[Robotgroup] soldering problems

[Don Colbath]

Copper to copper should solder easily.  Probably not getting it hot 
enough.  If it's big the copper may be taking away the heat quickly as 
it's a good heat conductor.  What kind of soldering gun are you using.  
Somewhere I have a big-ass soldering iron from the 50's from the vacuum 
tube days.  Safer than a torch as there is no flame but you still need 
to be careful as it's a big chunk of hot metal.  Additional rosin flux 
on the joint may help too.  I have liquid and paste you can try.  
Plumbers type is usually acid based which makes it a little dangerous.

Super Glue works well in some places too.  You may have heard my warning 
though.
If you do try and super glue anything and it doesn't work...DO NOT...try 
and solder, melt or otherwise heat an article with super glue on it.  
Super glue fumes in the eyes and nose are much like Wasabi nasal spray 
or eye drops.   Yeee Ha!

Tami might also have some insight on this.  I'm sure the jewelry welding 
courses also had some soldering and brazing included. 

Don

Denise Scioli wrote:

>To all:
>
>I need some advice and help trying to solder small pieces of metal together. 
>  I am designing a proposed class of jewelry production (metal), and need to 
>know ways of joining pieces of metal together other than physically (wire, 
>brads, etc.)
>
>I have some copper metal tooling foil, and tried to solder small pieces of 
>copper to it.  No luck at all.  I know that plumbers solder copper pipe, but 
>instead of a soldering gun, they use a torch.  Is it that I haven't gotten 
>the pieces of copper hot enough?  Do I need to prepare the surface, or use 
>plumbers solder,(is it different than electrical solder, which is what I am 
>using at the moment.)
>
>And, if soldering is not an option (I don't know how I feel about using a 
>torch with 6th and 7th grade students), is there some type of special glue 
>that would work?
>
>
>Any advice would be helpful.  Thanks.
>
>Denise
>
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