Soldering Stainless steel

http://www.airgas.com/browse/product.aspx?Msg=RecID&recIds=144145&WT.svl=144145

But what would you think about using this instead of the 56% rod you posted and the Stay-Silv flux?

It's 56% Silver with a flux coating? I've used the 45% with flux coating to solder copper to carbon steel and it worked and flowed so easily.

I've been absent from the forums for a while, so here's my "stupid" question. Would it be worthwhile to solder a stainless coupler onto an aluminum pot? Or is that a bad idea? Thanks.

mmurray said:

http://www.airgas.com/browse/product.aspx?Msg=RecID&recIds=144145&WT.svl=144145

But what would you think about using this instead of the 56% rod you posted and the Stay-Silv flux?

It's 56% Silver with a flux coating? I've used the 45% with flux coating to solder copper to carbon steel and it worked and flowed so easily.

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That would be fine I suppose. Though I would probably still use the paste flux too. It helps protect the area around the weld as well as makes the puddle flow a little better. I used it on the inside and outside of my keg when brazing my fittings.

Brewin_Bob said:

I've been absent from the forums for a while, so here's my "stupid" question. Would it be worthwhile to solder a stainless coupler onto an aluminum pot? Or is that a bad idea? Thanks.

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Looks like there is product out there.
http://www.harrisproductsgroup.com/consumables/alloys.asp?id=5

They carry the solder and the flux.

When I experimented silver soldering a few months ago, I was using an Oxy acetylene torch, the stay clean flux, and standard plumbing solder and the results were pretty crappy. I was thinking about this post today and gave it another try. This time I was using a propane torch and I was getting some decent results! There was actual metal to metal bonding of the solder! The one thing that totally screwed me in my previous attempt was the lack of sanding! I sanded the parts today and had instant success.


I did not clean them up, but I was pretty satisfied with the results and the ease of this. I may practice a little more and give a keg a try.

Yes. Clean it very well, sand the edges you want to bond, flux well and use moderate heat. When the flux starts to turn color its burning off.

Don't let the flux drip or run down a polished kettle. It leaves a mark.

Needed to beef up my kettle drain hole so I soldered a stainless washer TO the kettle. Worked like a champ.

im in the process of making a electric brew pot with a pid controller.My plan was to buy a stainless steal nuts and take it to a weld shop and have it welded for the heating element and the thermocouple. Would this silver solder work for me?Could I drill a hole a hole a little biger than the the diameter of the threads and braise the inside and outside of the tank. Then thread the heating element and thermocouple well into the nuts . I want to be able to replace the element if it ever goes bad?? Right? Thanks for the help!

doug1395 said:

im in the process of making a electric brew pot with a pid controller.My plan was to buy a stainless steal nuts and take it to a weld shop and have it welded for the heating element and the thermocouple. Would this silver solder work for me?Could I drill a hole a hole a little biger than the the diameter of the threads and braise the inside and outside of the tank. Then thread the heating element and thermocouple well into the nuts . I want to be able to replace the element if it ever goes bad?? Right? Thanks for the help!

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a stainless 1" Npt female couple may be a better option than the nut. That way you can solder it through the wall. You won't get 100% metal to metal contact with a nut.

doug1395 said:

im in the process of making a electric brew pot with a pid controller.My plan was to buy a stainless steal nuts and take it to a weld shop and have it welded for the heating element and the thermocouple. Would this silver solder work for me?Could I drill a hole a hole a little biger than the the diameter of the threads and braise the inside and outside of the tank. Then thread the heating element and thermocouple well into the nuts . I want to be able to replace the element if it ever goes bad?? Right? Thanks for the help!

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You could likely solder a fitting for an electric element. Bargain fittings sells the stainless nuts and gaskets to install an element w/out welding. I would think that is a pretty good "weldless" method.

ok thanks alot

inspector13 said:

How well would the Mapp gas work with the silver solder?

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MAAP gas will work very well. Silver solder should melt at about 400*. Silver braze melts at about 1100*.

MAAP runs at about 5300*
ACETYLENE runs at about 5500*
PROPANE runs at abour 4500*

MAAP and ACETYLENE are very close. I have heard that MAAP will go away once it runs out. They aren't going to make it any more. Any truth to this? Seems like it has been rumored for a while.

Gonna have to start running PROPYLENE for fuel I guess.

This is awesome! I've sweated copper with decent results, but I think I overheated the joint because I got discoloration, charring, etc.

I assume SS is the same as copper; you're indirectly heating the joint and just lightly touching solder to the point you want to join, right? Swagman, how would you use an iron (clothes iron, right?) to do this...just turn the steam off, crank it on high, and maintain contact with the fitting?

ScubaSteve said:

This is awesome! I've sweated copper with decent results, but I think I overheated the joint because I got discoloration, charring, etc.

I assume SS is the same as copper; you're indirectly heating the joint and just lightly touching solder to the point you want to join, right? Swagman, how would you use an iron (clothes iron, right?) to do this...just turn the steam off, crank it on high, and maintain contact with the fitting?

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Ummm, I think he meant a soldering iron?

150W soldering iron...

Stupid question, I know ....that's why I had to ask.....but we DO use a lot of things for unintended purposes in homebrewing.

Hang Glider said:

150W soldering iron...

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That toy's 10 times underpowered to melt any solder with the mass of a coupling plus the surface area of a keg pulling the heat away too fast for a properly melted solder temp that's needed. Harsh yes sorry. I used a Weller 325 watt as a demo vs that 150 watt posted above with a friend while laughing before the lack of results and the failed test became final. I went to O/A with a 000 tip, a soft flame with successful results but you must move rather fast or overheat. This would require starting over recleaning to a bright finish again before starting over again. With the natural gas torch and compressed air a lot lower temp plus better heat control worked best. This torch is made to run off NG and compressed.

So I bought a hole saw just a bit too big for mounting my element in my SS kettle. So I took the nut from bargainfittings with me to Home Depot today and bought the right sized one. Got home and....

PUT THE WRONG ONE IN MY BIT and drilled the hole too big ANYWAY!

So I really had not choice but trying the soldering. I soldered it up, and...

HAD A LEAK (not unexpected) redid that edge of the nut.

NO LEAKS!

YAY thank you for this thread

Grimster said:

So I bought a hole saw just a bit too big for mounting my element in my SS kettle. So I took the nut from bargainfittings with me to Home Depot today and bought the right sized one. Got home and....

PUT THE WRONG ONE IN MY BIT and drilled the hole too big ANYWAY!

So I really had not choice but trying the soldering. I soldered it up, and...

HAD A LEAK (not unexpected) redid that edge of the nut.

NO LEAKS!

YAY thank you for this thread

Click to expand...

Glad you could save the install. Can you post some pictures?

BargainFittings said:

Glad you could save the install. Can you post some pictures?

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Haha my soldering is really nasty and I haven't cleaned it up, but I can try and get some when I'm home tonight, just no jokes about how horribly nasty it looks, it does seem to work nasty looking or not!

That is all that is important. It works. You can always hide it with insulation.

Wayne what size was that coupler that you soldered into the pot?

Skins_Brew said:

Wayne what size was that coupler that you soldered into the pot?

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I have soldered in 1/2" NPT half and full couplings.

Grimster said:

Haha my soldering is really nasty and I haven't cleaned it up, but I can try and get some when I'm home tonight, just no jokes about how horribly nasty it looks, it does seem to work nasty looking or not!

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We'll you can make fun of my first try if anyone does make fun of it.

I agree, for my first attempt, I soldered 6 fittings on my HLT. Took about 4 hours but they got progressively better as I went along.

Any consensus on what is the best flux to use? I had two types a small bottle that worked best ran out after 3 joints. I used some myriatic acid and the other flux to finish up but did not work as well.

BargainFittings said:

Looks like there is product out there.
http://www.harrisproductsgroup.com/consumables/alloys.asp?id=5

They carry the solder and the flux.

Click to expand...

Just to be sure... That stuff is food safe, right?

I have something for restoring old auto parts called Muggy Weld, that looks to operate the exact same way. I would be leery of using it if it had any dangerous components.

Homercidal said:

Just to be sure... That stuff is food safe, right?

I have something for restoring old auto parts called Muggy Weld, that looks to operate the exact same way. I would be leery of using it if it had any dangerous components.

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I had a half dozen different fluxes, solders, and flux core solders in my tool chest, only 1 solder and the first flux I looked at were drinking water safe! So read the labels it should say!

Too bad it was my BIGGEST solder, had to heat up the nut pretty hot to get it to work. All my thinner solders were cored and NOT safe.

So yeah pay close attention we don't want no one getting sick! or worse.

Homercidal said:

Just to be sure... That stuff is food safe, right?

I have something for restoring old auto parts called Muggy Weld, that looks to operate the exact same way. I would be leery of using it if it had any dangerous components.

Click to expand...

If unsure contact the manufacturer for that information.

Wayne,

Did you have to turn the coupler on a lathe in order to make it fit into your hole or do you have an step bit that was able to do it? The largest my step bit goes is 1/2" (i think), but the coupler is actually a little bigger.

what do you guys mean when you talking about " coupler " are you talking about a compression fitting ??? or just a threaded 1/2 in. pipe

I guess its technically a 'coupling' but this is what we are referring to....

The correct terminology is coupling. Coupler is used a lot though and is understood.

I have a step bit that goes up to 1 1/8" so I just drilled out to fit the coupling.

I was hesitant about replying to this thread ,but i have something that might help.
I know you`ve seen the thread on "The Tool"

Well I don`t have machine shop capabilities at home so...
I took a 1/2in. coupling and on a bench grinder sharpened it to a point.


A 1in. coupling I cleaned the threads out and kind of rounded off with a dremmel tool. A piece of 5/8 all thread and a couple flat washers and made this.



I drilled a 7/8 hole in the keg ,put the tapered coupling inside ,the 1in. coupling on the outside and (after coating everything with 3 in 1 oil pulled the coupling through the hole.
Then switched out for the new coupling and pulled it through the hole.

I ended up with this. should be real easy to solder.
of course i clean every thing with denatured alcohol.



Disclaimer : The 1in. coupling was galvanized,and the keg was a test piece ,I will find a stainless 1in. coupling before i do the final.

Nice handy work! That will likely solder up real nice and strong. Looks to me like you solved the "tool" mystery. Thanks for not keeping it a secret...that was lame huh?

So maybe I'm missing something but why don't more people do this for keggle builds? I realize it dosen't have the strength of a TIG weld but is it really that much of a draw back. I figure I can do this myself and save the money and headache of having someone weld keggle valves for me.

I didn`t clean the fittings for this run , but i`m quite impressed the fit is so tight you cannot move it and it`s perfectly square.

Scut_Monkey said:

So maybe I'm missing something but why don't more people do this for keggle builds? I realize it dosen't have the strength of a TIG weld but is it really that much of a draw back. I figure I can do this myself and save the money and headache of having someone weld keggle valves for me.

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I do plan on welding mine, just after seeing it , i thought it could be soldered easily .

Very nice. I am going to use that method my next go around. That looks fantastic. I brazed my fittings in. If I would have had gap like that, my welds would have been much better.

I have an idea. Tell me if you think this makes any sense:

What if you did that in reverse? Pull the pointed coupling through from the outside. Then when you solder the fitting, you create a bit of a bowl for the solder to sit in. It might serve two purposes.

1. It might make the final solder/weld look nicer. Nowhere for the solder to spread out to.

2. For those worried about sanitary issues from the gap. It would put the smooth cone shape on the inside of the kettle. Making it easier to clean and might hold less debris.

I don't really care much for the sanitary issue. It will boil out anyway. But if you plan to polish your kegs or just like nice looking work. The puddle would look good sitting in that indented bowl.

Anyway. Nice work. That looks awesome!

did I say I love BACON!!!!

um try it and tell us!!!
I just thought of this a couple hour ago!

sorry I`ve been drinking.

Hardtack said:

I was hesitant about replying to this thread ,but i have something that might help.
I know you`ve seen the thread on "The Tool"

Well I don`t have machine shop capabilities at home so...
I took a 1/2in. coupling and on a bench grinder sharpened it to a point.

A 1in. coupling I cleaned the threads out and kind of rounded off with a dremmel tool. A piece of 5/8 all thread and a couple flat washers and made this.

I drilled a 7/8 hole in the keg ,put the tapered coupling inside ,the 1in. coupling on the outside and (after coating everything with 3 in 1 oil pulled the coupling through the hole.
Then switched out for the new coupling and pulled it through the hole.

I ended up with this. should be real easy to solder.
of course i clean every thing with denatured alcohol.

Disclaimer : The 1in. coupling was galvanized,and the keg was a test piece ,I will find a stainless 1in. coupling before i do the final.

Click to expand...

Very nice work!!. Well done. The only issue I have with your work is the use of 3 in 1 oil and the outer coupler used as the receiver. The halo carbons will contaminate the surface just as bad as carbon steel. My suggestion is to clean the surface very well with acetone before you do the final fitting of the coupler intended for use. I like acetone cause it is more robust in cleaning power then denatured alcohol. Also, prep the area prior to pulling the coupler through and your all good to go for the weld or solder.

As to the fit.....Now you see why I do it. Again nice work.