Just a guess Mike but fine brass mesh is an excellent conductor of heat. It was used in Mining Safety Lamps to ensure that a flame inside the lamp couldn't ignite gas outside.

Possibly the mesh, which has an enormous surface area, is cooling your iron. You could try insulating the mesh except around the edge where it needs to be soldered.

Dave

I did exactly this job earlier in the year. I used a big soldering iron (250W) and thought that it was too large when I was soldering. It was easier than I had expected but I was not proud of the result (a bit messy). I used new clean fine gauze, a plumber's white active flux and ordinary lead/tin solder.

I think if I had used a touch I would have melted the gauze. True the gauze has a large surface area but there is very little of it to heat up.

JA

This is widely used in the Netherlands **LINK** on the Dutch website you find more products special for difficult to (soft) solder materials and for stainless which I do not see on the English website. Pure copper has nothing to do with brass which is an alloy of (pure) copper and sinc as already said, perhaps you can ask the supplier for advice. Niko.

Edited By speelwerk on 13/10/2016 21:47:33

Mike ,

In the past I have had the same experiences as yourself with mesh . Tried the gas torch route , and that was a spectacular failure . In the end , like JA I used a large soldering iron which I allowed to get really hot before using it . I found that if I thoroughly cleaned the mesh with clean emery , wiped it with Bakers Fluid and then tinned it with resin cored solder first and then went over with lead solder , it worked fine for me . Regarding stainless , it depends on whether it is austenitic or non-austenitic , which determines whether it is magnetic or not . If your mesh is actually stainless steel , then if required I can supply you with a small amount of solder specifically designed to soft solder it.

I hope you will find this information of use .

Trevor

When I was thinking about making my filter I considered epoxy resin. It is a way to go but the gauze would have to be held in place while the glue sets.

If the gauze is stainless you will probably need a different flux such as phosphoric acid. The material of the gauze can be checked against known brass by setting up an electric cell with an electrolyte such as brine (this has been a topic of threads in the past).

JA

Removed. I mis-read the original post. sorry.

Ed.

Edited By Ed Duffner on 13/10/2016 23:32:31

+1 for julian's suggestion, when making a tender water filter  I sort of frayed both ends by removing a few wires from the short sides, bend one lot back on itself to keep the last bit in, then thread the sticky out bits from the other end back through the holes in the bit you've just folded back, and bend them back. I'd like to say you could do it in less time than it takes to describe it, but it's a fiddly job.

Edited By duncan webster on 14/10/2016 00:34:43

If you have no joy I have some bronze mesh from a paper mill you are welcome to.

I'v made a few filters from brass gauze, the first feww were for a Lanz Bulldog tractor. the initial problem I had was the solder flashing and blocking half the holes, I cured that by drawing a line about a mm from the joint with a pencil. soldering iron, dads old 65W Solon(? spelling), bought about 1936, more than adequate for a filter 1" diameter x 3" long.

Ian S C