what type of solder do you use on sullivan control rods?
when soldering them to clevis



thanks



Dan

Acid core works best on music wire and soft wire threaded rod, and use flux.

John

The trick to getting a strong solder joint and also to make it easy is to heat up the control rod to the point that it will melt the solder. Then with the melted solder on it just slide the clevis on and let it sit for a few seconds...

I don't recommend acid core solder. It tends to rust. Use silver solder. It works for me!

Just my 2 cents....

Best regards,
Mike

Yes silver solder is good but if you don,t want the expense then use acid core and wire brush after cooling and wash in soap and water will result in no more rust than the base material. Frequently use it on up to three sixteenths music wire for float struts a very rust pron environment, no problems.

John

60-40% rosin-core solder works for me.

the best solder to use is called ( stayclean silver solder ) you can get it in a welding supply store or at a home improvement center it come in a little kit .. and there is a little bottle of acid that goes with it the acid cleans the base metal ive used on my giant scale control rods for years and landing gear just clean it real good when done .. the reason it works so good its alot stronger than acid core or rosin core solder it will say stay clean on the bottle of flux. but its called stay brite solder kit

what is normally called silver solder is a high temp brazing solder about 1100 degrees! you need a gas and oxygen set to get it that hot!!! this stuff you use a propane torch or a big iron will work. just remember to clean everthing before you start with fine sand paper or steel wool then wipe it down with a solvent

good luck Jim

Virtually any solder will work. Solders with silver in them are stronger, but I use regular rosin or acid core solder, and in 40+ years of flying I've never had a solder joint fail (even on giant scale).

The trick is to make sure the rod is CLEAN (preferably with sandpaper), and properly heated. As far as the heat goes, if the solder flows (as opposed to beading up on the surface), you got enough heat. Just heat the clevis, and apply the solder to the rod. Also, I recommend using a good soldering gun. Irons work for small electrical connections, but they take forever to heat up a good size chunk of metal like a clevis.

thanks for the great info











Dan

Great descriptive graphic (as usual!), MinnFlyer.

I slightly modify the procedure and add the first drop, or small solder melt, directly between the soldering iron and the part being soldered.

This greatly aids heat transfer. Then go and feed the solder to the junction of the two parts as Minn has shown.

I second that Crash_N_Burn. It IS a good way to improve heat transfer.

I use a propane torch and regular 60-40 rosin core solder. I've bent the heck out of rods, broken clevises and threaded couplers, but never broken a solder joint. (If there's one thing I know how to do, it's stress test gear)

I use a bit of flux on the rod, slip the clevis or threaded coupler in place, and heat with the torch until the flux is boiling off, but not all gone, and not burning black. If stuff turns black, it got too hot. Then pull the torch away, touch the solder to the metal, and volia, a nice flow or solder. I can make a pile of pushrods in a hurry with this technique.