Soldering stainless steel wire

I'm talking about silver oxide button cells.

Sylvia.

Reply to
Sylvia Else
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Soft Soldering

All grades of stainless steel can be soldered with lead-tin soft solder. Leaded solders should not be used when the product being soldered is used for food processing, serving or transport. Soldered joints are relatively weak compared to the strength of the steel, so this method should not be used where the mechanical strength is dependent upon the soldered joint. Strength can be added if the edges are first lock-seamed, spot welded or riveted. In general welding is always preferable to soldering. Recommended Procedure for Soldering

Recommended procedure for soldering:

? 1. The steel surfaces must be clean and free of oxidation.

? 2. A rough surface improves adherence of the solder, so roughening with grinding wheel, file or coarse abrasive paper is recommended.

? 3. Use a phosphoric acid based flux. Hydrochloric acid based fluxes require neutralising after soldering as any remnant traces will be highly corrosive to the steel. Hydrochloric acid based fluxes are not recommended for soldering of stainless steels.

? 4. Flux should be applied with a brush, to only the area being soldered.

? 5. A large, hot iron is recommended. Use the same temperature as for carbon steel, but a longer time will be required because of stainless steel's low thermal conductivity.

? 6. Any type of solder can be used, but at least 50% tin is recommended. Solder with 60-70% tin and 30-40% lead has a better colour match and greater strength.

Reply to
F Murtz

It's easy to soft-solder stainless steel, if one uses the correct flux.

Tinners flux (zinc chloride and hydrochloric acid in water) is available in many hardware stores, and will usually do it.

There are also liquid fluxes (containing phosphoric acid) intended for stainless steel. If you are doing much soldering, I'd get the correct flux.

In both cases, the surfaces should be cleaned mechanically until bright.

Joe Gwinn

Reply to
Joe Gwinn

Solder alloys with the surface, to a depth dependent on temperature, and duration. Soldering copper creates a layer of a type of bronze.

--
"Design is the reverse of analysis" 
                   (R.D. Middlebrook)
Reply to
Fred Abse

One cannot solder stainless steel; weld copper, silver or brass to it (or electroplate as you mentioned). BTW, if you are working with stainless steel, make sure all pieces are from the same batch and you use some of that for welding the rest.

Reply to
Robert Baer

Why do people keep saying that you can not solder stainless steel?

when I have been doing it for ages and directions such as this exist.

Soft Soldering

All grades of stainless steel can be soldered with lead-tin soft solder. Leaded solders should not be used when the product being soldered is used for food processing, serving or transport. Soldered joints are relatively weak compared to the strength of the steel, so this method should not be used where the mechanical strength is dependent upon the soldered joint. Strength can be added if the edges are first lock-seamed, spot welded or riveted. In general welding is always preferable to soldering. Recommended Procedure for Soldering

Recommended procedure for soldering:

? 1. The steel surfaces must be clean and free of oxidation.

? 2. A rough surface improves adherence of the solder, so roughening with grinding wheel, file or coarse abrasive paper is recommended.

? 3. Use a phosphoric acid based flux. Hydrochloric acid based fluxes require neutralising after soldering as any remnant traces will be highly corrosive to the steel. Hydrochloric acid based fluxes are not recommended for soldering of stainless steels.

? 4. Flux should be applied with a brush, to only the area being soldered.

? 5. A large, hot iron is recommended. Use the same temperature as for carbon steel, but a longer time will be required because of stainless steel's low thermal conductivity.

? 6. Any type of solder can be used, but at least 50% tin is recommended. Solder with 60-70% tin and 30-40% lead has a better colour match and greater strength.

Reply to
F Murtz
[snip]

Yes. Heat buildup is the culprit here. Spot welding works well because of the small spot generating the heat necessary to create the weld. The speed of the process helps as well.

--
Paul Hovnanian     mailto:Paul@Hovnanian.com 
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Reply to
Paul Hovnanian P.E.

that

I

wire

buy

solder?

IME braze and solder works better than crimping by a little bit. SS is rather difficult to crimp well.

?-)

Reply to
josephkk

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