silver soldering vs brazing

[93 FORD BRONCO]

im not sure if there is a differance between the two but if there is can aomebody clarify for me?

[Szczerba]

I believe it just the difference between the "welding" material used. Both use a torch of some sort to heat the metals.
Silver solder is a ~50% silver infused metal rod and brazing is usually bronze rod. I dont' know all the differences in holding capabilities. I have used solid bronze rod with some luck. It's alot cheaper than silver solder.

Someone correct me if I am wrong.

[qld_tuber]

siver solder is used more for joining copper pipe and braze is for steel and mild metal and for aluminium if you get the right flux. siver solder is way too expensive aswell for the same strenth bond.

[War Pig]

Thats wrong. Plumbing solder is for joining copper pipe and has a melting point below 500 degrees...you dont want to use it to build a crawler. Silver solder is usually 50% silver (hence the high price) and has a melting point of around 800 degrees, and can join steel, stainless, copper, and brass. It is by far the best for making a tuber or other accessories. Brazing rod melts in the 1200 to 1400 degree range and just doesnt make as nice or clean of a joint. I use Harris Safety Silv 45 exclusively and believe it to be the best out there.

[yoda@4x4]

Originally Posted by War Pig

Thats wrong. Plumbing solder is for joining copper pipe and has a melting point below 500 degrees...you dont want to use it to build a crawler. Silver solder is usually 50% silver (hence the high price) and has a melting point of around 800 degrees, and can join steel, stainless, copper, and brass. It is by far the best for making a tuber or other accessories. Brazing rod melts in the 1200 to 1400 degree range and just doesnt make as nice or clean of a joint. I use Harris Safety Silv 45 exclusively and believe it to be the best out there.

How do you heat the silver solder with a regular solder gun or do you something different?

[Nate08]

Originally Posted by yoda@4x4

How do you heat the silver solder with a regular solder gun or do you something different?

I use a Mapp Gas torch from home depot, works well for brakeline.

Others like Tim use an Oxy/Accetalene setup with a brazing tip

[sloppy]

the big differences are cost, finish, and heat applied.

the actual touch you use to do the work is pretty much the same. IMO if your gonna learn on something I would learn with brazing rod its a hell of allot cheaper and clean up is not really that awful bad..

[JohnRobHolmes]

My understanding is that the working tempurature is different. Soldering is low temp, 500f and under. Generally the filler is made of zinc, tin, silver, and/ or lead. Brazing is hotter, but under the melting point of the base metal. Brazing fillers are just different alloys as compared to soldering fillers. Once you start melting the base material it is considered welding, and the filler will be matched to the base material and properties needed.

[93 FORD BRONCO]

how much is silver solder and where can i buy it?

[Highmark]

Harris Safety Silv - -Same stuff as War Pig uses. Also comes in 56 which has a higher percent of silver and flows better.

Flux -

You can get by with a cheap MAPP torch from Lowes - you can buy steel there as well.


Get your joint setup, clean the pieces, apply flux, apply heat with the torch until the steal turns cherry red and fed in some the solder. The solder will flow where the flux is so try to keep your joints "clean". Done deal

[93 FORD BRONCO]

how much solder come in that roll i looks like one loop and where can i buy those at ? can i get those both at lowes

[yoda@4x4]

So you us solder spool not a brazing rod of silver right and your base mapp gas hand torch at lowes...

[gomery12]

Brazing occurs at melting temps above 840 degrees, Soldering is below that temp, directly out of my welding textbook. Brazing requires the use of gases (acetylene, mapp, propane) plus oxygen to achieve a flame hot enough to melt brazing material and join your materials. With flux you can put it directly on the brazing rod or buy rods that have flux on them, we use brass rods with flux for our class. The flux prevents oxides from forming while the metal is heated. The flux also cleans any contamination left on the brazing surfaces. Flux has a lower melting point then the rod and therefore goes where you have your heat going to. Just my .02

[Highmark]

Originally Posted by 93 FORD BRONCO

how much solder come in that roll i looks like one loop and where can i buy those at ? can i get those both at lowes

#1. It says in the link - read. That's enough to build a basic chassis.

#2. I literally just posted a link to a store that you can use to purchase this product, what do we do at stores?

#3 No. You can't get it at Lowes, why would I take the time to post a link to an online store if you can buy it at Lowes?

Originally Posted by yoda 4x4

So you us solder spool not a brazing rod of silver right and your base mapp gas hand torch at lowes...

You what, what?

Jesus Christ ...

[93 FORD BRONCO]

Originally Posted by yoda@4x4

So you us solder spool not a brazing rod of silver right and your base mapp gas hand torch at lowes...

this confuses me.

[Nate08]

Originally Posted by yoda@4x4

So you us solder spool not a brazing rod of silver right and your base mapp gas hand torch at lowes...

Bingo. Just don't forget the flux

[93 FORD BRONCO]

Originally Posted by Highmark

#1. It says in the link - read. That's enough to build a basic chassis.

#2. I literally just posted a link to a store that you can use to purchase this product, what do we do at stores?

#3 No. You can't get it at Lowes, why would I take the time to post a link to an online store if you can buy it at Lowes?




You what, what?

Jesus Christ ...

i hate buyin online its just easier to go to the store and buy it thats y i asked

[Nate08]

Originally Posted by 93 FORD BRONCO

i hate buyin online its just easier to go to the store and buy it thats y i asked

Lowes and the other boxes don't carry what you need for this. They do carry the flux coated rods, but trust me you don't want to use those, they don't flow well at the temps you get with a mapp torch, and half the time you end up buring off all the flux before you get the rod itself even close to it's melting point.

If you have a welding supply store local to you they may have the Harris products in stock or be able to order them for you.

Personally, I order SaftySilv 45 and the flux from www.weldingsupply.com only once have they not shipped my order the same or next business day.

[93 FORD BRONCO]

i have a propane torch. will this work or does it have to be mapp gas

[gomery12]

Originally Posted by 93 FORD BRONCO

i have a propane torch. will this work or does it have to be mapp gas

Not sure it would be hot enough to melt the brazing material, that is why oxygen is need to increase the temps of the gases.