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| Definitions |
| What is the difference between soldering, brazing and welding? |
Soldering - The AWS defines soldering as a group of joining processes that
produce coalescence of materials by heating them to the soldering temperature and by using
a filler metal (solder) having a liquidus not exceeding 840ºF (450ºC), and below the
solidus of the base metals.
Brazing - Brazing joins materials by heating them in the
presence of a filler metal having a liquidus above 840ºF (450ºC) but below the solidus
of the base metal.
Welding - In welding, fusion takes place with melting of both the base metal and
usually a filler metal. |
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| What is the difference between a typical chemical certification and an actual chemical certification? |
| A typical certification states that the material
will fall within chemical limits of the designated specification if tested. Actual
certification states that each element in the designated specification was tested for and
the result of those tests are listed on the certification. |
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| Soldering |
| What can be used to clean soldering iron tips? |
| Ammonium chloride (a.k.a. salimoniac), in a bar or liquid form. (This
product is not offered by Harris Products Group.) |
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| What products can be used when soldering in lead-free applications? |
| Harris Products Group has several lead-free solders, including: Stay-Brite®,
Stay-Brite® 8, Bridgit® and 95/5. |
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| What is "babbit"
solder? |
| A tin-based bearing solder. (This product is not offered by Harris Products Group) |
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| How many feet per
pound in Harris Products Group solders? |
The following is an approximate figure for solid solder:
1/32" = 391'
3/64" = 181'
1/16" = 104'
3/32" = 46'
1/8" = 26' |
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| Brazing |
| How many troy ounces are
there in one pound? |
| 14.583 troy ounces = 1 avoirdupois pound (16 oz.). |
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| I have some very old
silver brazing wire and want to know if it can be used with the same results as new
silver brazing wire? |
| Yes, the braze has the same result with no loss in strength.
However, all the oxides must be cleaned off the outside of the old silver with a steel
wool pad before it is used. |
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| What is the tensile
strength of a brazed joint? |
Joint strength depends on several factors: clearance between parts, base
metal composition, service temperature and joint quality (low voids, good penetration).
Joint design will also affect strength.
The bulk tensile strength of silver braze
alloys is 40,000-70,000 psi. When brazing copper-based alloys, failure will occur in
the copper or brass. For copper this is usually the annealed strength of the copper
alloy. When brazing steel or other ferrous metals, joint strength over 70,000 psi
can be achieved under the right conditions.
Keep in mind that braze joints are primarily lap type joints, so strength is a
combination of tensile and shear. Joint strength is directly influenced by the above
mentioned factors. The only way to accurately determine tensile or other values is
to test the brazed assembly. |
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| How many inches per pound of brazing material? |
| See chart. |
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| What do I use to braze (zinc-coated) steel? |
| The galvanized coating has to be removed from any areas that may affect
the brazement. If not removed, the zinc may melt and combine with the filler metal.
Use Safety-Silv® 45 or 56 with Stay-Silv® White Flux on the
steel. |
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| What braze alloy can be used for silver jewelry? |
| Safety-Silv 56 provides the best color match. |
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| Does Harris Products Group carry any products that contain cadmium? |
| No, cadmium fumes are dangerous. For user safety Harris Products Group only
manufactures cadmium-free alloys. See the Cadmium Alloy Replacement Chart for
recommended replacements for cadmium alloys. |
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| Welding |
| How many inches per pound of welding wire? |
| See chart. |
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| What do I do if I have porosity? |
| See Welding Trouble Shooting Guide. |
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| Aluminum |
| How do I prevent color change in the weld when annodizing? |
| When annodizing, it is recommended that the 4000 series aluminum welding filler metals not be used. The silicon content in these filler metals causes the weld to darken when annodized. |
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| Cast Iron |
| What electrode is recommended for best machinability? |
| Use Welco 94 & Nic-L-Weld 99. |
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| Can cast iron be silver brazed? If so, which silver brazing alloy would be best suited for joining this metal? |
| Cast iron is not easily silver brazed, but if this is preferred, a suggestion would be to use Safety-Silv® 50N with Stay-Silv® Black Flux. |
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| What rod is suitable for cast iron? |
| See Welco 99-T |
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| Copper-Base Alloys |
| What procedure should be used for brazing an oxygen line? |
| For copper to copper, use Stay-Silv® 15. Do not use flux. Purge the line with nitrogen to prevent scale build up. For copper to brass or steel, use Safety-Silv 45 with Stay-Silv White Brazing Flux. |
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| What is the best color match for welding copper base metals? |
| There is no exact color match for copper base metals, however the following should allow for the closest color match possible: Aluminum Bronze A2 = yellow tint Phos Bronze C = red tint Silicon Bronze = gold copper (like a shiny penny) Note: Be aware of the lead and zinc content in the base metal. These elements can make the material more difficult to weld. |
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| Experiencing difficulty when MIG welding copper? |
| The most common problem is insufficient heat input. Due to the rapid dissipation of the copper alloys, suggested preheat must be maintained, not just in the weld area but uniformly in the base metal adjacent to that area. Other possiblities are listed in the Welding Touble Shooting Guide. |
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| Dissimilar Applications |
| Join copper or brass to mild steel? |
| Solder - Use Stay-Brite® with Stay-Clean® Flux. Brazing - Use Safety-Silv® 45, 45T or 56. Never use a phos copper. Welding - Use Silicon Bronze or Aluminum Bronze A2. |
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| Brazing stainless steel,tool steel or carbide tip? |
| Use Safety-Silv® 40Ni2 or 50N with Stay-Silv® Black Flux. Recommended for strength, due to nickel, and to prevent corrosion in crevices. If Ag Clad 40Ni2 is used, it will offer greater shock resistance. |
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| Welding copper to stainless steel? |
| Difficult to weld. Use Aluminum Bronze A2. |
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| Brazing cast iron to steel? |
| Use Welco 40FC. |
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| What electrode should be used to weld cast iron to steel? |
| Use Welco 65 or Nic-L-Weld 59. |
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| Joining aluminum to copper? |
Solder - Alsolder 500 and Stay-Clean® Aluminum Flux. Brazing - Not recommended.
Use steel transition piece between aluminum and copper.
Coat on steel end with aluminum. Braze coated steel to aluminum with Al-braze 1070. Braze uncoated end to copper with a Safety-Silv® brazing alloy. |
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| Flux |
| Does Harris have a non-corrosive soldering flux? |
| Yes, see Welco 505 flux on the Flux Chart. |
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| What is the procedure for removing Stay Clean® Flux residue? |
- Soak soldered parts in two ounces tri-sodium phosphate or bicarbonate soda added to one gallon of water heated to 120ºF.
- Rinse in detergent treated water, heated to 120ºF.
- Rinse in clean water heated to 120ºF.
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| What is the procedure for removing ® Flux residue? |
| Stay-Silv Flux can usually be removed by washing or immersing the part in water immediately after brazing. Brushing in conjunction with water quench may help remove stubborn residue. If water isn't sufficient, use a stainless steel brush, jets of steam, emory cloth or blast cleaning. Chemical removal may be necessary. A mild acid solution of 10 - 25% by volume hydrochloric or phosphoric acid is often effective. Heat solution to 120 - 150ºF. Neutralize in solution of soda ash and water, followed by a clear water rinse. |
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| How much Stay-Clean® Flux will be required? |
| Approximately 2 oz. per pound of solder. |
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| How do I know what flux to use? |
For silver brazing alloys such as: Stay-Silv® 0, 5, 15, Dynaflow or Safety-Silv® 40T, 45, 56, etc., use Stay-Silv® White Flux. If heating is prolonged or you're brazing stainless steel or tungsten carbide use Stay-Silv® Black Flux.
Note: Do not use phosphorus bearing alloys to braze steel. Use only on copper or brass.
For soldering with Stay-Brite®, 95/5, or tin/lead alloys use Stay-Clean® Liquid or Paste Flux. The liquid is an active zinc chloride/hydrochloric acid flux designed for use on copper, brass, steel, stainless steel, copper nickel or nickel. The paste is a milder zinc chloride/ammonium chloride flux designed for use on copper or brass. Paste is often used in soldering copper tube because the flux will stay in place when applied.
For soldering with Bridgit® lead-free solder use Bridgit® paste flux for copper plumbing tube applications. If you need a water soluble plumbing flux, use Bridgit® Water Soluble Paste Flux.
For additional information refer to the flux chart. |
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| What is the shelf-life of Stay-Clean® Flux? |
| Stay-Clean Flux has an indefinite shelf life. |
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| What is the shelf-life of Stay-Silv® White and Black Flux? |
| Stay-Silv Flux has a minimum shelf-life of 1 year from the date of manufacturing in unopened containers. Flux is often useable beyond this time period. If flux dries out add water and stir to make a paste. |
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| Nickel Base Alloys |
| What brazing filler metal should be used to join nickel alloys? |
| Use 50N or 40Ni2 but make sure service conditions are suitable for a braze alloy. |
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| Stainless Steel |
| What should be used for atmosphere brazing stainless to stainless? |
| Use a zinc-free alloy. Harris Products Group no longer offers any zinc-free silver brazing alloys. |
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| What filler metal should be used for welding 4130 or 4140 (Chrome Moly)? |
Welding of both 4130 or 4140 is complicated and requires the user to develop a procedure based on the application.
For an application that is to be heat treated afterwards, use 4130. A preheat is required to control cracking and to reduce hardness in heat affected zone. For up to 1/2" thick material preheat to a minimum of 400ºF. For 1/2" - 1" thick, a minimum of 500ºF. Over 1" thick will require a minimum of 550ºF. For heat treatment procedures, contact base metal manufacturer for procedure.
For an application that will not be heat treated afterwards, use 80S-D2 or 70S-2 depending on application. Consult base metal manufacturer for best option. |
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