Soldering Hints
The soldering process bonds two metal objects together using a metallic bonding material (solder) which has a lower melting point than the items being joined. Sol- dering is not appropriate for
1.Check to be sure the objects being joined will not be damaged by the heat of solder- ing. This tool generates a temperature of 500° F. Test a scrap piece or inconspicu- ous area of your work piece with the soldering torch before proceeding.
2.Be sure the surfaces being soldered are clean before beginning. If necessary, use a soldering flux (not included) for cleaning. Apply the flux to the parts being joined, and heat the parts until the flux burns away.
3.Heat the parts being joined with the soldering tool, not the solder. Once the parts being joined are sufficiently heated, touch the solder to the workpieces. The solder will melt and adhere to the workpieces. Remove the soldering tip from the work- pieces, and hold the pieces together until they have cooled enough for the solder to solidify.
4.Solder will “follow the heat”. Once a workpiece is sufficiently hot to melt the solder, the solder can be dragged along the workpiece by moving the soldering tip. The solder will follow the heat. This technique is helpful when soldering joints, such as a tube in a coupling. By applying solder to the edge of the coupling and then moving the soldering tip away from the edge, solder can be dragged into a concealed joint as it follows the heat.
5.LEAD WARNING: Some solders contain lead and some do not. The solder supplied with this kit does not contain lead. Be extremely careful not to breathe vapors from any solder, especially ones containing lead. Lead is a heavy metal which can ac- cumulate in the body and may cause serious health problems.
6.Solder is available in various types. Some solders have a flux core and some do not. Flux core solders contain flux and reduce the need to clean the workpieces before joining. Solid core solders do not contain flux, and require careful cleaning of the work material, and application of flux for additional cleaning.
7.Solder is available in various melting points. The heat range of solder may be ex- pressed in temperature, or may be expressed as “easy,” “medium” or “hard”. When making several solder joints on a single workpiece, you may use a mix of solder temperatures. Easy solder will melt before medium, and hard will melt last. This can allow you to sequentially assembly or disassemble various parts of an item, such as jewelry.
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