You can use brass itself, but you need to take into account that its melting point as a solder should be lower than that of the base alloy. Quite often, brass is joined using hard solder, for example, L - CuP 6. Such joints are very strong.

Brass soldering process

For maximum efficiency of work, it is necessary to prepare the following materials and tools:

• gas burner;
• copper;
• graphite crucible;
• silver;
• asbestos base;
• boric acid.

In some cases bronze may be needed.

Solder preparation

First of all, it is necessary to prepare tenol, which will contain two parts of silver and one part of copper. To do this, using a gas burner, copper and silver will need to be melted and the required amount of material weighed out. Next, the alloys are placed in a crucible and heated with the same gas burner.

Molten copper and silver are mixed using a wire, and the crucible is placed in cold water. The solidified solder is flattened and cut. Then shavings are rubbed from it with a large file.

The dimensions of the graphite crucible should be approximately 20x20 millimeters. It can be made from graphite coals (contact trolleybus elements).

Flux preparation

To do this, take 20 grams of borax powder and 20 grams of boric acid powder. The ingredients are thoroughly mixed and poured with 250 milliliters of water . The resulting mixture is then boiled and cooled.

Ready-made compounds can also be used to connect brass parts. Among the domestic ones, the following fluxes have proven themselves well:

Among the imported ones, we can mention flux pastes from the German manufacturer Chemet.

The solder and flux are ready, now you can proceed directly to soldering. To do this, the prepared parts must be carefully placed on an asbestos base and begin the soldering process.

1. the surface of the parts to be joined with flux and very carefully sprinkle with solder shavings.
2. Now the elements to be soldered need to be warmed up slowly . This should be done slowly and carefully so that they do not overheat and become deformed.
3. First, you need to heat it up a little so that the solder melts a little and grabs the parts . Then up to about 700 degrees. Solder will flow into the cracks and solder the elements tightly. At this stage, special attention must be paid to the melting point. The melting difference between brass parts and solder is only 50 degrees, so care must be taken not to overheat the materials being processed. Otherwise, you can get one large ingot.
4. The resulting seam should have the same color as the material being soldered . This happens due to the diffusion of the base metal into the solder.
5. The last stage is cleaning the resulting product from flux residues in the form of sagging and glassy drops. To get rid of them, the product must be washed in three percent hot sulfuric acid. To do this, the elements should be immersed in it for a short time and then rinsed thoroughly with running water. You can heat sulfuric acid in a quartz glass test tube by placing it on a gas stove. In order not to interact with the acid, it is recommended to tie the treated parts to something before cleaning.

If we compare this soldering method with connecting elements using tin, then it is no different in simplicity. But the time will not be wasted, since the connection will have increased reliability and strength.

Brass - soldering with a soldering iron

Brass and copper, or brass and copper-containing materials, can be joined by low-temperature soldering using a 100-watt soldering iron.

The solder must be tin-lead alloy POS60 or higher. Phosphoric or soldering acid can serve as a flux.

Before working with brass, remove the oxide film and degrease the surface. Soldering should be done with the soldering iron well heated.

In addition, before soldering, it is necessary to pay careful attention to surface treatment with flux, which is carried out immediately before bringing a heated soldering iron with solder.

Using a soldering iron, you can join brass using silver solders (PSr40 and higher) . However, the power of the soldering iron should be from 0.5 to 1 kW, and the heating temperature should be from 500C. It is recommended to use a borax-based flux, or you can use concentrated phosphoric acid.

In this way, you can fill various defects formed in solid brass products (radiators).

Brass soldering

Brass alloys as solder are quite often used in construction when working with most metals. With their help, you can connect parts made of copper, steel and even cast iron.

For example, cast iron elements are quite difficult to weld, since this requires a special electrode, flux and serious heating . At the same time, they can be joined quite easily using brass solder.

A very common method is brass soldering when connecting pipes end-to-end, where it is very important that their internal cross-section remains constant. After using this method, the external dimensions remain practically unchanged, the internal cross-section is preserved, and the joint is reliably sealed.

Using brass solder, you can connect various parts of cooling systems in electronic devices, copper tubes of a liquid cooling system in powerful servers.

However, it should be borne in mind that brass seams are inferior in strength to welded joints, so they should be treated with care.

In some cases, tinning or brazing steel is used. It is used to apply an anti-corrosion coating to the surface of steel parts . Tinning is most often suitable for processing small individual products; it is practically not used on an industrial scale.

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When joining parts made of low-alloy and carbon steels, hard soldering is sometimes used, where the brass solder must have a melting point above 450 degrees.

When soldering brass alloys, it should be borne in mind that zinc fumes, which are toxic to humans, may be released. Therefore, there must be good ventilation in the room where work will be carried out.

If you have all the necessary materials and tools and strictly follow the recommendations, the results of brass soldering will be the most positive. You can do all the work yourself, without resorting to the help of specialists, which is very expensive.

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How to solder brass: expert advice

Brass products are often found in everyday life. When repairing them, owners have to resort to soldering technology. Since this method of joining metals has specific features, beginners may have difficulties during the work. Therefore, they are interested in how to solder brass. If you know the technology and follow the recommendations of specialists, anyone can cope with this procedure. You will find information on how to solder brass at home in this article.

About the composition of alloys

In everyday life there are many different parts containing brass and bronze. Despite the external similarity of these copper alloys, they have different compositions. Brass is a copper-zinc alloy to which tin, aluminum and other metals are added during production. Bronze is a compound of tin, aluminum, lead and other substances with copper. The composition of brass with the addition of tin is close to bronze, but the metal base is dominated by zinc.

What are the features of using copper alloys?

Many beginners ask the question of how to solder bronze and brass. The interest is due to the fact that soldering is associated with some difficulties. During thermal exposure, active evaporation of zinc alloy occurs, resulting in the formation of a dense film of zinc and copper oxides. It is quite difficult to destroy it. According to experts, rosin will not cope with this task.

The master will have to use special fluxes. If you use tin-lead solder, there is a risk that the joint will have low mechanical strength. Unlike copper soldering, in this case the strength indicator will be one and a half times lower.

The reason for this is evaporating zinc. The choice of soldering method for bronze parts will depend on its composition. Bronze with a high content of tin and nickel should be soldered using tin-lead solders.

Bronze containing aluminum and beryllium is best joined with special solders and fluxes.

About fluxes

Their task is to remove the resulting film from the surface of the metals being joined and prevent its further appearance. According to expert reviews, rosin is suitable for soldering copper products. The situation is different with brass. How to solder this alloy correctly? Which flux should I choose? Beginners often ask such questions. Experienced craftsmen advise using a more “aggressive” flux than rosin.

Since metals are used as additives in the production of brass, fluxes with different compositions should be used for soldering. To work with the most common brands of brass L63 and LS59, a flux containing zinc chloride and boric acid is intended. For LKS80 with lead and silicon, the best option would be a borax-based flux containing boron, potassium and fluorine. Ready-made formulations are available on the shelves of specialized stores.

Experts recommend paying attention to PV-209, PV-209X and Bura fluxes. Anyone who wants to save money can prepare flux at home.

According to numerous consumer reviews, this composition can work with different brands of brass. Preparing flux is not very difficult. You need to take 20 g of borax powder and mix it with boric acid, which will also require no more than 20 g. The dry composition of the substances is thoroughly mixed. Then the mixture must be filled with water (200 ml). Before use, the mixture should be boiled and cooled.

About solder

With the help of this molten metal soldering is carried out. In a liquid state, it penetrates into the metals being soldered and then cools, resulting in a connection. The melting temperature of the solder must be lower than the melting temperature of the metals themselves.

For those who are wondering whether it is possible to solder brass with tin, experienced craftsmen recommend using solder with good adhesion. Conventional alloys containing tin and lead are best used in cases where high mechanical strength is not required.

Solder is also suitable when the appearance of the joint is not important.

About solder compositions

The choice of solder depends on the brand of brass. Silver solders PSr12-PSr72, brass PMC36-PMC54 and copper-phosphorus are recommended for brass with a predominance of copper in its composition. If there is more zinc in the metal, then you need to work with silver solders from PSr40 no lower.

With phosphorous compounds, weak zinc phosphorus compounds are formed, which reduces the mechanical strength of the solder. For parts that are not subject to shock and vibration during operation, MPC brass solders are suitable.

Note that brass can easily dissolve, so craftsmen using silver and phosphorus solders should reduce the heating and soldering time.

To work with permanently fixed parts (radiators and pipes), experienced craftsmen recommend using special hard solders with complex compositions. According to numerous consumer reviews, L-CuP6, which melts at a temperature of 730 degrees, is very popular. You can also prepare solder at home.

How to do it

When soldering brass, it is best to use silver solder. It is desirable that the melting site be a special crucible adapted for significant thermal effects.

Contact carbon elements for trolleybuses can be used as a material for crucibles. When heated, they are of no value, and a home craftsman can use them to make solder. In this product, a recess of 20 x 20 mm should be made.

Next, a groove should be made to it. It will be easier to remove the solder if its width is 0.5 cm.

Solder is made from silver and copper (2:1). After taking the required amount of metals, they should be placed in a crucible. Their heat treatment is carried out with a gas burner. Some craftsmen pre-crumb the consumables. In this case, the melting procedure is much simpler. Next, a steel or ceramic (porcelain) rod is added to the composition. You can solder brass when the homemade solder has completely hardened.

How to perform soldering with a gas torch

How to solder brass? The procedure is as follows:

• Before starting the process, the metals must be heated. This work is performed on heat-resistant materials. Experts advise using an asbestos plate.
• The parts to be soldered must be aligned with each other.
• Wipe the surfaces at the soldering site thoroughly with flux.
• Cut silver solder. Ultimately, it should be in the form of shavings that should be poured onto the junction of the metals.
• Adjust the flame in the gas burner. To set the solder to metal surfaces, the joint is first heated with low heat.
• Set the gas burner to 750 degrees for main heating. A red tint should form on the brass surface. Solder fills all the gaps, then it spreads throughout the entire joint.
• Turn off the burner and allow the product to cool down. The procedure is considered completed correctly if the result is a seam that differs little from metal.
• Wash the joint to remove any remaining flux.

How to solder brass with a soldering iron

This method is the most common because it is the easiest to perform. For those who do not know how to solder brass with a soldering iron at home, experts recommend following the following algorithm of actions:

• At the very beginning, you need to clean the parts to be connected. Metal surfaces must be free of various foreign deposits and contamination.
• Place the parts on a special fireproof stand. You can make it at home using improvised materials.
• To remove all defects in the brass surface, treat the joint with flux.
• Sprinkle crumbs of solder on top.
• Warm up with a soldering iron.

Very often, beginners ask the question of how to solder copper to brass with hard solder. Experts advise using low-temperature soldering, which can provide a high-quality connection.

For this purpose, you will need a soldering iron with a power of no more than 100 W and phosphoric acid. Before work, the surface of the product is thoroughly degreased and the oxide film is removed from it. It is better to connect metals using POS60 tin-lead solder.

To start soldering brass, the tool should be warmed up well.

To work with silver solders, you will need a soldering iron, the power of which varies from 0.5 to 1 kW. Degreasing is carried out with flux - concentrated orthophosphoric acid. Borax-based flux is also considered quite effective. In the soldering zone, a temperature of at least 500 degrees is formed.

Works with stainless steel

According to numerous reviews, home craftsmen often have the opportunity to solder stainless steel with brass. Since the presence of nickel and chromium in the compositions of steel alloys does not exceed 25%, working with such materials is less labor-intensive. In addition, this composition ensures reliable connection of stainless steel parts with other metals.

The exceptions are magnesium and aluminum. If the stainless steel has a significant nickel content, then as a result of its heating to 700 degrees, carbide compounds are formed. The longer the heating, the more intensely they form. For this reason, soldering should be done as quickly as possible.

The risk of formation of these compounds will be minimal if titanium is added to the alloy during soldering. According to experienced craftsmen, you should be especially careful with riveted stainless steel. This is due to the fact that cracks may appear on the surface of the metal.

To prevent their formation, soldering is performed after preliminary annealing of the parts.

Progress

Soldering stainless steel is performed as follows:

• First, the surface is thoroughly cleaned with sandpaper or a file.
• Next, the soldering area is treated with flux, namely soldering acid.
• Then the surfaces need to be tinned - apply a thin layer of solder containing tin and lead to them. It happens that it is not possible to apply solder the first time. In this case, you will have to use a brush containing metal strands. They will be much more convenient to remove the oxide film that prevents tinning.
• Using a soldering iron and solder, solder the parts.

Finally

The soldering process may seem complicated only at first glance. There will be no problems if you master the technology and work with properly selected consumables.

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Features of soldering brass at home: solder and equipment

Soldering brass is a popular technology characterized by its universality of approach. As a working tool, you can use either a soldering iron or a gas torch. The process is not particularly complicated or has strict requirements. Having studied the features of the technology, the connection of brass products can be done even at home.

The essence of technology and its features

First of all, you need to familiarize yourself with the features of the soldering procedure. This technology, as a method of creating permanent connections, is not as popular as welding, since the strength of soldering is somewhat lower.

The formation of a weld occurs when a filler material called solder melts. After crystallization, the frozen composition reliably connects the workpieces.

A distinctive feature of soldering is the approach of impact on the working surface . When choosing solder, the main indicator is the melting temperature, which should be lower than that of the base metal. It does not change its state of aggregation, the properties remain unchanged. This allows you to connect workpieces with heterogeneous composition.

This is the difference between welding and soldering. When carrying out work, the weld pool includes the base metal and filler material. Together they form a seam, which invariably affects the quality of the metal that has been exposed to temperature. It is not without reason that when building a strip foundation, the frame is secured using wire rather than welding. Soldering does not affect the parameters of the base metal, which distinguishes it favorably from other joining technologies.

Let us highlight the main features of soldering:

• solder is used as a filler material;
• the products being connected do not melt;
• materials do not interact with each other;
• Suitable for connecting miniature elements.

The method is widely in demand in the field of high technology , due to the low temperature effect on the surface, which is the main indicator for temperature-sensitive components of boards and electronic circuits. Requirements for the quality of work are set out in GOST 17325-79.

Types of brass

There are two types of brass, differing in chemical composition:

1. Double. As the name suggests, the alloy consists of two elements - zinc and copper in varying proportions. Moreover, zinc plays the role of an alloying element. According to technical requirements, such compositions have special markings indicating the type of alloy and the percentage of elements. For example, L 63 is a two-component composition, with a copper mass fraction of 63%. zinc does not exceed 37%.
2. Multicomponent . Special formulations containing many impurities, the composition of which depends on the application. It is very difficult to select the optimal brass solder for such alloys, especially without knowing the exact ratio of the chemical elements in the composition.

Fluxes

A competent choice of flux is the key to a quality connection. It cleans the surface of traces of oil, dirt and oxides and prepares it for soldering. Due to the characteristics of the material in question, it is not advisable to use neutral compounds based on alcohol and rosin. Experts recommend using active flux to effectively remove the oxide film.

An important factor is the chemical composition of the alloy . For the classic two-component material L 63, it is enough to use a solution of zinc chloride in boric acid. For multi-component alloys, it is better to purchase a universal flux for working with brass - PV 209 and PV 209X. When choosing a ready-made composition, you should carefully study the instructions with recommendations for use.

Solder

Beginning craftsmen do not know which brass solder to choose to achieve the best results.

Let's look at the main brands:

1. For soldering brass and copper, experts recommend using solders of the copper-zinc group. When choosing, you should pay attention to the melting point. For example, for PMC-48 it is 880 Cº.
2. Copper-phosphorus solders of the MF group are distinguished by their affordable price. Performance characteristics are slightly lower than those of compositions with the addition of silver.
3. The PSR group of silver solders belongs to the hard grades. The resulting connection is highly resistant to mechanical and vibration loads.

When soldering steel with brass, the L-63 alloy is used, which has proven itself best . Release form: brass wire for soldering. It is used exclusively for working with hard-melting materials.

Brass solders with flux deserve attention. Their cost is higher than that of classic compositions, but the price is compensated by ease of use and a reduction in the number of defects in work.

DIY cooking

Many craftsmen prefer to prepare solder with their own hands at home. A mixture of two parts silver and one part copper has proven to work best .

After taking measurements, the metal is melted in a crucible and by stirring it is achieved to obtain a homogeneous mass. Cooling takes place in cold water.

The finished solder is given the desired shape, after which it is cleaned using a large file.

Soldering iron

The main difficulty in working with brass, as opposed to soldering other non-ferrous metals with a torch or soldering iron, is the oxide film that forms during the evaporation of zinc after heating the brass.

alloy using a soldering iron, you need a high-quality device with a power of at least 1000 W. This requirement is due to the high melting point of brass and the solders used. The exception is copper and brass alloys, whose melting point is much lower.

The best choice is a soldering station with a function for adjusting temperature parameters. The use of such equipment makes it easy to select optimal operating parameters without the risk of surface overheating.

Using the burner

A gas torch can be used to solder brass . Special requirements are placed on the placement of the workpiece - it must be placed on a surface made of heat-resistant material.

The preparatory stage does not differ from a similar procedure before soldering with an electric soldering iron.

The process begins with gradual heating of the surface in order to increase the wetting properties of the solder. After this, the workpiece is heated to operating parameters, the achievement of which is characterized by the appearance of a characteristic red tint on the surface.

The use of flammable gas does not have any particular advantages over electrical power sources.

Stages of work

Step-by-step instructions for the process of soldering brass at home are as follows:

1. Cleaning and degreasing the joint.
2. Surface treatment with flux.
3. After completing the preparatory procedures, add solder, crushed to the state of chips, into the heating zone.
4. We begin gradual heating of the surface. It is important that the flame constantly moves to avoid overheating.
5. After forming the seam, we stop processing the workpiece and wait for it to cool under natural conditions.
6. Wash off the remaining flux.

The quality characteristics of a weld depend on the correct choice of consumables and filler materials, as well as compliance with the requirements for the technological process.

Conclusion

To obtain a high-quality connection, it is necessary to determine the composition of the brass. Based on the data obtained, he selects flux and solder for soldering. The work can be performed either with an electric soldering iron or with a gas torch.

Source: https://svarka.guru/payka/tehnik/latun-v-domashnih-usloviyah.html

How to attach a gas burner to a cylinder?

Both among people who carry out repairs professionally and among home craftsmen, a manual gas burner with a cylinder is very popular. The scope of their application is very wide, there are several varieties. This article tells you how to choose the right gas burner for a cylinder and learn how to use this device, which is not the most intricate design, but extremely useful in many cases when a room is being renovated.

Gas burners for a cartridge with a collet connection represent a separate class of tools. They are used in conditions of high fire safety where serious construction equipment is involved, and the risk of damage to the apparatus is minimized.

The main parameters are temperature and flame shape. In the simplest devices, the combustion temperature is close to the minimum - 700−1000°C. Air comes naturally and there is never enough of it. More expensive products have a special shape of air supply channels, which increases air flow and the flame temperature increases to 1200°C.

The flame has an even higher temperature in ejector burners, in which air is supplied to the hearth due to rarefaction, and the flow force is directly proportional to the operating gas pressure. Thanks to this, the temperature can be increased to 1500−1600°C and relatively smoothly adjusted with the flame length just by turning the tap. There may be several sources of combustion in the apparatus. This tool does not perform delicate work, but it successfully heats large areas.

The threshold temperature of the burners is 2000−2400°C, and it is achieved by concentrating the injected air into the combustion chamber, as well as using methyl acetylene propadiene gas (MAPP). A high-temperature cone is formed in the flame, whose power and temperature can be compared with oxy-fuel welding.

In addition, any type of product can be equipped with a flexible or rotary tube, piezo ignition and a highly sensitive control valve. There is a wide selection of devices based on power and gas consumption .

Travel lamps

Low-temperature devices are used to perform a wide range of work, suitable for both domestic use and professional construction. These blowtorches often replace electric hair dryers where only autonomous operation is possible.

The main disadvantage of burners without an injector is the low flame stability, especially noticeable during sharp tilts and turns. The splashing of liquefied gas does not have a significant effect in more expensive devices that have a special gearbox and heating circuit.

Typically, such devices are not used for soldering. They are mainly used to light firewood and coals or to heat materials that allow the use of an open flame. The lamp is indispensable for thawing pipes, heating car engines, burning paint to remove it, unpacking strips on tow, and other rough work.

The design and purpose of ejector blowtorches is more specific. These devices are used for processing non-ferrous metals. Due to their high temperature and ability to regulate the flame, these devices are excellent for soldering and hardening of metals, and other heat treatments that require high temperature accuracy and a strictly defined cone.

The specifics of the application seriously adjust the size of the nozzles and burners. Miniature devices are used for soldering thin metal and jewelry. Mid-class torches have a cone thickness of 3-9 mm; they are more suitable than others for electrical soldering of cable joints, aluminum and copper tubes.

Due to their high power, larger products can be used in the following areas:

• artistic forging;
• precision stamping and bending of metal.

It is these tools that home craftsmen use as the basis for homemade hardening furnaces and gas forges.

In the case of ejector options, the concept of flame instability is purely figurative, although there is a possibility of periodic flashes of gas, in the core the temperature remains relatively stable. The gas preheating circuit is used more to increase the efficiency of burners, speed them up to operating power, and more accurately control the temperature.

High temperature lamps

• There are devices where MAPP gas is used instead of a propane-butane mixture. The flame temperature in these devices is 2200−2400°C. The main energy is concentrated in a cone, which is quite stable and has a pronounced boundary.
• Such products are used for heating, bending and forging massive parts and high-carbon steels. High temperature allows for better tempering and hardening of metal.
• As for welding and soldering, MAPP gas devices do an excellent job with stainless steel, and even thin parts do not overheat. Another advantage of MAPP is its low boiling point, which allows it to be used at temperatures of -20°C even in products without a heating circuit.

When choosing a gas burner, do not forget about the nuances.

1. The simplest, naturally aspirated torch burners are well suited for tourism. Even cheap Chinese products that you don’t really mind breaking or losing will help you light a fire or heat up food.
2. For everyday use and minor repairs, amateur series tools are preferred. The design of semi-professional burners is more complex, and there are no shortcomings in it, such as, for example, melting of the plastic lining of the mouthpiece or failure of piezo ignition.
3. An additional argument against average prices is the almost universal absence of a normal control valve, which can also be important in the case of rough work.
4. If you plan to use the device for delicate work, soldering or welding, additional attention should be paid to balancing and ergonomics. These jobs involve frequent switching on and off of the burner; therefore, the shape of the housing and the placement of the controls should allow one-handed ignition and adjustment.
5. The choice of power is dictated by the thickness and material of the parts being processed. Burners with a power of 500-700 W are quite suitable for soldering copper wires or burning paint. Steel products and tubes made of non-ferrous metals up to 3 mm thick can be heated well with a burner with a power of about 1200-1500 W. 2-3 kW burners are used for heating and bending reinforcement up to 14 mm thick.
6. And about one more feature: the flame of high-quality, powerful burners can be adjusted for more delicate work, but it will not be possible to heat a massive part with a low-power burner.

Source: https://rem-serv.com/flyus-dlya-payki-latuni-i-medi/

Soldering with brass: how and with what to solder brass correctly

Soldering brass, which allows you to obtain high-quality and reliable connections, is a technological process that involves the use of a gas torch, as well as special solder. The latter is wire, the material of which can be tin or an alloy of this metal with lead. If you thoroughly study the features of such a process, as well as prepare all the necessary equipment and consumables, then you can successfully perform it even at home.

Brazing process for brass parts

Brief instructions

In order to perform high-quality brass soldering at home, it is not enough to simply study the theoretical basis; it is also advisable to watch a video on this topic.

The need to independently carry out such a process often arises, because almost every home has brass products that are not insured against breakdowns.

Considering the fact that the services of qualified specialists are not cheap, it makes sense to study this process using both the recommendations presented below and videos that are easy to find on the Internet.

Of course, parts should be cleaned before soldering.

So, the algorithm for soldering brass is as follows.

• A thoroughly cleaned area of ​​the future connection must be treated with a flux containing borax and boric acid (1:1) mixed with water.
• After this, the treated joint should be sprinkled with solder shavings.
• Then you can begin heating the seam being formed using a gas burner or blowtorch. Care should be taken not to overheat the parts, which could lead to their deformation.
• After the solder melts under the influence of the flame of a gas burner, it will fill the gap between the parts, ensuring their reliable connection.

Thus, soldering brass is not so difficult; the main thing is to choose the right consumables and strictly follow the above recommendations.

Source: http://met-all.org/cvetmet-splavy/latun/pajka-latuni-pripoj-provoloka.html

How to solder brass

Taps, hardware, pipes, decorative interior items and many other products are made from brass. This material is obtained by fusing copper, zinc (in different proportions) and various additives.

Soldering brass ensures a reliable and high-quality connection of parts. Soldering involves the use of a special tool in the form of a gas torch, as well as solder made from a mixture of tin and lead. In some cases, tin alone is used to make brass solder.

Advantages and disadvantages

If you have the necessary tools and materials, and after learning the basic techniques for handling brass, you can solder this material yourself.

Soldering brass products has several features. This technology involves the use of specially prepared solder, which is introduced into the gap between the parts and plays the role of a “grasping” element. In addition, the equipment through which the solder material is melted is essential.

Typically, a gas torch is used for soldering, which ensures that the solder wire melts at temperatures lower than the melting point of the brass itself. Using this technology, it is possible to reliably solder individual workpieces of similar or dissimilar materials in structure.

In some cases, the use of brass soldering is the only possible way to obtain permanent contacts.

It is unacceptable to compare soldering with welding procedures in which each of the metals being fused is subject to melting. In this case, only hard solder with tin is exposed to thermal effects, and the condition of the parts being connected remains unchanged.

This feature allows you to process brass products of very small size and weight without causing any damage to them.

When carrying out soldering, it must be taken into account that this process involves the use of softer consumables than when welding. As a result, the joints obtained by soldering are considered less strong compared to welded seams.

In cases of working with brass, zinc completely evaporates from the solder body (due to its strong heating), as a result of which the seam becomes porous, which significantly reduces the quality of the joint formed.

In addition, when soldering brass parts, it is important to correctly select their relative position (in this case, preference is given to “overlapping” joints).

Application

Modern technologies for processing copper and zinc alloys are widely in demand in such industries as:

• electronics and electrical engineering;
• instrument making and tool production;
• production of refrigeration and ventilation equipment.

If you have everything you need (solder of the required quality, flux and soldering torch), you can tin the brass surfaces in order to protect them from corrosive destruction. The tinning procedure is also in demand when repairing heating and plumbing systems made on a brass basis.

Depending on the type of solder used for soldering, connections are divided into high- and low-temperature. This division allows the use of more refractory joints for soldering workpieces operated at high temperatures.

Using high-temperature soldering is impossible at home, since this situation requires special equipment.

Features of soldering homogeneous workpieces

In everyday life, there is often a need to solder two brass blanks that are identical in structure. In this case, the correct choice of flux composition, which differs from the traditional combination of rosin and alcohol, becomes of paramount importance.

Due to the low activity of the components, a conventional composition will not be able to dissolve the oxide film that forms on the surface of brass. So for the soldering option under consideration, a more active flux based on chlorine and zinc will be required.

All the details of its preparation can be found in the table, which shows several types of zinc chloride mixtures.

In addition to the types of flux considered, when soldering brass, compositions based on borax and potassium fluoride-boron salt can be used. Mixtures prepared from them occupy no more than 5% of the total volume of the solder bath and have excellent activity indicators.

Activity refers to the ability to create ideal conditions for the penetration of molten solder into the gaps between parts during soldering.

Along with the problem considered, we should not forget about a competent approach to the selection of solder supplied to the joint in the form of calibrated wire of one composition or another.

In the case where soldered brass products are intended to be used in a gas environment, it is advisable to use special types of solders made on the basis of copper phosphate and silver alloys. They are also suitable for soldering red brass with a high percentage of copper content.

Sometimes wire made from brass itself is used as solder. However, in this case, it is possible to solder a brass part only if the melting point of the brass wire is lower than the same indicator for the workpieces being processed.

General procedure

Before you start soldering brass parts yourself, you should thoroughly clean them of foreign deposits and contaminants. Next, you need to place them on a fire-resistant substrate, the function of which can be performed by river pebbles poured into an old bucket.

The general procedure for soldering brass can be represented as follows.

• first, the place of the intended connection of two parts is treated with a flux of suitable composition, after which finely planed crumbs of solder material are poured onto it;
• after this, you can start heating the brass (only at the joint!) using a previously prepared burner;
• After melting the solder material and filling the gaps between the parts with liquid composition, turn off the burner and wait for the joint to cool down.

During the soldering process, overheating of the workpieces is unacceptable, which can cause their deformation. In general, independent brass soldering is not something completely inaccessible.

To master this technology, it is enough to correctly select all the necessary consumables and strictly follow the recommendations given.

Source: https://svaring.com/soldering/tehnologii/pajka-latuni

Products – Tekhmashholding – group of companies, official website

Brass is widely used in everyday life, and the question of how to solder brass is very important for some. Repairing many home appliances depends on what you use to solder the metal. This process is noticeably different from joining other metals. It has a number of specific features and causes certain difficulties. However, if certain conditions are met, then soldering will be within the capabilities of any person.

Brass is widely used in everyday life, and when brass products break, the question arises of what to solder it with.

Features of soldering copper alloys

In everyday life, various parts are often used in which brass and bronze are used. These copper alloys are very similar in appearance, but have different compositions and their own characteristics. Brass is a copper-zinc alloy with the addition of tin, aluminum and other metals. Bronze is an alloy of copper with tin, aluminum, lead and other substances. Brass, to which tin is added, approaches the composition of bronze, but still its basis is zinc.

Materials and tools for soldering brass products.

Soldering brass has its own inherent difficulties. When exposed to heat, zinc actively evaporates from the alloy, forming a dense film of zinc oxide and copper. The zinc oxide film is destroyed with great difficulty, and its formation occurs quite quickly when the zinc content in brass is more than 15%. Rosin, even in combination with alcohol, cannot cope with such a film, which requires the use of special fluxes.

If you use tin-lead solder when soldering brass, the connection has low mechanical strength. Thus, where brass is soldered with tin-lead solder, its strength is 1.6 times less than that of copper. This is due to the appearance of pores in the soldered seam due to the evaporation of zinc.

Methods for soldering bronze depend on its composition. Tin and nickel bronzes are easily soldered with tin-lead solders. When soldering aluminum and beryllium bronzes, difficultly soluble films arise, which necessitates the use of special solders and fluxes.

Return

Fluxes for metal soldering

To solder brass you will need borax, a special flux.

Fluxes are designed to remove films from the surface of metals being soldered and protect against the formation of new films in the soldering zone. While rosin is sufficient for joining copper, brass requires a different, much more aggressive flux.

The flux composition required for different brasses is different, which is caused by the introduction of certain metals into the brass composition. For common brasses such as LS59 and L63, the use of zinc chloride with a small content of boric acid is sufficient.

When soldering brass with additions of lead and silicon, for example, brass type LKS80, a flux based on a compound of potassium with fluorine and boron or based on borax is recommended.

At home, you can make the following flux, which is suitable for most brass. It is necessary to prepare 20 g of powdered borax and 20 g of powdered boric acid. Dry powders are mixed well and poured with 200 ml of water. The mixture is then boiled and cooled.

Source: https://pellete.ru/trub/kak-zapayat-latunnuyu-trubku-v-domashnih-usloviyah.html