jester_s1

Well sure, in the fact that both have a ph less than 7, they are the same. In what they do and how they behave however, they are different.

LesUyeda

Far be it for me to argue with Webster.

"a. Any of a class of substances whose aqueous solutions are characterized by a sour taste, the ability to turn blue litmus red, and the ability to react with bases and certain metals to form salts."

Les

jester_s1

I'm not arguing with Webster. I'm telling you that the way battery acid acts and the way plumbing flux acts are different. This stuff has been on the market for how many decades? I couldn't even tell you, but it's been a while. It washes away with water just fine and won't cause corrosion on a pushrod.

LesUyeda

"Basic plumbing solder and acid flux"

I don't know how we got where we are, but this is where I got acid.. Your post.

Les

PDF

Thanks again for all the replies, the knowledge is appreciated. First of all I didn't know what the difference between Silver Solder and Silver Bearing Solder was. The Staybrite 3/64 silver solder and flux combo is actually a silver bearing solder, which says it on the package but for some reason if you see the attached link it doesn't indicated it at all, I know this because I asked my LHS is they had it and they told me it did say silver bearing solder. For those who used this product is the flux a acid flux? if not what kind would it be. The Harris website who makes this product claims it flows at a lower heat than silver solder therefore not annealing the part being soldered.
Thanks again,
Pat

jester_s1

I couldn't tell you what kind of flux the Stay Brite solder uses. Silver solder (brazing) though doesn't even use flux. It's really closer to welding than soldering, but the parts aren't actually melted together like a weld would do. As I understand it, Stay Brite is supposed to be a middle ground between brazing and soldering or for high corrosion environments. I've heard guys say that the flux for Stay Brite will work on metals that standard plumbing solder won't or at least is more forgiving, but I never saw the need for anything better than plumbing solder on the stuff I've worked on.

LesUyeda- Standard plumbing flux is an acid type flux. That's why I called it that.

LesUyeda

PDF

Silver soldering is done in the neighborhood of 900 degrees F, and usually requires oxy-acetylene (or I understand Mapp Gass) temperatures, and cannot be done with a soldering iron . Standard soldering is in the neighborhood of 400 degrees.

"Standard plumbing flux is an acid type flux"

I don't know about your plumber, but my plumber uses the same thing that I do, Johnsons 05-02 Soldering Paste, Contains Zinc Chloride. No acid there that I can tell. In fact, when I had a plumbing job I could not handle, he borrowed my flux, because he had not replenished his after a humungus job just before mine.

Les

jester_s1

Mine is zinc chloride based too. I never put a piece of litmus paper in there, but since the stuff is made by dissolving the zinc chloride in hydrochloric acid it's probably not neutral. In any event, it's still not battery acid and isn't going to hurt a pushrod if the OP uses it to solder on a clevis.

scale only 4 me

My Feedback: (158)

PDF,,, How's that coupler coming??

PDF

Hi Scale only for me,
I haven't got to the coupler yet due to I'm working out of state now. But before I left I purchased the Silver brite kit which is Silver bearing solder and also went to radio shack and bought some of there silver bearing solder, they have a smaller diameter wire available and when I get back I plan on practicing which one will work best. I will follow up with the results.
Again thanks for everyone's input,
Pat

jaka

Hi!
Get "Stay-Brite " silver /tin solder. Have been using it for nearly 40 years and sweat soldering couldn't be easier
. No cleaing is needed. Just heat tin each part (even stainless steel) and then put the peices togethet and reheat! Nothing could be easier.
I use a 40 year old 50W Weller iron.

jester_s1

I'll respectfully disagree that cleaning is not needed. Good flux can dissolve oxidation that's there, but there's no reason to depend on it to do that. What it can't do is dissolve any actual dirt embedded in the metal. I've sweated pipes before without cleaning them and watched the dirt float up out of the joint as the solder displaced it. The joints held fine, but it took more time to get a good filled in joint because I had to let the dirt flow out and then wipe it off before putting the final crown on the joint. On top of that, a significant part of a soldered joint's strength comes from the roughness of the part being soldered.

jaka

Hi!
I know that thourough cleaning when soldering i vital but using Stay-Brite acid that isn't needed.

jester_s1

You are right in the first half- cleaning if vital. The acid flux can dissolve oxides, but not dirt. Yes, it's possible to get away with not cleaning as I mentioned above, but it's easy enough to see how much more readily the solder wicks into the joint when the parts are clean and scuffed. Novice solderers don't have the experience to be sure they got it right, so cleaning the parts gives them a better chance at getting a good joint. There's no reason not to take that 20 seconds to do it right.

Rodney

jester_s1 has given you some good advice. Properly cleaned and use of flux will allow normal 60/40 lead solder and rosin flux make a good joint on piano wire every time. No need for the Stay-Brite but nothing wrong with using it either as long as you wash/clean the joint after using it as the Stay-Brite flux is acidic and will soon rust your connections if not cleaned.

WhiteRook

My Feedback: (38)

when your soldering , over heating is the enemy. i recently had some trouble silver soldering music wire, cut my heat and ,
it stuck great

bunsen

Offer a couple of observations:

1. When soldering a DU-BRO or Great Planes 4-40 or 2-56 coupler to a short length of music wire, like for a control rod end, or something like a DU-BRO threaded rod suggestion following:
a. Use Sta Brite Solder in the 1/16" diameter roll
b. Use the STAY-Clean Liquid Flux
c. Get a small spray bottle, like 3 inches high, and fill with water.
d. Get a small spray bottle and fill with water and some baking soda
e. Get a plastic container and fill with water.
f. For small jobs you want a small focused flame. I use a BENZOMatic handheld torch , Not a large Propane torch. Save that for real Silver soldering for landing gear or BIPLANE wing Cabanes.

1. Use alligator clips holder to hold the rod and coupler in place. You need to hold the coupler to the rod or when you heat it up or the coupler will tend to slide off the end of the rod.
2. Lightly go over the end of the rod with 220 or 320 sandpaper to roughen it up a bit.
3. Apply a bit of the FLUX to the rod and insert it in the coupler.
4. Light the torch and adjust for a small flame and move the flame back and forth and be sure that the coupler is heated up enough. Does not take much. If the flux gets really black it is too hot.
5. Touch the solder to the junction of the rod and the coupler, not the flame, and when it starts to melt remove the heat or at most apply a small amount of heat to the coupler to get the solder to flow into the coupler.
6. If the flux turns black apply a couple of drops of the flux to the joint and it will clean up.
7. Allow the solder joint to cool and lightly spray with a mist of water.
8. When it cools a bit apply a few drops of the Baking soda spray to neutralize the acid.
9. When the coupler is cool run it under water or wash it in the cup of water. You want to clean off all of the flux.

For electrical applications, like servo wire extensions, I use rosin core colder with a small amount of extra flux. For metal/metal joints the STAY-BRITE solder with the acid flux gives a better joint. For things like landing gear where you are joining say 3/16" or 1/4" music wire and strength is important then this is a good application for Brazing use a high content silver wire and real acid flux at higher temperatures with a Propane/MAPP gas. This is not the same as soldering.

Just a suggestion.

Ray