jorgeelizondom

My Feedback: (1)

I'd like to make a wire landing gear and I need to learn how to solder it together with a torch and silver solder.

Can you guys point me to an online article on how to do this?

Or can you describe the basics: what to buy at Home depot? what are the ABC's of the procedure?

Your help will be appreciated.

BillHarris

I don't know if there is an online resource for this, someone will have to chime in.

Here is what I have done: get some Stabrite silver solder (or the Hobbico/etc equivilant). Key word: silver solder. With an acid flux. You will also need some thin solid copper wire (I recall, #32 gauge or abt .045").

Where landing gear wires are joined, do not do butt joints. Bend the wires parallel and overlap by 1/4" or so. Wrap this joint with one neat layer of the copper wire, and silver solder. Use the flux, and make make sure the wire is bright and clean before wrapping and soldering. Whether you use a torch or iron for soldering is up to you. But properly done, the solder should flow into the wrap and onto the steel.

I think that Harry Higley has some good material on soldering in one of his "how-to" books.

Flypaper 2

Wash it off with a water hose afterwards to get rid of the acid otherwise it will rust in a short time.

pinball-RCU

Not to discourage you, but if you're using thick wire, like 5/32" or larger, this is not an easy job. You need a torch adequate to heat the wire well and the right flux, and experience.

Rodney

There is one word you must remember CLEAN CLEAN CLEAN you can't overdo this. Get every bit of scale, oil, etc. off and do not touch it with your hands after cleaning (the oil on your skin will degrade the joint). Jig the parts up so that no movement can take place between the parts being soldered while the solder is cooling.

touch and go

My Feedback: (11)

Do a search right here on RCUniverse because there has been at least one other thread that covered this subject very well. My .02 worth--the copper wire that you use may have a thin layer of lacquer or other material on it to prevent tarnishing so be sure to go over it with some fine sandpaper to remove the lacquer so that the solder will properly adhere to the copper.

Ick

My Feedback: (68)

The biggest mistake people make while learning is they melt the solder with the heat souce. You want to heat the parts beeing soldered, then melt the solder with the parts, not the heat. This will ensure that you will not end up with a "cold solder joint".

rorywquin

Silver solder comes in lengths like brazing rods in different thicknesses and requires the correct (borax based??) flux. It is like a brazing rod but with a high silver content.

This is different to acid core solder!

If you do a search on the web there are many resources giving the correct silver solder techniques! The trick is clean surfaces, enough flux and getting the work hot enought to melt the solder - the flame should not melt the solder !

BillHarris

The Stabrite silver solder (or the Hobbico/etc equivilent) comes in rolls and is not like the silver-based brazing rod. It should be used with landing gear since it is a low-temperature rod and will not affect the temper of the musci wire.

_jon_

My Feedback: (4)

I would highly suggest the lil' kit of silver solder (Sta-brite I think)you can get at your local hobby shop. It's kind of expensive, around $8, but it has a nice coil of solder and flux included with it and there's enough there to do several silver soldering jobs. It works good with a regular propane torch. I bought this little kit after I tried silver solder rods and silver solder flux paste and a few other things that didn't work.

I silver soldered the LG on my DynaFlite Flybaby and it came out real good. It was my first silver soldering job. I matched up the 1/4" and 3/16" formed LG wires, cleaned it all real good with sandpaper, wrapped with a light gauge copper wire (18 gauge I think), applied the flux, then used a propane torch to heat up the LG. When it was good and warm, the silver solder flowed nicely into the joint and around the copper wire. It actually looked like a welded junction when it was done. Don't get the wire red hot, just get it warm enough to to melt the solder to the part.

Jon

rorywquin

Perhaps this will clarify the differences a bit ...........

I got it at this link :http://www.rcuniverse.com/rcarchive/38/2002/09/1/56092

Careful here...there is big difference between silver solder and silver solder. A welder would know silver solder as a silver bearing braze that flows at about 1000 degrees F or more and has a lot of strength. A modeler would more likely think StayBrite silver solder, which is a regular solder with a little bit of silver in it and it flows at about 400 degrees F. They are NOT the same thing.

StayBrite is easy to work with, flows well since it is pretty low temp, and is fairly strong for a solder. Also it is expensive. But it is not nearly as strong as the silver bearing braze that a welder calls silver solder.

In almost all modelling applications you can use lead free plumbing solder and it is plenty strong enough. You can use a 100 watt soldering iron for most applications. If you need the strength of a silver bearing braze, then use it, not Stay Brite. You will need a good propane torch, and a Mepps torch is even better.

elmshoot

My Feedback: (6)

The comments by Rory from the UK are all valid. But for 99.% of all model applications the Sta-Bright silver solder system is more than adiquate. It takes a lot fewer special tools than the true silver solder barzing system and is easier as well.
Go with the stay-Brite system.
Sparky

CurtD

My Feedback: (1)

I've used Stay brite for many years but recently I've found an alternative that I believe produces a stronger joint than Stay-brite, uses a non-acidic flux, and best of all, you can get it at Home Depot. Go to their plumbing section and look for a Oatey brand solder called "Safe Flo Silver Lead-free Solder". The flux for it is also Oatey brand called "H-20 Water Soluble Tinning Flux". Near as I can remember you can get a small kit that contains a 4-oz. roll of the solder with a small tin of flux for around $10.

I've used this stuff on several wire gears (the latest a Lanier 1/4 scale T-Craft) and the joints hold up to abuse better than Stay-brite. I haven't been able to confirm it but it the Oatey stuff appears to have a higher silver content than Stay-brite.

DMyer

My Feedback: (2)

"The Stabrite silver solder (or the Hobbico/etc equivilent) comes in rolls and is not like the silver-based brazing rod. It should be used with landing gear since it is a low-temperature rod and will not affect the temper of the musci wire."


Good advice from Mr Harris.... Real "High Silver content" rod requires much higher heat to melt and flow.... often "cherry red hot" depending on the silver content and other rod elements. This is not suitable at all for a landing gear that depends on the spring like temper of the hardened steel. StaBrite on a wire wrapped joint is perfect. My only other point is that I always use a 40 watt wide tip soldering iron... that and a larger 80 watt iron(not one of those crappy guns) are perfect for 99% of the non electrical wire soldering needs of our hobby. Many people with a torch will over-heat the joint and either ruin the temper of the part or create a weak joint. I have propane and acetelyne torches, but I save them for soldering plumbing pipes.

Last point... stabrite may be a bit expensive... but it lasts for years... My current batch is 90% gone but was purchased 6-7 years and many planes ago.

DMyer

My Feedback: (2)

Curtd wrote:

"I've used Stay brite for many years but recently I've found an alternative that I believe produces a stronger joint than Stay-brite, uses a non-acidic flux, and best of all, you can get it at Home Depot. Go to their plumbing section and look for a Oatey brand solder called "Safe Flo Silver Lead-free Solder". The flux for it is also Oatey brand called "H-20 Water Soluble Tinning Flux". Near as I can remember you can get a small kit that contains a 4-oz. roll of the solder with a small tin of flux for around $10."

CurtD, Is this stuff thin diameter like stabrite or standard plumbers diameter. Thanks.


Dan

wfortney99

My Feedback: (310)

I have better heat control with a 260/200 watt Weller Soldering Gun than a torch. Heat the parts to "draw" the solder to the joint components. In my hands a torch gets the metal too hot or not hot enough.

I also use steel wool to clean the mating surfaces and copper wire then I degrease the surfaces with G96 Gun Degreaser.

I have found Kester non-electrical acid core solder and Kester General Flux give me strong, constant, and smooth gear and cabane joints than"silver solder". I wash the acid off the joint with soapy water.

This is the same combo I use to solder brass conectors to the braided wire throttle and node gear cable.

4Stroker

My Feedback: (33)

Just curious - has anyone ever tried using the JB Weld compound in lieu of solder for a wire-to-wire connection such as LG or cabanes? This would include the usual wrapping with thin copper, with the JB pushed into the joint. Anyone?