[Noisebridge-discuss] soldering copper sheet metal

[jim]

     yes. I've cut small pieces of 30 gauge and also 24
gauge and have tried to tin them (tin 'em first, then
solder them together, yes?) with horrid results: a dark
brown crust develops that shows little round pin-head
sized circles and the solder just sits in a ball and
then rolls off.
     I've used two different types of flux and various
types of solder (tin-lead, silver...).
     I've gotten the copper bright red with a propane
torch. I've used a soldering iron.
     I've washed them with alcohol, paint thinner, and
muriatic acid; I've also washed them with a solution
of lye and sodium carbonate and borax. I've sanded
them with fine and with coarse paper, by hand and
with an orbital sander.

     In the past I've soldered electronic circuits and
copper pipe successfully.
     A couple of experienced people say it sounds like
the surface of the copper sheets is contaminated, but
golly! After all that scrubbing and washing and flux
and heating?



On 11/01/2015 03:08 AM, Cere Davis wrote:
>
> So ur just trying to solder copper to copper?
>
> On Oct 25, 2015 4:37 PM, "jim" <jim at well.com <mailto:jim at well.com>> wrote:
>
>
>         I've soldered electronics and plumbing and
>     am stuck trying to solder copper sheet metal.
>     I've used a soldering iron and a propane torch.
>     I've used alcohol, acetone, and paint thinner
>     to clean the copper as well as fine and coarse
>     sandpaper to clean the surfaces. I'm using
>     electronic flux (haven't yet tried plumbing
>     flux).
>         The soldering is not working: solder does
>     not flow or adhere to the copper, and there's
>     a brown residue that appears after heating.
>     Using a torch for forty or fifty seconds
>     results in flame that does not immediately
>     expire.
>
>         Anybody got tips?
>
>
>
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