[time-nuts] soldering (was cesium clock)

Neon John jgd at johngsbbq.com
Sat Jun 28 17:18:51 EDT 2008


On Sat, 28 Jun 2008 20:57:51 +1000, Neville Michie <namichie at gmail.com> wrote:

>
>On 28/06/2008, at 1:14 PM, Bruce Griffiths wrote:
>>
>>
>> Stainless is trickier to solder than constantan.
>> Welding may be preferable.
>>
>>
>>
>A hint for soft soldering stainless steel, iron, nickel, chromium,  
>copper, brass, nichrome etc. but not aluminium.

Another method the works even for aluminum.  Using activated liquid rosin
flux, immerse the object to be soldered in the flux and while immersed, use a
knife or file or something similar to scrape off the oxide coating.  Lift the
object from the flux and IMMEDIATELY apply heat and solder.

The flux excludes air and prevents a new protective oxide layer from forming.
Solder wets unoxidized aluminum as well as it does copper.

When I need to solder a wire to aluminum sheet, a chassis, for example, I
apply a thick drop of liquid flux and use an exacto blade to scrape the
surface under the drop clean.  Add more flux so that the scrapped area remains
covered as the alcohol evaporates, then apply a large, high powered iron and
tin the area.  I frequently use an old fashioned soldering copper heated in a
gas flame to almost red heat.  Once the area is tinned, it can be soldered
normally.

This is the flux that I use

http://www.neon-john.com/EV/motor_repair/Kester_1594.jpg

No idea if it is optimum for the task but it does work.

John
--
John De Armond
See my website for my current email address
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Tellico Plains, Occupied TN
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