[time-nuts] soldering (was cesium clock)

[Neville Michie]

Hi John, thanks for the info, I was unaware of that product.
For aluminium I used a soldering "iron" and flooded the site with  
rosin-cored solder,
scrubbing the iron over the surface to scratch it clean under the  
iron under the rosin.
Not a good technique and not good for hi-tech iron plated tips,
There was a product. whose name I have forgotten, that stripped the  
oxide layer
from aluminium without abrasion, and made perfect meniscus joints,
but it had dire warnings about how poisonous it was and should not be  
used on
nickel bearing drinking water pipes. It is best described as a  
poisonous paste.
Cleanup afterwards is a big part of soldering, you dont want residues  
that are
going to corrode your components years into the future. Rosin is good  
with alcohol,
phosphoric acid is good with water.
cheers, Neville Michie



On 29/06/2008, at 7:18 AM, Neon John wrote:

> 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
> http://www.neon-john.com
> http://www.johndearmond.com <-- best little blog on the net!
> Tellico Plains, Occupied TN
> I like you ... you remind me of me when I was young and stupid.
>
>
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