If you can find the first editing (rather than 'first edition' of 'The Complete Car Modeller' by Gerald Wingrove there is an excellent section on using a range of silver solders to build up the fantastic brass engine detail in his models…this remains, for me, the best silver solder guide that exists. The points made include using the temp range of solders well and also the fact that when you re-heat silver solder to melting point a slightly higher temp is required.    All of this, of course, applies to the old solder ranges containing cadmium.

…..I think (if I recall) that the later versions of the book do not have the excellent silver solder treatise of the first version, sadly.   I have never been a car modeller but the Wingrove books are a treasure trove for all artisans including model makers, jewellers, silver smiths, and even clock makers….

Edited By Bob Stevenson on 07/09/2017 17:56:09

Edited By Bob Stevenson on 07/09/2017 18:04:52

Hi Malcolm,

If it is your first attempt at a major silver soldering job then I'd suggest using a couple of differing grade filler rods as has been suggested, Having built a good number of boilers over the years I now only use one grade of silver solder for every operation, what I will do though is to lightly flux every previously made joints and always use a flux capable of withstanding prolonged heating, I only use propane for heating, a couple of lamps for the larger 5" gauge boilers with plenty of heat retention, uses less gas and to let the job cool slowly, reducing the risk of any stress cracking etc.

It may be worth you tracking down a copy of Alec farmer's boiler making book, interesting.

Regards,

Bob Youldon

Good morning Malcolm,

like yourself all those years ago I started with a blowlamp, in fact my first boiler for a Juliet was completed with the aid of an evil 5 pint ex army blowlamp, that was an experience particularly when it decided to shoot a jet of flaming paraffin about 10 feet forward, just like a flame thrower! mind you as an apprentice, one old fitter used a petrol blowlamp! I always thought that was a bit dangerous especially in confined spaces.

Regards,

Bob

Your oxy set has a high temperature but a small heat capacity enabling a local area to get very hot indeed. This is why you can silver solder one part but the rest of the job cools off quickly. A large paraffin lamp is quite the opposite having a heat capacity far larger than oxy enabling a large amount of metal to be brought up to an adequate temperature for silver soldering, but not as high as the local temperature with oxy. Propane is similar.

I have only used a 5 pint paraffin (but even better with 10% petrol added) lamp twice and both times it did its best to kill me, so no way should anybody take this as any kind of recommendation to use one!