The Frontier Sixshooter Community Message Board - if not flexed or stressed, rivet holes fine.

if not flexed or stressed, rivet holes fine. (reply)

bob — Sat, 20 Jun 2015 17:26:38 +0000

Yup, the joints are pretty well supported.
bob

we always brush on flux, core stuff never seems enough...NT (reply)

passing by — Fri, 19 Jun 2015 15:47:37 +0000

if not flexed or stressed, rivet holes fine. (reply)

passing by — Fri, 19 Jun 2015 15:44:49 +0000

Will break at holes otherwise....thin stuff just preheat and dip in melted solder pot for tinning, then clamp and heat...torch probably better than iron...

when I was working in my dad's shop (reply)

bj — Fri, 19 Jun 2015 00:37:00 +0000

I could solder copper wires just fine but when I tried to solder to steel it never worked. My father told me it required acid core solder. I might have been trying to solder to something too thick to heat up properly. In years since I've soldered steel electrical wire to copper electrical wire and it worked just fine.

you probably already know about tinning/coating (reply)

bob — Thu, 18 Jun 2015 03:47:55 +0000

This was VERY thin stuff, think tape measure thin. Decided my pin point pencil tip iron didn't heat things enuff and will buy a chisel point iron before I do this again. For the sake of expediency I drilled holes and used pop rivets. It worked!
bob

you probably already know about tinning/coating (reply)

passing by — Wed, 17 Jun 2015 18:06:43 +0000

Both surfaces to be joined and using a spring clamp to maintain pressure while heating part to solder flow and adding more to fill gaps. But generally all solder problems come from contaminated surface and/or not enough heat.

Spring steel is normal carbon steel, normally.... (reply)

bob — Wed, 17 Jun 2015 13:58:03 +0000

Tnx; ruining spring isn't a consideration.
bob

Spring steel is normal carbon steel, normally.... (reply)

passing by — Wed, 17 Jun 2015 00:34:57 +0000

Surface prep past heat treat scale to bare scuffed fresh steel and thoroughly degreased.
Depending on thickness and length, could be cooling as a radiator and not enough heat for solder to flow. Resin to steel first for surface wetting, and may end up heating enough to ruin any spring to the spring steel.

A question for the metal smiths

bob — Tue, 16 Jun 2015 15:00:06 +0000

How the heck do you get resin core solder to adhere to spring steel?
bob