Brass soldering is used when you need to connect small metal parts. For example, it is used in artistic forging during assembly general composition or in a home workshop. In this case, ornamental steel with a flat or square cross-section is most suitable, where the contact area is larger than that of round rods. In addition to the fact that brass can be used as a solder to solder parts made from this material, there are also some tricks to get a high-quality seam.

How to use brass solder

Before soldering can begin, the product must be assembled. To do this, individual parts are fastened together using metal wire (bindra). When the preparation is completed, everything is placed together in a gorg, where heating occurs until the metal is red-hot. Extreme care must be taken when laying. A poker is used to clear space in the coals for the product; the fuel remains on the grate in a fairly large and even layer. When working with coal, it is important to ensure that it does not fall on the forge, even in the smallest pieces. The blowing of the forge should not be strong in order to obtain uniform calcination.

As a rule, borax acts as a flux. Before application, it is moistened with water over the entire surface, after which soldering begins. Leaving the flux in place, take a rod of brass and run it where the connections should be. At this moment, the flame in the forge changes its color to green. During the soldering process, the product blank should not move or move from its original location. This will help to avoid accidental displacement of parts relative to each other, so as not to spoil the seam, both from the point of view of visual appeal and the reliability of the seam.

If the composition contains many elements, then welding occurs differently. In those places where soldering will be done, from the very beginning the brass is laid out in pieces, in the expectation that when heated it will begin to spread, as a result of which the parts will be held together.

Brass can be used in individual pieces, shavings or sawdust, sprinkled in the welding areas. At the same time, they must meet the requirements of purity so that there are no impurities or foreign inclusions. Iron filings and other small metal parts are removed using a magnet.

To solder smaller parts, clay with salt added to it is used as a fastening material. But when assembling individual parts, the wire used for fastening is not iron, but brass. After this, the product is sprinkled with borax, coated with clay and carefully placed on a sheet of metal, which is sent to the forge. You also need to blow lightly; the clay should be heated evenly. After it dries, the air supply becomes more active. Clay that has begun to crack indicates that the parts are securely fastened together. Soldering of individual parts occurs using brass wire, which at this point melts and holds the parts together. At the end of the process, the forge is turned off, the finished forged product must cool down. The final stage is to remove clay and flux, and remove excess solder with a file.

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Soldering brass with a gas torch

Quite often craftsmen wonder how to solder brass. If it is necessary to fasten brass parts, a slightly different technology is used. Brass parts lend themselves well to processing, soldering, after which they are specially blackened. Many people use tin as solder in this case: it is available in almost every workshop and is easily melted with a regular soldering iron.

The method is quite simple, but has significant disadvantages:

• the finished seam stands out against the background of brass with a white color, while it is not immediately thin and neat for everyone;
• the seam turns out to be fragile and cannot withstand bending;
• During the blackening process, both metals behave differently, the tin weld is different from the brass part in color, they have different shades.

Soldering using special solder for brass and flux will help to avoid such problems. As a result, the weld is difficult to distinguish from the base metal of the product by color; it is highly durable, and in its chemical composition it is much more similar to brass than tin.

Working with brass is more likely to be welding due to the high temperatures for which an ordinary soldering iron is not suitable, but it is commonly called soldering mainly due to the fact that solder is used.

First of all, the solder is prepared.

It consists of silver and copper in a ratio of 2:1, which must be fused together on a gas burner. Copper is more refractory, so you can start with it and then pour in the molten silver and mix with a wire bent into a hook. The finished solder is cooled, rolled out in a roller or on an anvil, and then cut into pieces. There are more affordable way: Using a coarse file, go over the casting to create shavings.

Next, flux is prepared. Powdered borax is mixed with powdered boric acid in equal parts of 20 g, after which it is poured with a glass of water. In order for the ingredients to dissolve well, it all needs to be boiled. As one of the options for use, it can be recommended to evaporate the water, calcinate the solid ready-made flux and grind it into powder, which is subsequently mixed with solder.

Soldering brass is a popular technology characterized by its universality of approach. As a working tool, you can use either a soldering iron or a gas torch. The process is not particularly complicated or has strict requirements. Having studied the features of the technology, the connection of brass products can be done even at home.

First of all, you need to familiarize yourself with the features of the procedure. This technology, as a method of creating permanent connections, is not as popular as soldering, since the strength of soldering is somewhat lower.

The formation of a weld occurs when a filler material called solder melts. After crystallization, the frozen composition reliably connects the workpieces.

A distinctive feature of soldering is the approach of impact on the working surface. When choosing solder, the main indicator is the melting temperature, which should be lower than that of the base metal. It does not change its state of aggregation, the properties remain unchanged. This allows you to connect workpieces with heterogeneous composition.

This is the difference between welding and soldering. When carrying out work, the weld pool includes the base metal and filler material. Together they form a seam, which invariably affects the quality of the metal that has been exposed to temperature. It is not without reason that when building a strip foundation, the frame is secured using wire rather than welding. Soldering does not affect the parameters of the base metal, which distinguishes it favorably from other joining technologies.

Let us highlight the main features of soldering:

• used as filler material;
• the products being connected do not melt;
• materials do not interact with each other;
• Suitable for connecting miniature elements.

The method is widely in demand in the field of high technology, due to the low temperature effect on the surface, which is the main indicator for temperature-sensitive components of boards and electronic circuits. Requirements for the quality of work are set out in GOST 17325-79.

Types of brass

There are two types of brass, differing in chemical composition:

1. Double. As the name suggests, the alloy consists of two elements - zinc and copper in varying proportions. Moreover, zinc plays the role of an alloying element. According to technical requirements, such compositions have special markings indicating the type of alloy and percentage elements. For example, L 63 is a two-component composition, with a copper mass fraction of 63%. The zinc content does not exceed 37%.
2. Multicomponent. Special formulations containing many impurities, the composition of which depends on the application. It is very difficult to select the optimal brass solder for such alloys, especially without knowing the exact ratio chemical elements in the composition.

Multicomponent alloys may include the following metals: aluminum, nickel, tin, manganese and others. Such compositions are often named by the name of the element with the highest content, for example, “aluminum brass”.

Fluxes

A competent choice of flux is the key to a quality connection. It cleans the surface of traces of oil, dirt and oxides and prepares it for soldering. Due to the characteristics of the material in question, it is not advisable to use neutral compounds based on alcohol and rosin. Experts recommend using active flux to effectively remove the oxide film.

An important factor is chemical composition alloy. For the classic two-component material L 63, it is enough to use a solution of zinc chloride in boric acid. For multi-component alloys, it is better to purchase a universal flux for working with brass - PV 209 and PV 209X. When choosing a ready-made composition, you should carefully study the instructions with recommendations for use.

Solder

Beginning craftsmen do not know which brass solder to choose to achieve the best results.

Let's look at the main brands:

1. For soldering brass and copper, experts recommend using solders of the copper-zinc group. When choosing, you should pay attention to the melting point. For example, for PMC-48 it is 880 Cº.
2. Copper-phosphorus solders of the MF group are distinguished by their affordable price. Performance characteristics are slightly lower than those of compositions with the addition of silver.
3. The PSR group of silver solders belongs to the hard grades. The resulting connection is highly resistant to mechanical and vibration loads.

When soldering steel with brass, they use L-63 alloy, which has proven itself best. Release form: brass wire for soldering. It is used exclusively for working with hard-melting materials.

Brass solders with flux deserve attention. Their cost is higher than that of classic compositions, but the price is compensated by ease of use and a reduction in the number of defects in work.

DIY cooking

Many craftsmen prefer to prepare solder with their own hands at home. A mixture of two parts silver and one part copper has proven to work best..

After taking measurements, the metal is melted in a crucible and by stirring it is achieved to obtain a homogeneous mass. Cooling takes place in cold water.

The finished solder is given required form, after which they are cleaned using a large file.

The optimal dimensions of the crucible are 20x20. Its basis can be graphite carbons from contact elements.

Soldering iron

The main difficulty in working with brass, as opposed to soldering other non-ferrous metals with a torch or soldering iron, is the oxide film that forms during the evaporation of zinc after heating the brass.

To solder this alloy using a soldering iron, you need a high-quality device with a power of at least 1000 W. This requirement is due to the high melting point of brass and the solders used. The exception is copper and brass alloys, whose melting point is much lower.

The best choice is a soldering station with a function for adjusting temperature parameters. The use of such equipment makes it easy to select optimal operating parameters without the risk of surface overheating.

Using the burner

You can use a gas torch to solder brass.. Special requirements are placed on the placement of the workpiece - it must be placed on a surface made of heat-resistant material.

The preparatory stage does not differ from a similar procedure before soldering with an electric soldering iron.

The process begins with gradual heating of the surface in order to increase the wetting properties of the solder. After this, the workpiece is heated to operating parameters, the achievement of which is characterized by the appearance of a characteristic red tint on the surface.

The use of flammable gas does not have any particular advantages over electrical power sources.

Stages of work

Step-by-step instructions for the process of soldering brass at home are as follows:

1. Cleaning and degreasing the joint.
2. Surface treatment with flux.
3. After completing the preparatory procedures, add solder, crushed to the state of chips, into the heating zone.
4. We begin gradual heating of the surface. It is important that the flame constantly moves to avoid overheating.
5. After forming the seam, we stop processing the workpiece and wait for it to cool under natural conditions.
6. Wash off the remaining flux.

The quality characteristics of a weld depend on the correct choice of consumables and filler materials, as well as compliance with the requirements for the technological process.

Conclusion

To obtain a high-quality connection, it is necessary to determine the composition of the brass. Based on the data obtained, he selects flux and solder for soldering. The work can be performed either with an electric soldering iron or with a gas torch.

Repairman of the 6th category Yaroslav Evgenievich Movchan. Experience – 13 years: « At work, I often encounter the need to carry out soldering work with simple grades of brass. I tried many formulations. As practice has shown, it is best to use fluxed silver solder with a metal content of 20%. The cost, of course, is high, but for critical work you can be sure of the reliability of the connection».

Taps, hardware, pipes, decorative interior items and many other products are made from brass. This material is obtained by fusing copper, zinc (in different proportions) and various additives.

Soldering brass ensures a reliable and high-quality connection of parts. Soldering involves the use of a special tool in the form of a gas torch, as well as solder made from a mixture of tin and lead. In some cases, tin alone is used to make brass solder.

In the presence of necessary tools and materials, and after learning the basic techniques for handling brass, you can start soldering this material yourself.

Soldering brass products has several features. This technology involves the use of specially prepared solder, which is introduced into the gap between the parts and plays the role of a “grasping” element. In addition, the equipment through which the solder material is melted is essential.

Typically, a gas torch is used for soldering, which ensures that the solder wire melts at temperatures lower than the melting point of the brass itself. Using this technology, it is possible to reliably solder individual workpieces of similar or dissimilar materials in structure.

In some cases, the use of brass soldering is the only possible way obtaining permanent contacts.

It is unacceptable to compare soldering with welding procedures in which each of the metals being fused is subject to melting. In this case, only hard solder with tin is exposed to thermal effects, and the condition of the parts being connected remains unchanged.

This feature allows you to process brass products of very small size and weight without causing any damage to them.

When carrying out soldering, it must be taken into account that this process involves the use of softer consumables than when welding. As a result, the joints obtained by soldering are considered less strong compared to welded seams.

In cases of working with brass, zinc completely evaporates from the solder body (due to its strong heating), as a result of which the seam becomes porous, which significantly reduces the quality of the joint formed.

In addition, when soldering brass parts, it is important to correctly select their relative position (in this case, preference is given to “overlapping” joints).

Application

Modern technologies for processing copper and zinc alloys are widely in demand in such industries as:

• electronics and electrical engineering;
• instrument making and tool production;
• production of refrigeration and ventilation equipment.

If you have everything you need (solder of the required quality, flux and soldering torch), you can tin the brass surfaces in order to protect them from corrosive destruction. The tinning procedure is also in demand when repairing heating and plumbing systems made on a brass basis.

Depending on the type of solder used for soldering, connections are divided into high- and low-temperature. This division allows the use of more refractory joints for soldering workpieces operated at high temperatures.

Use is not possible at home, since this situation requires special equipment.

Features of soldering homogeneous workpieces

IN living conditions Often there is a need to solder two brass blanks of the same structure. In this case, the correct choice of flux composition, which differs from the traditional combination of rosin and alcohol, becomes of paramount importance.

Due to the low activity of the components, a conventional composition will not be able to dissolve the oxide film that forms on the surface of brass. So for the soldering option under consideration, a more active flux based on chlorine and zinc will be required.

All the details of its preparation can be found in the table, which shows several types of zinc chloride mixtures.

In addition to the types of flux considered, when soldering brass, compositions based on borax and potassium fluoride-boron salt can be used. Mixtures prepared from them occupy no more than 5% of the total volume of the solder bath and have excellent activity indicators.

Activity refers to the ability to create ideal conditions for penetration of molten solder into the gaps between parts during soldering.

Along with the problem considered, we should not forget about a competent approach to the selection of solder supplied to the joint in the form of calibrated wire of one composition or another.

In the case where soldered brass products are intended to be used in a gas environment, it is advisable to use special types of solders made on the basis of copper phosphate and silver alloys. They are also suitable for soldering red brass with a high percentage of copper content.

Sometimes wire made from brass itself is used as solder. However, in this case, it is possible to solder a brass part only if the melting point of the brass wire is lower than the same indicator for the workpieces being processed.

General procedure

Before you start soldering brass parts yourself, you should thoroughly clean them of foreign deposits and contaminants. Next, you need to place them on a fire-resistant substrate, the function of which can be performed by river pebbles poured into an old bucket.

The general procedure for soldering brass can be represented as follows.

During the soldering process, overheating of the workpieces is unacceptable, which can cause their deformation. In general, independent brass soldering is not something completely inaccessible.

To master this technology, it is enough to correctly select all the necessary Consumables and follow the given recommendations exactly.

The method of strong soldering of products made of various metals is carried out by heating the soldered parts with a gas burner and using brass as solder. With the widespread use of copper car radiators, soldering with brass was the only reliable way to eliminate leaks. This type of soldering is widely used in the manufacture and repair of household and industrial equipment and air conditioners. In addition, brass soldering allows you to securely fasten refractory cutting parts to the body of a cutter or drill string. Soldering with brass allows you to assemble small art products hand forged (chandeliers, fireplace grates, etc.).

Materials and tools

• sandpaper and files for cleaning parts;
• various vices and clamps;
• holding hand tool(pliers, long-nose pliers, etc.);
• liquids for degreasing and washing and removing scale from finished seams (acid solutions);
• fireproof gloves and others individual means protection used during welding work.

Brass soldering process

Precautionary measures

In our practice we often have to deal with brass parts. They are well processed, soldered and then blackened. Most people solder brass with a regular soldering iron. tin solder. This method, along with its simplicity, has three serious drawbacks: the seam turns out white, noticeable, and few people manage to immediately make this seam thin; the seam turns out to be relatively weak; when bent, it can easily come apart; When blackened, tin may behave differently than brass and the weld will turn out to be a completely different color or shade. This article will tell you about the method of soldering brass using a gas torch with special solder and flux. The resulting weld is practically indistinguishable in color from the main parts, very durable and chemically much closer to brass than tin.

For soldering you need:
- gas-burner;
- asbestos base;
- graphite crucible (bath);
- silver;
- copper;
- borax;
- boric acid.

First you need to make solder. It will consist of 2 parts silver and 1 part copper. You need to fuse silver and copper (where can you get silver? - Do you know silver spoons? They are ideal). This can be done using the same gas burner. We weigh out the amount of silver and copper we need, place them in a graphite crucible and heat it with a burner. The crucible can be made from trolleybus contacts; there are a lot of them lying around at the final stops. The crucible size is approximately 20x50mm. A 5x40mm semicircular groove is selected to make it easier to remove the resulting bead of solder; to do this, lower the still hot crucible into water. When both metals melt, mix them with a steel wire - a hook. In principle, you can first melt copper (as a more refractory metal), and then add silver to the melt. Or vice versa - whoever likes it more.

The arrow shows the graphite bath. It is located in a brick "furnace".

That's it, the solder is ready. Let it cool, roll it out in a roller or flatten it on an anvil, then cut it into small pieces. You can simply grind the casting into shavings with a coarse file.

Now the flux. Take about 20 grams of borax (powder), the same amount of boric acid (powder), mix and pour a glass of water. Boil (to better dissolve the ingredients). That's it, the flux is ready. This amount of flux will last for the rest of your life. There is no need to worry about it being chemically hazardous. Boric acid is quite passive and does not harm your fingers or tools. In principle, you can evaporate the water, calcinate the already solid flux, crush it into powder and mix it with solder. The result is a dry mixture of solder and flux. But this is not for everybody.

Soldering process. You need to solder on something heat-resistant. Plates from the Buran's skin are best suited for this. But if Buran doesn’t fly over you, then you can get by with an asbestos plate. We place our parts to be soldered on it, moisten it with flux, sprinkle it with solder shavings (you only need a little bit of it) and begin to slowly heat it up. First, a little bit, so that the solder grabs the parts being soldered a little, then until red (approximately 700 degrees for this type of solder). Solder easily flows into the cracks between the parts and solders them tightly. At this stage, there are the following dangers: since the difference in the melting temperature of solder and brass parts is only about 50 degrees, you must be careful not to overheat them. Otherwise you will just get one big ingot. We must remember that small parts (for example, brass wire) heat up much faster than massive ones. Therefore, be careful. In this case, it is necessary to heat the entire structure slowly so that the large part has time to warm up.

The parts became red hot.

The resulting seam has almost the same color as the parts being soldered. This is due to the diffusion of the base metal into the solder as a result of soldering. Therefore, the same solder can be used when soldering silver - the seam will be white.

The last stage is washing the product from flux residues, which remains on the product in the form of glassy drops and sagging. To get rid of them you need ready product rinse in hot 3% sulfuric acid (or 15% when soldering gold). You can do this on a gas stove by placing a quartz glass test tube with dilute acid on it. The product is simply lowered into it for a short time (it must first be tied to something that does not interact with the acid) and then washed with running water.

I foresee the question: “Why can’t I use a soldering iron?” The answer is very simple: the melting temperature of solder is about 700 degrees, and a soldering iron can only give 200-250 degrees.
Those who have not used a gas burner before may ask, how long does a gas cylinder last? For normal use, consumption can be calculated at 1 liter per year.